MONTVILLE, Conn. — Connecticut Sun forward Jonquel Jones has been named the 2021 Kia WNBA Most Valuable Player.
It is the first time Jones, 27, has received the award, but she was also named the 2018 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year and 2017 WNBA Most Improved Player.
Jones received 48 of 49 first-place votes and 487 total points from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Seattle Storm forward and former UConn women's basketball player Breanna Stewart - the 2018 WNBA Most Valuable Player - finished in third place with 156 points.
In her fifth WNBA season, Jones made her case to be the league's MVP. She averaged 19.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.26 blocked shots and 1.26 steals in 31.7 minutes in 27 games.
The 6-6 forward led the WNBA in rebounding and defensive rebounding (8.7 drpg) and ranked fourth in scoring and 10th in blocks. Her efficiency rating of 25.4 was second only to Griner (26.0).
Jones won the WNBA Peak Performer Award as the league’s top rebounder for the third time in five seasons. She also led the WNBA in rebounding in 2017 and 2019.
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Behind Jones, the Sun posted the highest winning percentage in franchise history (.813) and finished the regular season with 14 consecutive victories for the fourth-longest winning streak in WNBA history.
The Connecticut Sun also earned the league’s best record (26-6) and the No. 1 seed in the WNBA Playoffs 2021 presented by Google.
Jones scored at least 20 points in 12 of 27 games, including a career-high 31 points vs. the New York Liberty on June 5 and again at Washington on Aug. 31. She also grabbed a career-best 17 rebounds at New York on July 11. Jones finished the season with 18 double-doubles (points-rebounds).
A native of the Bahamas, Jones was named the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for May, August and September. The Connecticut Sun posted a combined 18-2 record in those three months.
Jones was selected by the Los Angeles Sparks with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft before Connecticut acquired her draft rights in a trade that night. She holds career averages of 13.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.42 blocks.
In honor of being named the 2021 WNBA Most Valuable Player, Jones will receive $15,450 and a specially designed trophy by Tiffany & Co.
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