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Jones has played 11 seasons in the league. She was the 4th pick in the 2002 WNBA Draft out of the University of Connecticut and played her first two seasons with the Washington Mystics and was traded to the Sun for the 2004 season where she played ever since. In Washington and her first three seasons in Connecticut, Jones was primarily a reserve player, but since the 2007 season when she became a regular starter, she made two all star teams in 2007 and 2009 and was also a member of the Olympic team in 2012. Jones averaged 11.4 points and 5 rebounds per game in her entire career, and is 2nd in franchise history for a number of major categories including games played, rebounds, and points scored.
Here is a statement from Jones in regards to her injury:
I am sorry to announce that I will miss the 2013 WNBA season due to injuries. I do not feel like I would be fit and ready to play this summer, and I did not think that would be fair to coach (Anne) Donovan or to the Connecticut Sun organization, which has treated me so well over the past nine seasons. I wish the team a great season in 2013 and look forward to returning in 2014.
While this is certainly a setback for the Sun, the team will still have reigning MVP center Tina Charles, as well as a strong backcourt which includes veteran guard Kara Lawson and reigning Sixth Woman of the Year Renee Montgomery, so the team should still be in the playoff race for this season. For the league as whole though, while there may be a highly anticipated rookie class coming in, a number of current veteran stars are sitting out this season entirely due to various ailments, including the Seattle Storm's franchise stars, Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird. Considering that at least some of these injuries come from year round play, one cannot help but wonder what issues these may cause in future collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations, considering that the current deal will expire at the end of this season.
We wish Asjha Jones a safe and speedy recovery.
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