UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Jonquel Jones joined her teammates for a huddle after Saturday’s 82-75 win against the Connecticut Sun.
On her way off the Mohegan Sun Arena court, she stopped to take a selfie with a fan. Then, she dapped up another fan and high-fived a few more children on her way to the visitors locker room.
With the Sun relocating to Houston next season, Saturday was the last time the Liberty were guaranteed to play at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Jones made the most of her last time on the floor in front of the fans who supported her through the first six years of her WNBA career. She set a season high with 19 first-half points. She finished with a team-high 23 points and 11 rebounds for her 15th double-double this season.
It was a sweet final chapter in a place where she established herself as one of the WNBA’s best centers.
“Clearly, a lot of memories here, a lot of great people,” Jones said. “Sad to see the Sun go but excited to really see what things will turn into and it’ll be my first time to be able to visit Houston and all of that stuff next year.”
Jones sat out the Liberty’s June 8 game in Connecticut after falling ill before tipoff.
Prior to the game, though, she was honored at center court as part of the team’s celebratory “Sun Legends” campaign. Her jersey is pinned on a wall alongside other franchise greats, including Alyssa Thomas, Tina Charles and Curt Miller, among others.
On Saturday, she soaked in the atmosphere one last time.
“Just one of those franchises that for me, has a special place in my heart,” Jones said. “So it felt good to get the win tonight to come into an atmosphere that can be tricky at times and sometimes hard to win in. And I think we did a really good job of weathering their runs and some of the things that they were doing and being able to come out on top.”
Breanna Stewart, who won four championships at UConn, echoed Jones’ sentiment.
“Anytime coming here knowing that getting support from Husky fans and things like that is really special,” Stewart said. “It’s tough to see the team go but like J just said, it’s exciting to see what’s coming. I like that we had a lot of our fans for us today … but yeah, a lot of great memories here and happy that the last one was a win.”
