Connecticut Sun

Connecticut Sun Sweep WNBA Awards

Connecticut Sun forward Jonquel Jones
AP Photo/Ashley Landis

Jonquel Jones led a sweep of three major WNBA awards for Connecticut, earning MVP honors hours before the Sun opened their best-of-five playoff series against Chicago on Tuesday.

She averaged 19.4 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots to earn her first MVP award. Jones received all but one of the 49 first-place votes from a national media panel. Phoenix center Brittney Griner garnered the other first-place ballot and finished a distant second. Breanna Stewart of Seattle was third, followed by Minnesota's Sylvia Fowles and Washington's Tina Charles.

Connecticut's Curt Miller was chosen as the league's coach of the year. It's the second time he's won the award, also receiving it in 2017. Miller, who became the sixth coach to win the award at least twice, had 41 of the 49 votes, with Minnesota's Cheryl Reeve second with six votes. Bill Laimbeer of Las Vegas and Noelle Quinn of Seattle each received one vote to finish in a tie for third.

Miller is in his sixth season with Connecticut and guided the team to the best record in the league (26-6) and the top seed in the playoffs. Connecticut won its final 14 games of the regular season — the fourth longest streak in league history.

A big part of the Sun's success was due to the league's Most Improved Player — Brionna Jones. She received 38 of the the 49 votes. She averaged career highs of 14.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Sun this season.

Las Vegas Aces' guard Kelsey Plum finished second with eight votes. Dallas guard Marina Mabrey was third with last season's winner Betnijah Laney also garnering a vote.

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