UNCASVILLE, Conn.— With a smile on her face, Jonquel Jones stood at center court at Mohegan Sun Arena, engulfed in a roar of applause and appreciation. Now a member of the New York Liberty, Jones took a moment to look around at the place where she began her career with the Connecticut Sun. After being drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks, who selected her as the No. 6 pick in the 2016 WNBA draft, they traded her to Connecticut. It’s here, in Uncasville, that Jones helped transform the franchise into a legitimate title contender for the first time in over a decade. It’s here, on this very court, where she herself emerged as one of the most dominant centers in the league.
On Monday night, the Sun honored Jones pregame before the Liberty defeated the Sun, 89-80, in a ceremony that celebrated her legacy. Although she was ruled out of the game due to illness, that didn’t damper the mood, or the excitement from fans in the crowd, many of whom donned both orange Sun jerseys and seafoam green Liberty jerseys. As they gave her a standing ovation and screamed out “I love you!,” Jones made a heart sign with her hands to show her appreciation right back to them.
#35 now lives among the Sun Legends☀️
— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) June 8, 2026
Thank you, @jus242 🧡#GetClose | #CTSun pic.twitter.com/bD0HzbIqAl
“I just want to say thank you to this organization for taking a chance on me and for bringing me here,” said Jones, who was joined on the court by Sun General Manager Morgan Tuck and President Jennifer Rizzotti. Her Liberty teammates and current members of the Sun stood nearby on the court to applaud her.
“I want to say thank you to the fans. Even though it’s the ‘Sunset Season’ there are a lot of memories here,” she continued. “A lot of winning that happened here. I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Tuck then handed Jones a Sun-themed varsity jacket, while Rizzotti held a replica of the Sun Legends banner that now hangs in the rafters. The banner includes her No. 35 jersey alongside Sun Legends like Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Margo Dydek, Nykesha Sales, Katie Douglas, Lindsay Whalen and Asjha Jones.
When Jones arrived in Connecticut, she joined a squad that included Tuck, as well as Courtney Williams, Alyssa Thomas and Chiney Ogwumike, to name a few. As a rookie, Jones started in six games and averaged just 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, but by Year 2, she took a major leap and seemingly transformed overnight. As a starter, Jones doubled her scoring average to an impressive 15.4 points and won Most Improved. The following year, she was named Sixth Player of the Year.
By 2019, the Sun were legitimate title contenders and made it all the way to the Finals for the first time in over a decade. Despite a loss to the Washington Mystics, that was just the beginning for both Connecticut and Jones — and in 2021, JJ was undoubtedly the best player in the WNBA.
She averaged a career-high double-double of 19.4 points and 11.2 rebounds per game and was named MVP for the first and only time in her career, all while leading the Sun to the third-best record in franchise history – a total of 26 wins and just six losses. A year later, in 2022, the Sun were back in the Finals yet again but lost to the Las Vegas Aces, 3-1.
During her time in a Sun uniform, Jones etched her name in the history books and currently holds the all-time franchise record in blocks (270) and third in rebounds (1,633). She also finished her career third in double-doubles (68), seventh in three-pointers made (212), ninth in steals (178) and 13th in assists (315).
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When asked about the biggest lesson she learned during her time in a Sun uniform, Jones told The IX Basketball: “I think just making sure I’m taking advantage of every opportunity, just being where my feet are, enjoying the people you know that are around me, because things can change so quickly.”
“[And] understanding that, in a way, the journey is really the destination, because the time that you spend with people to get there to try to achieve a common goal, there’s no guarantees that you will actually achieve it, but you do have those moments with the people that you cherish every day.”
Throughout her six seasons in Connecticut, Jones said she learned to be a leader and grew into the woman that she is today, one whose impact extends even beyond the basketball court. She’s served as an inspiration globally, representing both the Bahamas, where she was born, and holds citizenship in Bosnia-Herzegovinia. In 2019, Jones used her platform to donate relief to The Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian. She’s also advocated for mental health, social justice and LGBTQ+ rights.
Even after she left Connecticut and was acquired by New York ahead of the 2023 WNBA season, Jones’ legacy continued when she helped lead the Liberty to their first WNBA championship in 2024. On top of that, she was named Finals MVP. Jones and her Liberty teammates Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart then transcended the world of women’s hoops and fashion when they showed out at the Met Gala a year later, where Jones rocked an elegant Sergio Hudson suit.
This season, Jones has continued to step up both as a leader, and the ultimate teammate. “I feel so excited and happy for her. She’s so nice, she’s a nice person,” said Liberty center and teammate Han Xu.
And yet, even with all of Jones’ success and achievements, she hasn’t forgotten the place that started it all — or just how much the state of Connecticut truly means to women’s basketball.
“I think this franchise bet on women’s basketball before it was the in thing to do, before there was as much traction as there is now, and for all the years that the Connecticut Sun really helped carry women’s basketball, I think that’s something that should be looked at, and something that definitely should be respected and honored as well, too,” Jones said before adding: “I just know that when I was here, the culture was just really tough basketball, playing really hard and winning a lot of basketball games.”
With this being the final season for the Sun before the franchise relocates to Houston next year, even Jones admitted that she is just as sad to see the fans lose their beloved franchise.
“I think that was the biggest thing, just they loved the game [of] basketball,” she said. “They were gracious fans. I’m sad that they won’t have a team in the vicinity, like super, super close, but you know, we want to welcome them in, and they can come to the game in New York at all times.”
