"I felt like everything hurt": Connecticut Sun All-Star Brionna Jones details her return to WNBA action following Achilles injury rehab (Exclusive)

After spending the past year wondering when she’d ever heal from rupturing her right Achilles tendon, Connecticut Sun forward Brionna Jones received affirmation in multiple ways.

Jones returned for the 2024 WNBA season after playing only 13 games last season. Jones has averaged 13.7 points on 53.4% shooting along with 5.3 rebounds - numbers that eclipse her career averages in points (10.0) and rebounds (4.6). And Jones secured her third WNBA All-Star appearance, a nod that she affirmed meant more than her first two nods.

“To have it all laid out and get that All-Star nod this year is definitely something that hits home for me,” Brionna Jones told Sportskeeda. “That makes all of that hard work that I put in the offseason pay off.”

Jones spoke to Sportskeeda about overcoming her right Achilles injury, Alyssa Thomas’ help during the process and Sun’s playoff potential.

Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.

Brionna Jones Exclusive

How do you put your season in context following your Achilles injury?

Jones: “At the beginning, it was tough to get back into the groove of things on the court. But I have great teammates. I’ve been talking to AT (Alyssa Thomas), who had been through the Achilles before. That was a lot of help. But I was focused toward getting back to my semi-self and playing like how I finished the season in the past.”

What were the important turning points?

Jones: “It was one of our early games against Minnesota. That’s when I started to feel a little bit more like myself. I was 100%, but the recovery after games was a lot tougher this year than in the past. So I was trying to stay on top of everything and not let anything snowball into things being too achy or too tight. That was a big turning point. Then coming back after the Olympics break, I had a lot of time to recover and take that time to get my body back to more normal. That was another turning point for me.”

What has the post-game recovery been compared to your other seasons, pre-Achilles injury?

Jones: “After the first game, I felt like everything hurt (laughs). I was like, ‘I don’t remember it feeling like this.’ It was a lot of making sure my calves and legs are loose before the games. I’m making sure after every game that I’m doing ice baths and doing what I can to be ready for the next one.”

In what ways did the Olympic break help you?

Jones: “Having that extended break was helpful. The schedule is really condensed on the front end and back time. So that time definitely helped. Now it’s back to the swing of things with playing every other day and traveling and stuff like that. I think that was the biggest thing with that reset. I had the time to be back in the gym and work on my game in between.”

You were quoted earlier in the season saying you still don’t feel 100% despite your strong season. Is that still the case?

Jones: “I still don’t feel completely 100%, but I don’t know if this is my ‘new normal’ after the Achilles [injury] and everything. But I still don’t feel 100%. I just think it’s the compacted schedule and trying to get everything in. But I definitely feel more normal than I felt in a long time.”

What do you think is your latest percentage?

Jones (laughs): “I’ll give you a 93% or 95%. We’re up there.”

That’s only single digits. But what are examples of things where you feel you’re not up to your normal stuff?

Jones: “I think it’s just little reactions. There are things that I usually can do without having to think about it. I have to put more thought into it. It’s just little things. It’s nothing crazy. I’m almost there.”

Putting it in all perspective. Your numbers basically mirror your career averages. What was the key to having this kind of season after your Achilles injury?

Jones: “It was taking every day one day at a time. During the recovery, there were definitely some tough days where I’m thinking, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be able to make it back before the season starts.’ In training camp, it was tough. There were days where I was just like, ‘I’m not ready yet.’ But I have great teammates behind me. They always have so much confidence in me. That has always helped push me and carry me in the early part. But I think that is the biggest thing. I’m playing with a great team. That helps a lot. Being able to have them and support behind me has been great.”

What were the most notable examples of the tough moments you faced during your rehab?

Jones: “There are two situations. During my rehab process, I had some setbacks. I wasn’t meeting the goals that the staff had put in place and where I should be. During those times, I thought that I’m doing everything that I can in rehab and I’m doing all of the exercises and putting all the work in so it will pay off eventually. I think I was trying to keep that mindset. I journaled a lot. I write down all my thoughts and everything. So it’s great to see my progress through my journaling. That was the important part for me. ‘Last month, I wasn’t walking. This month, I’m doing calf raises.’ Seeing that progress helped a lot.

The second thing is when I started playing again. I didn’t have any touch or rhythm with playing the game. That was the biggest part for me when I first started coming back and playing. It’s not that I couldn’t catch. But the timing was off for me. It’s about finding that rhythm. You can’t cheat the game. You have to be in it to do it. That was the biggest challenge.”

Still, Coach [Stephanie] White has said that you have a nose for the ball and know how to play at your pace with being aggressive without playing too fast. How have you done that?

Jones: “Well on the first month, I would say that I was moving too fast. My brain was moving faster than my body was. I was all over the place. I’ve been playing with AT for a long time. So she was like, ‘Bri, slow down, it’s fine. It’s going to come back when it comes, but you can’t force it.’ That was the biggest piece of advice that helped a lot. I was definitely rushing everything at the beginning. I was trying to force it back. I think that was the tough part with playing to my pace. Now that I’ve settled in, I feel more like myself. Everything is coming back, and it feels more normal.”

In what other ways has AT helped you?

Jones: “That was the biggest thing. Throughout the entire process, I knew I could talk to her. For me, it was the mental thing and talking to her about when your game comes back, you’ll know. You’ll feel it. But you can’t force it. That is the biggest thing.”

On top of that, did you take anything away from the NBA players that had to overcome Achilles injuries, including Dominique [Wilkins], Kobe [Bryant], [Kevin] Durant and Klay [Thompson]?

Jones: “Not necessarily. We’re all on our own journeys. But also having Alyssa right here. I know her and talk to her all the time. She was a bigger help for me.”

How do you put in perspective with being a success story with that?

Jones: “If you asked me that at the beginning of the season, I wouldn’t have known that. I couldn’t have thought that we’d be here. I felt it first when I got named All-Star coming off the Achilles. I think that was something that was something that I worked for, and it was something that I was looking toward. I was trying to get back to that All-Star level that I was before I got injured. But to have it all laid out and get that All-Star nod this year is definitely something that hits home for me. That makes all of that hard work that I put in the offseason pay off.”

Would it be fair to say that this year’s All-Star nod meant more than the others because of those circumstances?

Jones: “Yeah, I would say that.”

How has that milestone landed with you?

Jones: “I still continue to try to get better every year. There are still things that I want to add to my game. I want to continue to do more for this team. For me, it’s great. I’m happy and am proud of all the work and everything. But I still think I have more to give.”

What does that look like?

Jones: “I think shooting-wise, it’s about adding more mid-range and 3-point shots and being able to attack more from the high post. I feel like the low post feels kind of solid (laughs). But I still think there are other things that I can add. With the way the game is going with the spacing on the floor and being able to add that piece, I think that makes it more challenging for other teams that have to guard if you have players that can stretch the floor and work inside.”

What’s your outlook on the group’s ability to make a run at this?

Jones: “I think we have all of the pieces in place. I think we’re pretty versatile at all positions. So it’s just about being able to put it all together and put a 40-minute game together. There have been a lot of ups and downs for us this season. But just being able to put it all together, I think we’ll start peaking at the right time going into the playoffs. Adding a new piece with Marina [Mabrey] changes the dynamic a little bit with fitting her in and getting her up to speed. But I think for us it’s about putting it all together and executing our offense and defense the way we want to.

You’ve said you feel there is a lot of “unfinished business” amid the Sun falling short of winning a WNBA title in the past few seasons. In what ways has that been any source of motivation?

Jones: “We’ve been close so many times. We know what it takes and we know what we have to do. It’s just a matter of doing it and everybody being accountable from top to bottom – from coaching staff to players. I think everybody is locked in and we all know what we want to accomplish. I think it’s just going to be about putting it all together at the end.”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.