Jones wins WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month

Miller named Coach of the Month

After the Connecticut Sun went undefeated in August on their way to clinching a WNBA playoff berth and rising to the top of the league standings, the team is being recognized for its successes.

Sun’s 6-6 forward/center Jonquel Jones earned Kia WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors, while head coach Curt Miller was named the WNBA Coach of the Month for August, the league announced Thursday.

It is Jones’ second such honor of the season and the third of her career. She’s the only player to win player of the month twice this season, while Breanna Stewart, Tina Charles, A’ja Wilson and Sylvia Fowles have also received the award.

Jones helped the Sun go 7-0 in August upon their return from the WNBA’S Olympic break, averaging 18.7 points on 51% shooting, 11.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks along the way. In 22 games this summer (she missed five while playing in Eurobasket), the WNBA MVP candidate is averaging a career-high 20.3 points (third in the league) on 53% shooting, a league-best 11.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. She also leads the league with 14 double-doubles, the most recent of which was a 31-point, 14-rebound effort at Washington on Tuesday.

Miller previously won WNBA Coach of the Month in July 2017, the same season he won WNBA Coach of the Year. His Sun have won nine straight regular-season games, and in August beat the Dallas Wings, Washington Mystics and Las Vegas Aces once and the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks twice. Thanks to their defensive and rebounding prowess, the Sun have a league-best 21-6 record (13-1 at home).