MM 8.17: Former Terps Brionna Jones and Alyssa Thomas earn AP WNBA Awards

This is the Maryland Minute, a short story followed by a roundup of Terps-related news.

Former Maryland women’s basketball forwards Brionna Jones and Alyssa Thomas were both given AP WNBA Awards for their performances for the No. 2-seed Connecticut Sun this season.

Thomas was named the AP Comeback Player of the Year after coming back from a torn Achilles tendon and becoming a key piece during the Sun’s regular season. She led the team in minutes per game with 32.1 and started every game. She put up 13.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game while leading her team in assists with 6.1 per game and steals with 1.7 per game.

A force to be reckoned with inside and on the defensive end, her steals numbers were the second-best in the WNBA this season after being sidelined with a serious injury most of last season. Thomas’ all-around game led to her putting up two triple-doubles this season, making her one of three players in WNBA history to put up multiple triple doubles in the same season. Thomas was named the ACC Player of the Year for the Terps in 2014.

Jones was awarded the AP Sixth Woman of the Year nod unanimously because of her offensive prowess off the bench for Connecticut. Averaging 25.1 minutes per game, she managed to put up the second-most points on the team with 13.8 per game. She also put grabbed 5.1 rebounds and dished 1.2 assists per game.

Mostly a scoring option, Jones was the only All-Star this season to primarily come off the bench. This made her the clear pick for the award. At Maryland, Jones led the country in field goal percentage in her sophomore and junior seasons.

In other news

Maryland wrestling’s Jaxon Smith moved on in the U20 World Championships.

Maryland soccer’s final exhibition game is set for Friday against No. 14 Marshall.

Maryland football will be the last winners of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

Maryland women’s lacrosse’s Lizzie Colson was named to the AUL All-Defensive Team.

Maryland field hockey will take on James Madison in its last exhibition game on Thursday.

Maryland cross country is two weeks out from the start of the season.