Connecticut's Jones, Minnesota's Fowles Named WNBA Players of the Month


NEW YORK, July 5, 2017Jonquel Jones of the Connecticut Sun and Sylvia Fowles of the Minnesota Lynx today were named the WNBA’s Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for games played in June.  Jones won her first Player of the Month award.  Fowles, who also won the honor in May, raised her career total to seven, tying teammate Maya Moore for the second-highest mark in WNBA history behind the New York Liberty’s Tina Charles (eight).

Behind Jones, Connecticut went an Eastern Conference-best 6-2 in June after beginning the season 1-5.  In June, Jones ranked first among East players in rebounding (11.9 rpg) and blocked shots (2.13 bpg) and was 11th in scoring (15.6 ppg).  A second-year pro, Jones logged five double-doubles in eight games.  She also ranked eighth in the East in field goal percentage (.527, 48-of-91).

Jones’ month was highlighted by a 20-point, 15-rebound, five-block performance in Connecticut’s highest-scoring game of the season, a 104-71 home victory over the Atlanta Dream on June 10.  In her next game, the 6-6 forward/center recorded 19 points, 12 rebounds and three assists as Connecticut defeated the visiting Liberty 96-76 on June 14.

The former George Washington University star finished with 21 points and seven rebounds in a 94-89 win at New York on June 23.  She then closed the month with three consecutive double-doubles, including 13 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes in a 96-89 win over the visiting Seattle Storm on June 29.

Fowles lifted WNBA-leading Minnesota to a 6-1 record in June, pacing the West in rebounding (9.6 rpg) and field goal percentage (.702, 59-of-84).  She also scored at least 21 points in five of her seven games and ranked third in the conference in scoring (21.3 ppg).  The 10th-year pro was fourth in the West in steals (1.7 spg) and blocks (1.29 bpg).

The 2015 WNBA Finals MVP opened her month with 26 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in a 100-77 win at Seattle on June 3.  The 6-6 center sparked Minnesota to another road win on June 9, notching 21 points, 11 rebounds and five assists as the Lynx defeated the Washington Mystics 98-73.

On June 11, Fowles scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds as the Lynx beat the host Dallas Wings 91-74.  Fowles’ month also featured back-to-back doubles of 21 points and 15 rebounds to go with five blocks in a 93-76 home win over Washington on June 23, followed by 22 points and 10 rebounds to lead Minnesota past the visiting San Antonio Stars 87-78 on June 25.

Other candidates for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas and Jasmine Thomas, Dallas’ Skylar Diggins-Smith and Glory Johnson, the Los Angeles Sparks’ Chelsea Gray, Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker, New York’s Tina Charles and Shavonte Zellous, the Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner and Diana Taurasi, Seattle’s Breanna Stewart and Washington’s Elena Delle Donne.

For more information on the WNBA Players of the Month, visit www.wnba.com/awards.

The 2017 WNBA regular season runs through Sept. 3.  For more information on the WNBA and game tickets, fans may visit www.wnba.com.