Stephanie Jones, a forward, signed to hardship contract

The Connecticut Sun have signed forward Stephanie Jones to a hardship contract, the team announced on Tuesday.

Forward Joyner Holmes was ruled out for health and safety protocols on Saturday ahead of a game against the Washington Mystics, bringing the Sun’s number of available players down to nine and triggering the hardship exception. The team made a move just in time for its West Coast trip, during which it face the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday and Thursday, the Phoenix Mercury on Friday and the Seattle Storm on Sunday.

Head coach general manager Curt Miller and assistant coach Brandi Poole are currently out with health and safety protocols as well. Chris Koclanes is serving as acting head coach.

Jones was on the Sun’s roster last season but was waived in favor of Holmes after training camp this year. She then spent time with the Mystics on a hardship contract. A former Maryland Terrapin and the sister of Sun star Brionna Jones, the 6-foot-2 forward played in 18 games for a total of 99 minutes, recording 25 points and 22 rebounds in 2021. In a preseason game against the Atlanta Dream this year, Jones went on a personal 9-0 scoring run and finished with 11 points.

“You could have an argument for all three of those post players making the team,” Miller said back in May of his decision between Stephanie Jones, Joyner Holmes and Beatrice Mompremier to make the opening day roster. “Steph Jones, the steadiest. Right place, right time, not going to make many mistakes, a great basketball IQ player and someone that was really, really a great locker room presence last year for us in a role-playing role.”

Stephanie Jones was already in Connecticut and attended games at Mohegan Sun Arena on Thursday and Saturday with her family, so she didn’t have to travel to join the team.

The Sun were facing the Aces at 9 p.m. Tuesday. The game will air on ESPN, marking the team’s second nationally televised game this season.