The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

It wasn’t the typical MVP calibre performance from Jonquel Jones, but her Connecticut Sun bounced back from a game one loss to even the WNBA semifinals.

Jones finished with a season low four points, seven rebounds and four assists in the Sun’s 79-68 win over the Chicago Sky last night at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The best-of-five semifinal series is now tied 1-1. The series will shift to Chicago for game three on October 3 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois at 1pm local time. Game four will also be hosted in Chicago on October 6 and game five (if necessary) will be back in Connecticut.

With Jones struggling offensively, the Sun overcame an 11-point first quarter deficit with a balanced scoring attack. Alyssa Thomas had a near triple double off the bench with 15 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.

Dewanna Bonner had 15 points, Brian January, Jasmine Thomas each scored 12 and Briann January added 11.

Jones was scoreless in the first half, 0-3 from the field and 0-2 from the free throw line in just 10 minutes. She scored her first field goal late in the third quarter.

“It was our balance... having five people who want to score without forcing,” Sun head coach Curt Miller said. “On a night when it wasn’t JJ’s night, we had so much balance.”

In game one, Jones led the Sun with 26 points and 11 rebounds in a 101-95 double overtime loss. The Sun lost only one game at home during the regular season en route to the league’s best record at 26-6. The Sun, who won the last 14 games of the regular season, got off to a slow start in their first game since September 19.

It was the league’s first double-overtime playoff game since 2015 between the Mystics and Liberty.