Sun @ Dream: An ode to Brionna Jones

Wherever the Sun go this season, they will run into old friends, most of which will make us sad and happy simultaneously. Sad, of course, that they’re gone, but pleased that they have found a new home after serving us well.


While she never got the plaudits or attention other former Sun players got nationally, the hardest player to watch in an opposing uniform this season is Brionna Jones.


All out of love, of course. Jones was drafted eighth overall by Connecticut in 2017 (out of Maryland), and - while she certainly had a role to play - never appeared headed to be a key piece in the Sun’s plans, did not start a game, or average more than nine minutes per contest in her first three seasons.


But Jones was always working behind the scenes, spending her offseasons playing under less than great conditions in Russia, then slightly better surroundings in Czechia to get a paycheck. At some point, right around the time we were in the COVID pandemic, Jones’ ability became harder to ignore for the Sun and WNBA. 


Courtesy WNBA
In her last four seasons in Connecticut, Jones went to the All-Star game three times (and was injured in the campaign she didn’t), finishing 10th in the MVP voting in 2021. Her ability to fill the stat sheet (and complement Alyssa Thomas) was perhaps more integral to the Sun’s success than anyone.


If you are a believer in advanced stats, and I am, they back that up. Jones finished at 6.0 or above in “win shares”, or how many wins an individual player is statistically responsible for in a season, in the three seasons she was healthy. In 2021, Jones was third in the WNBA (Jonquel Jones was first). In 2022, she was third again (leading the Sun, Alyssa Thomas was fourth). And in 2024, Jones was sixth, again tops on the Sun.


She did it all with a fairly unassuming attitude and was always a great teammate and asset to the Sun organization. She will be an opponent for the first time Sunday afternoon and it will be tough to watch, but still good to see our old friend.


What else can we look for Sunday at the retooled, but tiny Gateway Center Arena?:





 

SUN @ ATLANTA DREAM


Time: Sunday, 3 p.m. EDT


Place: Gateway Center Arena; College Park, Ga .


Records: Connecticut 0-3; Atlanta 2-2


TV: WNBA League Pass; NBC Sports Boston


Line: Atlanta -9.5


Absences: Connecticut - Lindsay Allen (out, hamstring); Leila Lacan (out, still in Europe); Aneesah Morrow (probable, knee).

Atlanta - Jordin Canada (out, knee); Te-Hina Paopao (questionable, facial injury).

 

History between them: The two teams split the season series 2-2 in 2024, but the Sun have won seven of the last 10. The Sun and Dream have met only once in a playoff series, the 2011 Eastern Conference semifinals, which Atlanta swept 2-0. Tina Charles was in her second season in the WNBA and had 17 rebounds in a Game 2 loss.


What to look for: Much has been made about new Dream coach Karl Smesko’s love for three-pointers, and Atlanta does like to shoot them, but visions of Brittany Griner and Brionna Jones shooting threes every other possession have not materialized of yet (Jones is 2-for-8 while Griner is 1-for-5 through four games). With that being said, Rhyne Howard has attempted 40 and Allisha Gray 34, so those two are going to put them up at will and why not? The Dream are currently 8th in three-point percentage (32.8%), with the Sun 12th (26.2%).


Still, the Dream are fourth in offensive efficiency, and a lot of that is Griner and Jones doing damage inside as they combined with 26 points and 23 rebounds in a win over Dallas Saturday afternoon. It’s not surprising that Atlanta is second in offensive rebounding (34.1%) and that will put pressure on Tina Charles and Olivia Nelson-Ododa to rebound misses and not give Gray and Howard second chances to bury three-pointers.


Atlanta has not been great defensively and hasn’t forced many turnovers, which is good news for the Sun, who will not have a true point guard dressed. Does Rachid Meziane trust Saniya Rivers to run the point guard for extended periods? Doesn’t seem like the worst idea to me. It is a back-to-back for the Dream, who have a lot of veteran players and are short-handed, so if the Sun can push tempo, it might behoove them as well.


Key players:  Connecticut: Tina Charles - Charles returns to Atlanta after a tough performance in Minnesota (4 points, 5 rebounds). She is going to be giving up size against either Jones or Griner and has to find a way to at least make things difficult for them on defense, but might be able to exploit them on the other end. And if Griner or Jones wants to shoot threes against her, might be OK to let them.


Atlanta: Maya Caldwell - Caldwell played 23 minutes Saturday and will likely get a similar amount Sunday if Paopao can’t go. She made the roster partly because she can shoot, even though it’s been inconsistent. She was 2-for-2 from behind the arc against Dallas Saturday.


Advanced stat:  22.3% - Current turnover rate for the Sun, ahead of only Chicago (25.3%), who has been miserable to start the season. The second half Friday was a huge struggle to even get shots off, and while Atlanta probably won’t be bringing that kind of pressure, the Sun have to take care of the ball.


Tactical spotlight: We know Gray and Howard are going to get off shots and their size will make it tough to stop. It seems like a good idea for Rivers to defend Gray (who scored 27 points Saturday), but that leaves the 6-foot-2 Howard defended by Jacy Sheldon or Bria Hartley possibly. As mentioned before, it will be essential for the Sun to rebound missed three-pointers.


Inside the numbers: 9 - Number of players available for the Dream if Te-Hina Paopao is out. On a back-to-back, that should be an advantage for the Sun, but we’ll see if it plays out that way.

Prediction: 82-80 Atlanta 

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