Atlanta Dream forward Brionna Jones will not finish Thursday's game against the Connecticut Sun. The four-time WNBA All-Star left a matchup at Mohegan Sun with a leg injury. Around the nine-minute mark of the second quarter, Jones slid over to help Allisha Gray with defense on Nell Angloma, who was driving to the basket. Jones met Angloma in the paint, blocking her shot before she could get it off. Upon landing following the blocked shot, Jones almost immediately reacted, hopping into the air, signifying that she might be in pain. A nearby player asked Jones if she was okay as she tried to walk it off, but seconds later, Jones exited the court. She was subbed out at the 8:56 mark and went to the locker room. Jones was ruled out for the remainder of the game against Sun. The Dream forward saw four minutes of action, finishing with one rebound, one assist and one block.
Jones, who made her 2026 season debut on July 17, has played just nine games for Atlanta after having offseason surgery on her right knee. The Dream forward, who started all 44 games for the team last season, suffered the injury while playing overseas for USK Praha during the offseason. Jones tore her meniscus and had surgery to repair it. Since her return to basketball, she has averaged 9.3 points on 52.9% shooting, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists. "We're looking forward to playing (Jones) more minutes. I think that's definitely in her future." Dream head coach Karl Smesko said on Aug. 10 ahead of a Toronto Tempo matchup. "She's coming off an injury and a surgery and a rehab and hadn't played for a really long time. So, we are being kind of conservative with bringing her along, but she's doing well. We're hoping to be able to progress her to more time on the court. … I would say at this point, she's been playing for like two weeks. I mean, that's typically about how long training camp is. So, I think you'll see her really get more comfortable and have some big games coming up real soon." Jones spent the first eight years of her career with the Sun before joining Atlanta in 2025. She re-signed a one-year deal with the Dream in April after a successful first season with the franchise, where she earned All-Star honors. In 2025, she averaged 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals per matchup. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brionna Jones leaves Dream vs Sun game early with leg injury