Rosemont, Ill. — Jonquel Jones scored 19 of her career-high 23 points in the second half and finished with 21 rebounds to help the Connecticut Sun beat the Chicago Sky 97-79 on Sunday night.

Jones, who set her previous career best of 20 rebounds on May 13, became the 13th player in WNBA history with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game. Alyssa Thomas had 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two steals and Lynetta Kizer scored 16 with seven rebounds for Connecticut (1-4), which won its first game of the season.

"In WNBA history? That's crazy," Jones said. "I did not know that. I was getting frustrated in the first half. As we came into the third quarter, my teammates were talking to me and I decided to do what I do and this happened. I'm just really happy."

"It's a monkey off our back," Sun coach Curt Miller said of the win. "We were in the first three games of the year ... couldn't get to the finish line. I'm proud of them. We made a lot of mistakes. It wasn't Chicago's night, they missed some shots they're capable of making. We found a way to win and that's important in that locker room."

Kizer's jumper midway through the first quarter made it 14-13 and the Sun led the rest of the way. Jessica Breland hit two free throws to pull Chicago (1-5) within four with 4:37 left in the third, but Jones scored seven points during a 10-3 run over the next three-plus minutes and the Sky got no closer.

Tamera Young led Chicago with 17 points. She has at least one made 3-pointer in each of the last five games after going nearly five calendar years (June 23, 2011) since her last 3. Allie Quigley added 13 points.

Jones' 21 rebounds tied Tina Charles for fourth-most by a Sun player and she and Charles — who accomplished the feat five times — are the only players in team history with 20 or more rebounds in a game.

"We were on her tremendously hard early," Miller said of Jones. "We thought she was a little out of it and a little soft. For as much as we got on her, to end with 23 and 21 is unbelievable. We think tonight is a night she could have gone 30 and 30.

"Big credit to her; she did not start well and to end with the type of numbers she ended with is amazing."

The Sun travel to Washington to face the Mystics on Wednesday.​