Connecticut’s Jones, Minnesota’s Fowles Named WNBA Players of the Week


NEW YORK, Aug. 14, 2017 – Jonquel 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 Week, respectively, for games played Aug. 7-13.

Jones earned Player of the Week honors for the second time this season and the second time in her two-year career. Behind the 6-6 forward/center, the Sun went 2-0 for the week to improve to 17-9 overall and clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2012.  The first-time All-Star paced the Eastern Conference in rebounding (15.0 rpg) and blocks (4.0 bpg), ranked second in steals (3.0 spg), finished seventh in scoring (19.5 ppg) and tied for eighth in assists (3.5 apg).

Jones opened her week with 20 points, a game-high 14 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals in an 81-74 home win over the Seattle Storm on Aug. 8.  The former George Washington University standout then logged her sixth consecutive double-double and league-leading 16th of the season, finishing with 19 points and a game-high 16 rebounds in a 96-88 win over the visiting Dallas Wings on Aug. 12.  In the win, Jones matched career highs with five blocks, four assists and four steals.

Fowles was named Western Conference Player of the Week for a league-leading fifth time this season.  She raised her career total to 12 Player of the Week awards in 10 seasons.  Minnesota, a WNBA-best 21-4, went 1-1 for the week as Fowles paced West players in blocks (3.5 bpg) and ranked second in scoring (22.0 ppg) and rebounding (13.0 rpg).  The 2015 WNBA Finals MVP ranked fourth in field goal percentage (.652, 15-of-23) to maintain her spot atop the league in field goal percentage (.675, 197-of-292).

Fowles opened her week with 27 points, 13 boards and four blocks in an 81-72 road win over the Atlanta Dream on Aug. 8.  She then contributed 17 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks and two assists in a 70-64 loss to the visiting Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 11.

Other candidates for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were the Chicago Sky’s Courtney Vandersloot, Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas and Courtney Williams, Dallas’ Glory Johnson, Los Angeles’ Candace Parker, the New York Liberty’s Tina Charles and Shavonte Zellous, the Phoenix Mercury’s Monique Currie, the San Antonio Stars’ Isabelle Harrison and the Washington Mystics’ Krystal Thomas.

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