New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Replacing Jones tall task for Sun
There was a sobering mood in the Connecticut Sun locker room after its win over Seattle on Tuesday.
While the team didn’t have the official diagnosis just yet, most had the feeling Brionna Jones’ injury was likely season-ending.
The Sun’s star center had collapsed on the court with a minute left in the game and immediately grabbed her lower right leg. She was standing unguarded and pushing off her right leg when it gave out.
Connecticut’s head athletic trainer Nicole Alexander sprinted onto the court. And the second Alyssa Thomas turned to see Jones on the court, she threw her hands to her head, looked up at the ceiling before bending over to take a moment.
She knew. Thomas had been in that same pain two years ago when she tore her Achilles.
After undergoing surgery in Seattle on Friday, Jones will miss the remainder of the 2023 season recovering from tearing her right Achilles tendon. Her absence leaves a void in the Sun’s lineup as Jones was just blossoming into her own after being named the 2021 WNBA Most Improved Player and the 2022 WNBA’s Sixth Player of the Year.
But with 25 games left in the regular season, Connecticut needs to find a solution to replace 6foot-5 Jones to keep its spot atop the Eastern Conference standings. On Tuesday, against New York, the Sun will face its first big test without Jones.
“This is a tight group, and they love Breezy and they want to be great for their teammate,” Sun head coach Stephanie White said. “I think every time we step on the floor, certainly we’re reminded
that we’re not given the opportunity every day, right? Every time we step on the floor, it’s a privilege. And every time we step on the floor, we have an opportunity to play for her.”
Unfortunately, and fortunately, season-ending injuries are nothing new for Connecticut, so the team has learned how to master bouncing back.
In 2021, the team lost Thomas in the preseason to her Achilles injury, yet it finished the regular season with the league’s No. 1 standing and a franchise win record of 26-6. Connecticut lost in the semifinals of the playoffs that summer.
Longtime veteran point guard Jasmine Thomas suffered an ACL injury five games into the 2022 season, yet the team still reached the WNBA Finals.
“The resilience is really built-in,” White said.
Connecticut defeated Minnesota 89-68 on Thursday in its first game without Jones. Rebecca Allen started in her place while White challenged everyone to step up that much more. After the win, the team FaceTimed Jones on the court to celebrate with her.
“Just seeing her face on FaceTime after we won, I don’t even know. I don’t
have words really. Just it’s sad like it hits home,” point guard Natisha Hiedeman said. “Obviously been playing with Breezy for five years now. So, I feel like a part of the team is going to be missing … Just seeing her smile on the FaceTime though, it feels really good to know that she’s in good spirits and I think that she knows that we have her back 100%. And that the whole team staff, everybody is gonna help her get through this so she can come back better than ever.”
So, what will Connecticut look like without Jones on the court? Well for starters, there’s not one player on the Sun’s roster that can immediately step in and replace her, making the solution a team-wide effort.
Thomas, 6-2, moved over to the 5 position when Allen joined the lineup. Allen’s addition to the starting five opens up the team’s offense with her team-leading 42.1 3point field goal percentage.
“I think the great thing about the team that we have put together is we have versatility so we can play different ways,” White said. “You know certainly we’re more inexperienced at our 5-position now without Breezy on the floor. You know, whether that’s good or bad, you know, I don’t know. Getting thrown into the fire sometimes is the best way to learn.”
The biggest hole in Connecticut’s lineup now is its lack of size down low. Against Chicago on Sunday, the Sun allowed the Sky to score 22 of its 27 first-quarter points inside the paint.
While both Liz Dixon and former UConn women’s basketball star Olivia Nelson-Ododa standing at 6-5, neither has the experience of Jones. Dixon has played just three games in her rookie year while Nelson-Ododa is in her second year.
The former Husky played in 30 games, starting six last season for the Sparks. So far this year, she’s played in all 15 games, averaging 2.7 points, and 2.1 rebounds in 9.9 minutes.
Playing under Jones has taught Nelson-Ododa how to use her toughness to demand space under the basket. From watching Jones go against practice players or even having to guard her herself, Nelson-Ododa has learned how to move her body at the precise moment to grab that extra rebound and decide whether to pass it or put it back up.
“Breezy is one of the toughest players that I’ve either played against or been able to play with,” Nelson-Ododa said. “She’s just a really physical, tough player. And she plays big. She takes up her space and you know, she’s just super skilled at finishing and just making those moves, especially quick and especially against even like taller, bigger opponents. … She’s just like a one-of-a-kind player.”