Lewis Brinson, of the USA, in action during the third edition of the Don’t Blink/Charles Johnson Foundation Home Run Derby in Paradise at Montagu Bay. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

Monday, January 6, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#The third edition of the Don’t Blink/Charles Johnson Foundation Home Run Derby in Paradise produced a pair of new champions to conclude an exciting weekend of events.

#Lewis Brinson put on a spectacular hitting display and claimed the title of “Home Run King” as the individual champion while Team Fox was the overall team winner Saturday afternoon at the Montagu Bay foreshore.

#The revolutionary concept once again produced a series of highlights and showcased the Bahamas’ elite baseball talent along with visiting minor leaguers.

#The final round culminated in a matchup between Brinson and event co-founder Lucius Fox Jr.

#Brinson, the Miami Marlins outfielder, hit 13 home runs in 15 swings to clinch the title in his second year competing in the event. “I’m honoured to be invited to this and have the success that I have had this year. It’s also an honour and a blessing to be able to play the game of baseball for a living like I do.

#“I told myself I would outperform last year when I was a little nervous, I didn’t know what to expect. This year I was focused and I came here to win.” he said.

#“It’s great, this is my second year and it got better from last year and already, I can’t wait to be back next year, all the guys are telling me that this is something that needs to continue. It’s a well run event in a beautiful country and I’m honoured to be a part of it.”

The third edition of the Don’t Blink/Charles Johnson Foundation Home Run Derby in Paradise produced a pair of new champions to conclude an exciting weekend of events. Lewis Brinson put on a spectacular hitting display and claimed the title of “Home Run King” as the individual champion while Team Fox was the overall team winner Saturday afternoon at the Montagu Bay foreshore. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

#Brinson spent last season between the Marlins in the major leagues and its Triple-A affiliate, the New Orleans Baby Cakes.

#“This offseason I took time to myself away from social media to reset and just basically to take time away from everybody, everybody but my mom really, going into next year. There was stuff I had to work on and I’ve been working my but off this offseason,” Brinson said, “This was like the test for me to see how my mental skills and the things I’ve been working on in the cage – just working on staying short, staying quiet and it was good to see how it played out. I came on a mission,” Brinson said, “This was good to recharge and to come down here, take a load off and get back to work. We’ve got spring training in a month.”

#Brinson and Fox led their team to the win over last year’s champion, Team Isaacs.

#Tom Fox included Brinson and fellow Miami Marlins player Isan Diaz. Others included Ronnie Dawson (Houston Astros organisation), Nick Gordon (Minnesota Twins organisation), Josh Palacios (Toronto Blue Jays organisation), Braxton Davidson (Atlanta Braves organisation) and Buddy Reed (Oakland Athletics organisation). Local products included Kristian Robinson – the No.2 overall prospect in the Arizona Diamondbacks organisation, Chavez Young (Toronto Blue Jays organisation), Keithron Moss (Texas Rangers organisation), D’Shawn Knowles (Los Angeles

#Angels of Anaheim), D’Vaughn Knowles (New York Yankees organisation), Warren Saunders (New York Mets organisation) and first year participant Ian Lewis (Miami Marlins organisation).

#Saunders was one of the highlights of the afternoon and posted 12 home runs in the opening round.

#Following the team format, the top four individual hitters from each team advanced to the playoff rounds.

#Team Isaacs was headlined by event co-founder Todd Isaacs Jr and the No.4 prospect in the Miami Marlins organisation – Jazz Chisholm, the top home run hitter of all Bahamian players this past season. Other local products included Trent Deveaux (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim organisation), Anfernee Seymour (free agent) and several first year participants – Zion Bannister (Texas Rangers organisation), James Rolle (Baltimore Orioles organisation), Everette Cooper (Houston Astros organisation), Dax Stubbs (Baltimore Orioles organisation) and D’Vonn Mackey (Oakland Athletics organisation).Visiting hitters drafted to Team Isaacs include Will Benson (Cleveland Indians organisation), Jermiah Jackson (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheimorganisation), Christian Koss (Colorado Rockies organisation), Monte Harrison (Miami Marlins organisation) and Jet Johnson (Cleveland Indians organisation).

#Proceeds from the event will benefit the Cancer Society of the Bahamas, the Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group and the Hurricane Dorian Relief Effort.

#A unique venue presented a unique approach as players hit home runs into Montagu Bay. Home run barriers were set by buoys in the water that were measured with the proper major league approved dimensions.

#“I’m really humble and excited for what we can accomplish in the future. It was a lot of fun to feel this energy,” Isaacs said, “It’s all about the fans and creating an atmosphere for baseball to flourish in the country. The Bahamas is a breeding ground for talent on and off the baseball field and in all professions in the world, so for us to bring this amount of people out and create something for people to recognize the amount of talent we have here is incredible. I’m looking forward to the number of Bahamian professional players to continue to grow so we could have even more competitors next year.”

#Proceeds from the event will benefit the Cancer Society of the Bahamas, the Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group and the Hurricane Dorian Relief Effort.

Thursday, January 2, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#THE rosters are set for both teams as the country’s top pro baseball prospects prepare to host a showcase of local and international talent, vying for the title of the Bahamian Home Run Derby King.

#The third edition of the Don’t Blink/Charles Johnson Foundation Home Run Derby, powered by REV, takes place noon on January 4 at Montagu Bay foreshore, featuring approximately 30 participants in the unique showcase.

#Todd Isaacs Jr (Colorado Rockies organisation) and Lucius Fox Jr (Tampa Bay Rays organisation) selected their respective teams via their draft selection show to divide the teams that will compete for their respective charitable organisations.

#Following the team format, the top four individual hitters from each team will advance to see who will be the individual winner.

#Team Isaacs looks to repeat as defending champions headlined by major leaguer Shed Long of the Seattle Mariners.

#Local product Jazz Chisholm, the top home run hitter of all Bahamian players this past season, was also drafted to Team Issacs along with Trent Deveaux (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), Anfernee Seymour (free agent) and several first year participants – Zion Bannister (Texas Rangers), James Rolle (Baltimore Orioles), Everette Cooper (Houston Astros), Dax Stubbs (Baltimore Orioles) and D’Vonn Mackey (Oakland Athletics).

#Other visiting hitters drafted to Team Isaacs include Will Benson (Cleveland Indians), Jermiah Jackson (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), Christian Koss (Colorado Rockies), Monte Harrison (Miami Marlins) and Jet Johnson (Cleveland Indians).

#Tom Fox selected a Bahamian player with the first overall pick – Kristian Robinson – the No.2 overall prospect in the Arizona Diamondbacks organisation.

#Other local draft selections included Chavez Young (Toronto Blue Jays), Keithron Moss (Texas Rangers), D’Shawn Knowles (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), D’Vaughn Knowles (New York Yankees), Warren Saunders (New York Mets) and first year participant Ian Lewis (Miami Marlins).

#A pair of major leaguers from the Miami Marlins – Isan Diaz and Lewis Brinson – headline the visiting players for Team Fox. Others include Ronnie Dawson (Houston Astros), Nick Gordon (Minnesota Twins), Josh Palacios (Toronto Blue Jays), Braxton Davidson (Atlanta Braves) and Buddy Reed (Oakland Athletics).

#“Don’t Blink weekend is going to be something special. It’s something we are super excited for,” Isaacs said, “This year we are fortunate to be partnering with the Charles Johnson Foundation to help our reach get out to the world. The important thing we loved about his philosophy is that he wants to invest in the youth, invest in the future and that’s the biggest thing for us just giving the young men in society something positive to look up to and something that can change their lives. Baseball is an avenue that allows kids to change their families’ lives as young as 16. We play in front of thousands of people every day but there’s nothing like performing in front of the home crowd.”

#Johnson, had a major league career that spanned 11 years across six franchises, most notably the Miami Marlins. The former World Series champion, two-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner now spearheads a foundation to increase opportunities for youth through the sport.

#Proceeds from the event will benefit the Cancer Society of the Bahamas, the Sister Sister Breast Cancer Support Group and the Hurricane Dorian Relief Effort.

#“In year’s past we have had a theme for the home run derby and this year the theme will be Bahamas Strong. In the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, we felt it was important not just to help our brothers and sisters that suffer through cancer but also to help the Hurricane Dorian victims as best we can,”Isaacs said, This year the teams will support the Cancer Society of the Bahamas, the Sister Sister

#Breast Cancer Support Group and hurricane relief as the other team. The guys will compete as best as they can to win for their respective charity. All of us were in season with the hurricane hit, and some of these guys are from Freeport. So I couldn’t imagine sitting in the locker room, having to worry about what’s going on with your family. We just want to use our platform in whatever way we can to make a difference.”

#In addition to the Home Run Derby, the participating players will host a clinic at the Atlantis Resort in Paradise Harbour on January 3 for aspiring student athletes.

#“We kickoff the weekend with a kid’s camp and will be partnering with the MLB Play Ball initiative. That is the branch of MLB that hosts all their kids camp around the world and this will be their first time coming down to the Bahamas,” Isaacs said, “Through Charles Johnson we made contact with the Play Ball initiative. He’s played in the Major Leagues for a long time so a lot of the relationships with people throughout baseball. When they saw the derby, they saw the kids camp and they were blown away by what we were doing. They are bringing boxes and boxes of stuff to give away to the kids.”

#Community outreach efforts like the kid’s camp remain a mandate of the group for the further development of the next generation of baseball players.

#“I just want baseball to grow in the Bahamas,” Fox said, “Over the years they’ve been talking about the Dominican Republic and all these Latin American countries, but I know we have the talent. If I can do my part to help the young guys be better than us then I will do just that. It’s never selfish when it comes to us we just look forward to breaking down as many doors as possible.”

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#RYAN Reckley received the opportunity to showcase his skills against the top players in his class across the United States.

#He was named to the roster of the Perfect Game 14-U Select Baseball Festival hosted last weekend at the Jet Blue Park Player Development Complex in Fort Myers, Florida.

#The fourth edition of the event featured the top 44 prospects from the national prep classes of 2022 and 2023.

#Players participated in a variety of activities, culminating in Sunday afternoon’s All-Star game.

#This year’s two teams were coached by former MLB pitchers Tom “Flash” Gordon and Tanyon Sturtze.

#Reckley and Team Gordon came away with an 8-2 win over Team Sturtze.

#He walked in the first inning and eventually scored an early run as Team Gordon grabbed an early lead they would never relinquish. They led 2-1 after three and 5-1 after five on their way to the win. After an hour long weather delay, the nine-inning game took approximately 3.5 hours to complete.

#Reckley, a 5’7” 145-pound shortstop, is a student at Global Academy and was the second consecutive Bahamian player selected to the festival following Andre Arthur last year.

#“Reckley is tightly wound with fast-twitch muscle, an element of his game that aids him on both sides of the ball,” his PG analysis said. “He’s a switch-hitter with present bat speed from either side, whipping the barrel while showing an advanced defensive skill-set, all of which equate to a highly intriguing international sign come July 2 of 2021.”

Thursday, October 8, 2020

Ryan Reckley

Paris Johnson

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#Bahamian baseball prospects continue to showcase their skills on the international stage.

#Ryan Reckley and Paris Johnson were named to the All-Tournament Team for the 2020 WWBA Sophomore World Championships, September 24-28 at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida.

#Both players were members of Elite Squad U16 McCoy squad that finished the event 2-2 and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

#Reckley, 16, averaged .333 with a double, two RBI, four stolen bases and scored three runs with an .833 OPS.

#The 5’10” 165 pound shortstop has also made All-Tournament Teams at the 2019 WWBA Freshman Championships, 2019 U14 PG Series Classic, U14 BCS National Championship, WWBA U14 East Memorial Day Classic and 2018 PGBA U14 Florida Fall Nationals.

#Johnson, 15, is a 6’2” 200 pound outfielder and right handed pitcher. He hit .307 with a double, three RBI, three stolen bases, one run and a .785 OPS.

#He has also made All-Tournament Teams at the 2019 WWBA Freshman World Championship and WWBA U14 East Memorial Day Classic.

#Both players are products of the Maximum Development Sports Academy and are already garnering attention from MLB clubs in their respective international signing class.

#In 2019 Reckley received the opportunity to showcase his skills against the top players in his class across the United States. He was named to the roster of the Perfect Game 14u Select Baseball Festival.

#The fourth edition of the event featured the top 44 prospects from the national prep classes of 2022 and 2023.

#“Reckley is tightly wound with fast-twitch muscle, an element of his game that aids him on both sides of the ball,” his PG analysis said. “He’s a switch-hitter with present bat speed from either side, whipping the barrel while showing an advanced defensive skill-set, all of which equate to a highly intriguing international sign come July 2 of 2021.”

Miami Marlins shortstop Jazz Chisholm throws to first base for a double play after tagging out Josh Harrison during the first inning of a second game of doubleheader against the Washington Nationals, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Miami. (AP Photo/Gaston De Cardenas)

By Renaldo Dorsett

As of Monday, September 21, 2020

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#“Jazz” Chisholm and the Miami Marlins head into the final week of the Major League Baseball regular season in playoff contention.

#Despite a 15-0 loss to the Washington Nationals last night in the series finale at Marlins Park, the Marlins went 9-6 over the course of their 15-game homestand which began September 10.

#Miami won game one of yesterday’s double header 2-1.

#Starting second baseman Jon Berti returned from the 10-day injured list with a lacerated right index finger and resumed his place in the lineup.

#Chisholm appeared in the second game in a start at shortstop and had a quiet day at the plate (0-2 with a groundout into a fielder’s choice).

#Defensively he helped turn a “4-6-3” double play.

#At 28-25, the Marlins remain second in the National League East. They have a one-game lead over the third place Philadelphia Phillies.

#They now head on the road for a four-game series against the NL East leading Atlanta Braves.

#First pitch is at 7:10pm local time. The Braves, 31-22, lead the Marlins by three games in the division race and an automatic spot in the playoffs.

#Miami concludes the season and remains on the road with a three-game series against the 31-22 New York Yankees.

#The regular season concludes Sunday, September 27. The Marlins look to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

#Major League Baseball will have 16 playoff teams in the 60-game 2020 season.

#All first-round games will be part of best-of-three series. The “Wild Card Series” will all take place between September 29 and October 2.

#All six second-place teams (every division) will qualify for the 16-team playoff format. The seventh and eighth teams in each league will be chosen by the best record among other teams. Teams will be seeded one through eight based on the 2020 season record.

#The division winners will be seeded 1-3, the second-place teams will be seeded 4-6 and the final two “wild card” teams will be seeded 7-8. 

Miami Marlins’ Garrett Cooper (26), Jazz Chisholm (70) and Corey Dickerson, right, celebrate after they scored on a double by Starling Marte during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Thursday, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

By Renaldo Dorsett

Friday, September 11, 2020

#The Miami Marlins began a pivotal seven-game homestand against the Philadelphia Phillies with their first walkoff win of the season and regained a winning record in the standings.

#Jazz Chisholm went 1-4 at the plate with a walk and scored one run in his third consecutive start at secondbase and the Marlins defeated the Phillies 7-6 last night at Marlins Stadium in Miami, Florida.

#The Marlins improved to 20-19 on the season.

#Chisholm had an opportunity for late game heroics in the bottom of the ninth inning against Brandon Workman with runners on the corners and one out, but struck out. Workman threw knuckle curveballs on five of the six pitches in the at-bat.

#After a strikeout and a flyout in his first two plate appearances, Chisholm was walked in the sixth inning and advanced to third on a Jorge Alfaro single. He was left stranded on third after Corey Dickerson struck out swinging and the Marlins trailed 6-3.

#Following a Garrett Cooper walk to start the eighth, Chisholm sparked the Marlins’ rally with his single to left.

#He connected with Tommy Hunter’s 91 mph sinker on a 2-2 count. Dickerson followed with a single of his own to load the bases for Starling Marte.

#Marte doubled to right field to clear the bases and tie the game 6-6 headed into the ninth.

#The teams continue the series today at 5:10pm.

#Chisholm is expected to continue his role in the lineup after the Marlins officially announced starting secondbaseman Jon Berti was placed on the 10-day disabled list with an injured right finger.

#Chisholm now has back-to-back games with hits for the first time in his career and has scored four runs on the season.

#The unusual seven-game series between the Marlins and Phillies is due to the COVID-19 outbreak earlier in the season that postponed the previous matchup.

#In the previous series during the first weekend of the season, the Marlins won two out of three games.

#The Phillies fell to 21-19, just 0.5 game ahead of the Marlins in the National League East standings.

Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm

By Renaldo Dorsett

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

#The Miami Marlins continue to solidify their position in the National League East standings with another win against the Philadelphia Phillies in the season finale between the two teams.

#Jazz Chisholm went 1-4 with one RBI on the afternoon.

#The Marlins won 6-2 over the Phillies at Marlins Stadium in Miami, Florida.

#With the Marlins trailing 1-0 in the second inning, a seven pitch at-bat against Vince Velasquez culminated in Chisholm’s game-tying RBI single.

#Chisholm fell behind 1-2 in the count with strikes from a knuckle curve. After a ball evened the count 2-2, Chisholm fouled off another knuckle curve to keep the at-bat alive.

#Velasquez delivered another ball on pitch six and on pitch seven, he threw the third knuckle curve of the at-bat which Chisholm drove to centrefield and scored Matt Joyce.

#The Marlins added two runs in the third and another in the fourth to go ahead 4-1.

#Chisholm struck out in two consecutive plate appearances and grounded out in the eighth inning. Miguel Rojas and Starling Marte each delivered solo home runs to give the Marlins their biggest lead of the game.

#Chisholm started the game in the field at shortstop but also saw time at secondbase after an injury to starter Isan Diaz. Brian Anderson came in at third, Rojas shifted to shortstop and Chisholm moved to secondbase.

#The Marlins won seven of 10 games against the Phillies this season and five of the current seven-game series.

#Chisholm is hitting .161 with five hits, six runs scored and three RBI since his MLB call-up.

#For the remainder of the season, the Marlins are scheduled to play everyday through September with a series against the Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees.

#The 2020 MLB playoffs are less than two weeks away and the Marlins have sole possession of second place in the division (NL East) at 24-21 and the No.5 seed overall in the National League.

#The final four series of the season will feature games pivotal in the wild-card positioning and postseason seeding as teams jostle for playoff position in the new expanded format.

#The MLB playoffs will feature 16 teams for the first time in league history.

#According to ESPN, “The top two teams in each division, plus the two remaining teams with the best records in each league, will make up the eight-team fields in the American and National Leagues. The division winners will be the top three seeds in each league, with the second-place teams slotted as seeds four through six, and the remaining two qualifiers seeded No.7 and No.8.”

Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#Jazz Chisholm and the Miami Marlins are faced with elimination for the first time in the 2020 MLB playoffs.

#The Marlins lost 2-0 to the Atlanta Braves yesterday in game two of the National League Division series at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. The Braves now have a 2-0 lead in the best of five series.

#They also improved to an 8-4 advantage in 12 games against the Marlins this season.

#Game three is set for this afternoon at 2:08pm local time and broadcast live on Fox Sports One.

#Chisholm has yet to make his postseason debut through four games thus far, dating back to the NL Wild Card round.

#In a game that featured just seven total hits, the Braves got solo home runs from Dansby Swanson in the second inning and Travis d’Arnaud in the fourth inning. Both players also homered in game one of the series.

#Marlins rookie Sixto Sanchez will get the start on the mound in game three against the Braves’ Kyle Wright.

#“We don’t need to win three, we just need to win one. And that’s where it starts,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly told the Sun Sentinel, “We can’t think about winning three. You just have to think about winning one and the momentum turns and puts a little more pressure on them.”

Thursday, March 8, 2018

Jonquel Jones in action. (AP)

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#JONQUEL Jones’ offseason in China has seen her become one of the league’s most dominant players as she leads her team into this weekend’s Championship series.Jones leads the Shanxi Xing Rui Flames into the championship of the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association for a best-of-five matchup against the Beijing Great Wall.

#The championship series tips off March 10 with game two on the 12th and game three on the 14th respectively.

#The star forward for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun is averaging a team-high 29.3 points, 18.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists over 31 games for Shanxi Xing Rui.

#She closed out game three of the semi-finals with a 31-point, 14-rebound performance in a 78-69 win over Guandong.

#In game two she also led the team with 42 points, 22 rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks in an 88-84 win.

#In game one she totalled 34 points, 22 rebounds and three blocked shots in a 73-62 win.

#The finals will feature the WNBA’s most improved player, head-to-head with the league’s reigning MVP Sylvia Fowles who leads the Great Wall.

#Fowles and the Great Wall got the better of both regular season matchups against the Flame, including the most recent meeting on January 6.

#Jones finished with 31 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots, but her Shanxi Xing Rui suffered a 96-92 loss to Fowles and the Great Wall.

#Fowles, the Minnesota Lynx perennial All-Star, finished with 32 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks. Both Jones and Fowles finished with 20 double doubles over the course of the WNBA season.

#Shanxi XR has been the second ranked scoring team at 84.8 points per game and second ranked assist team at 15.8 per game and tops in rebounding at 37.9 boards per game.

#The WCBA is the top-tier professional women’s basketball league in China and is the women’s counterpart to the Chinese Basketball Association.

#The 2017-18 WCBA will include a 26-round regular season and playoffs, as well as All-Star weekend on January 20, 2018. The league expanded by two clubs this year to bring the total number of teams to 14. The top eight teams advanced to the playoffs. Jones’ last offseason propelled her into becoming the WNBA’s Most Improved Player, an All-Star and an All-WNBA Second Team selection, leaving fans and pundits eager to see what this offseason will bring.

#Jones was selected No. 5 overall by Woori Bank in the Korean Basketball League and led the team to a championship title. On the season she averaged 15.8 points, 14.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks – all team leads – in 24 minutes per game for Woori Bank in 38 games.

#At the league’s award ceremony, Jones earned the Foreign Most Valuable Player Award, Defensive Player of the Year award and was named “Best Five” in the league. She finished the year averaging 15.5 points and 11.9 rebounds per game – a dramatic increase from her rookie season when she averaged 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds a game.

As of Monday, March 16, 2020

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Jonquel Jones

#MOST major sporting leagues around the globe have suspended play due to the coronavirus outbreak but play continues for Jonquel Jones in the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League.

#Jones and her UMMC Ekaterinburg club remained undefeated and improved to 20-0 in league play with a 102-68 win over Enisey Krasnoyarsk yesterday in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

#Jones has appeared in nine games this season averaging 18.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per game in Russian League play.

#FIBA has suspended play at all levels, so the club is unable to participate in Euroleague play, but the Russian Premier League has persisted despite growing concerns.

#Ekaterinburg is 13-1 in Euroleague play and Jones has averaged 10.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

#Up to press time last night, there were 63 cases of coronavirus infections reported in Russia so far, according to the Moscow Times.

#A stacked UMMC Ekaterinburg roster also includes several WNBA stars – Finals MVP Emma Meesseman of the Washington Mystics, Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury, Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot, both of the Chicago Sky.

#Last season, Jones’ first with the club, Ekaterinburg captured their second consecutive and fifth EuroLeague title with a 91-67 win over Dynamo Kursk in Sopron, Hungary. She appeared in eight games averaging 19.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. She looks to continue her offseason success which has spanned both Europe and Asia.

#In 2017, Jones became one of the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association’s most dominant players and led her Shanxi Xing Rui Flames to a runners-up finish in the final. The star forward averaged a team-high 29.3 points, 18.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists over 31 games for Shanxi Xing Rui.

#In the 2016 offseason, Jones was selected No. 5 overall by Woori Bank in the Korean Basketball League and led the team to a championship title. On the season she averaged 15.8 points, 14.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks – all team leads – in 24 minutes per game for Woori Bank in 38 games. At the league’s award ceremony, Jones earned the Foreign Most Valuable Player Award, Defensive Player of the Year award and was named “Best Five” in the league.

#Her offseason success has translated to the WNBA in recent years.

#Jones was the first member of this current star studded WNBA free agent class to sign and will remain with the Connecticut Sun for the foreseeable future.

#Jones signed a multi-year contract with the Sun in February as the league’s free agency period commenced. As per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

#The free agency period began January 28 but players could not officially sign until February 10.

#“We are pumped to have JJ sign a multi-year contract to stay in Connecticut,” head coach and general manager Curt Miller said.

#“She has proven to be one of the most dominant and versatile players in the world. She continues to be one of the elite rebounders in the game and took a huge step on the defensive side of the ball in 2019. She is just scratching the surface and we look forward to her continued growth and leadership in 2020.”

#Jones was named to the All-WNBA Second Team, the WNBA All-Defensive Team for the first time, finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, was a WNBA All-Star and was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week four times.