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WATCH: Jonquel Jones returns in Connecticut Sun win over short-handed Washington Mystics

WNBA: Finals-Connecticut Sun at Washington Mystics

After missing the past five games, Connecticut Sun leading scorer Jonquel Jones returned to the lineup, leading her team to a 90-71 victory over the short-handed Washington Mystics. The win is the 100th in the career of Sun head coach Curt Miller, making him the 16th coach in WNBA history to reach that milestone.

After losing the first three games during their star player’s absence, the Sun began to find their footing, winning each of their last two games and extending their win streak to three with their win tonight. They now improve to 11-5 and are now just a half game back on the Las Vegas Aces for the second-best record in the WNBA.

The Washington Mystics have been ravaged with injuries all season with this game being the peak of their injury problems. They had just six active players during Tuesday night’s outing with each of their top stars out with injury.

Elena Delle Donne (back) has not played since the Mystics’ 2019 championship run, Myisha Hines-Allen (quad) has missed the last five games and Natasha Cloud (ankle) has missed the last four games.

In her return, Jonquel Jones filled the stat line with 23 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and three steals. Despite her five-game absence, Jones is tied for the most double-doubles in the WNBA this season with this being her eighth so far.

Jasmine Thomas scored 21 points for the Sun with all seven of her shots from the field coming from three-point range setting a career-high for threes in a game. Natisha Hiedeman scored 15 points off the bench while Brionna Jones recorded 14 points, nine rebounds and three assists.

WNBA leading scorer Tina Charles led the Mystics with 26 points, three blocks and two steals. This is her fifth consecutive game scoring 25 points or more.

Ariel Atkins finished with 19 points, five assists and two steals while Theresa Plaisance posted 10 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks.

Tina Charles did what she could to keep the Mystics in the game in the first half scoring 12 of her team’s 19 first quarter points and 17 first half points. However, she was outdone by the returning Jonquel Jones who scored 14 first quarter points and 19 points in the first half.

The Sun took over the game in the second quarter outscoring the Mystics 27-14 connecting on five three-pointers in the period with three coming from Jasmine Thomas.

The Mystics just did not have enough bodies to compete as the Sun would pour it on in the second half leading by as many as 27 points on their way to victory.

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