'Breezy' is a calming presence for Sun
Jun. 7—MOHEGAN — Brionna Jones' Connecticut Sun teammates and coaches lovingly refer to her as "Breezy," a play off her first name.
"Breezy" is an apt description of Jones' personality both on-and-off the court, too. Calm. Steady. Rarely turns into a tempest.
"I felt like I was upset last game in Seattle (on Sunday) when they missed a few calls, but I guess it's like a short little burst," Jones said with a grin following a Tuesday afternoon practice for Wednesday's game against the Indiana Fever (7 p.m., Mohegan Sun Arena, NESN Plus).
"In the past, I've learned that I can't play angry and upset. When I start playing like that, then I get off-balance. ... There's too much emotion in the game (already). I think, for me, that messes up the way I play. I try to just keep it even (keeled) as much as possible; not to get too high, not to get too low, because I've learned I can't play angry."
Emotions are a part of sports, and every team has players who'll bark at the officials. Not Jones. She may get wide-eyed and say something to an official but she's not going to freak out about it.
"She's so steady and so reliable," Sun head coach Curt Miller said. "We get the same Bri Jones every single day, and there's something to be said about the steadiness, the consistency of the person that she is. That you're going to get the same work ethic, you're going to get the same attitude, you're going to get the same joy that she gives to all her teammates."
Jones is back to coming off the bench after starting the previous two seasons. She was put into the starting lineup in 2020 when Jonquel Jones elected to sit out the season due to concerns about the pandemic. Brionna Jones started again last year due to an offseason injury to Alyssa Thomas and earned herself the WNBA Most Improved Player honor.
Some players can't handle not starting due to ego, even if they play starter minutes. Jones is comfortable starting or coming off the bench.
"The benefit coming off the bench is you get to see what's happening on the court and the adjustments that need to be made when you get out there," Jones said. "So if we're messing up with our coverages, I'm listening to the coaches, they're talking to me, so when I get in the game, I can relay that message before there's even a timeout.
"The benefit of starting is you get out there and you get in that flow sooner and faster. ... The game slows down a little bit before I get in the game (coming off the bench) because the first five minutes (of a game) are always (hectic). That's probably the one disadvantage of starting because everybody is trying to settle in and find the pace, find our groove. I get out there when the pace slows down a little, tiny smidge."
Jones has averaged 26.8 minutes per game (fourth on the team), 13.8 points (fourth), 5.1 rebounds (fifth) and 1.5 steals (third).
"What I appreciate about her is her knowledge of the game," Miller said. "(She's) just so smart Xs-and-Os wise that she thinks ahead of the game defensively and, because of it, she really covers up for a lot of our slippage because she's such an elite defender and sees it happening before most people.
"Offensively, she's that calming presence that our team needs at times, knowing they can throw the ball to her when we need a basket."
