Sun to trade former WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones to Liberty

Jan. 16 (UPI) -- The Connecticut Sun are finalizing a deal to trade former WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones to the New York Liberty.

Sources told ESPN, Just Women's Sports and The Next Hoops about the trade Sunday night. The Dallas Wings also are part of the transaction.

Those reports state that the Liberty will send guard Rebecca Allen, the No. 6 pick in the WBNA Draft, to the Sun in the swap. The Wings will send guard Tyasha Harris to the Sun and send forward Natasha Howard and guard Crystal Dangerfield to the Liberty in the exchange.

The Sun are expected to send forward Kayla Thornton to the Liberty, along with Jones.

Jones, the No. 6 overall pick of the 2016 WNBA Draft, averaged 19. 4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game in 2021 en route to WNBA MVP honors. The four-time All-Star averaged a team-high 14.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game over 33 appearances in 2022.

Jones averaged 13.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game over his first six WNBA seasons. She also helped the Sun reach the 2022 WNBA Finals, where they lost to the Las Vegas Aces.

The 2023 WNBA season will start May 19.