The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Ogwumike, Jones get together
Post players mesh well for 1st-place Sun
UNCASVILLE — There was no bigger question surrounding the 2018 Connecticut Sun than how quickly and effectively dynamic post players Jonquel Jones and Chiney Ogwumike would work in unison.
When they were teammates during the 2016 season, Jones would usually be summoned off the bench to replace Ogwumike. With Ogwumike missing the 2017 season with a torn Achilles tendon, it gave Jones the opportunity for a record-setting season. Now that the two are healthy, perhaps more history is about to be made.
No WNBA team has ever led the league in shooting percentage and offensive rebounding in the same season. Yet heading into Tuesday’s games the Sun are setting the pace in both categories.
“I think it’s JJ (Jones), Alyssa (Thomas) and I that really have to band together because we’re the rebounders,” Ogwumike said. “Letting each other know that if you’re in, we’re out, if I’m out (on the perimeter), I’m driving (to the post), if I’m driving, you’re picking and popping.
“If things aren’t going our way, we have to attack and be aggressive and our way to be aggressive is getting on the board, having each other’s back and how bad do you want it? Are you going to get that rebound? Are you going to get that stop? Are you going to be up in people’s face and challenging people? So that’s who we are now.”
Ogwumike and Jones happen to rank in the top two on the first-place Sun in both field goal percentage and offensive rebounds as 7-1 Connecticut heads into Wednesday’s showdown with Washington (7 p.m., ESPN2) with a chance to match the best start in franchise history.
“We don’t back down,” said Jones, who has a team-leading 20 offensive rebounds. “I don’t think it’s just the front line, I think it’s the team in general, everybody’s rebounding. We’re not backing off of anybody, we’re excited to play every time we step on the court and I think it shows in our rebounding, it shows in our tenacity.”
With visa issues keeping Jones in her native Bahamas for training camp, she came off the bench in the first six games of the season. However, with matchups against Olympic gold medalists Tina Charles of the New York Liberty and Sylvia Fowles of defending WNBA champion Minnesota, Sun coach Curt Miller started Jones and Ogwumike together for the first time in their career. The Sun pulled down 28 offensive rebounds in the games to improve to 7-1.
“Chiney has done such a good job in her movement, she brings us a lot of energy and movement,” Miller said. “You add a wing like Courtney Williams who enjoys going to the offensive glass and the warrior that Alyssa Thomas is, when we put our big lineup on the floor we’re a very good offensive rebounding team.”
In each of the last three seasons, the WNBA team leader in offensive rebounds came from a team ranking 11th or 12th in field goal percentage, providing ample offensive rebounding opportunities. Los Angeles led the way in shooting percentage each of those seasons but was 11th in offensive rebounds during the 2015, ’16 and ’17 campaigns. This is not a recent trend as in WNBA history, the only team leader in offensive rebounding to finish in the top three in shooting percentage were the Atlanta Dream squads in 2009 and ’11. The 2003 Detroit Shock fell three offensive rebounds shy of being the only team to lead the WNBA in both categories.
“It gives flexibility when they sub to bring (former starter Shekinna) Stricklen in or (Rachel) Banham or (Alex) Bentley,” Washington coach Mike Thibault said. “Blocking out becomes a big key. It’s not enough that they shoot as well as they do but you can’t give them extra opportunities because you’re asking for trouble.”