Jonquel Jones (20 points, 14 rebounds) one of five players to score in double figures

Jonquel Jones had two seconds to shoot when she received a pass above the arc on an inbounds pass from Connecticut Sun teammate Alyssa Thomas with over five minutes left in the third quarter of Wednesday afternoon’s game.

Jones quickly shot the ball, which bounced high off the back rim, then off the front rim, off the backboard and through the net for a 3-pointer, causing her to break out in a grin.

Connecticut started the second part of the WNBA season much like it started the season on Wednesday afternoon as it beat the Indiana Fever 89-81 at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

The Sun (15-8) had lost four of their last six games prior to this weekend’s All-Star Game with its offense going into a tailspin. They averaged 73.3 points per game over that time and shot 41.2% from the field.

Neither were an issue against the struggling Fever. Connecticut went ahead 1 minute, 12 seconds into the game after Jones scored the game’s first points and it never trailed.

“It’s about us,” Sun head coach Curt Miller said about the team’s approach. “It’s not necessarily about scheming or changing a ton of things. For us, it’s cleaning things up on both ends of the floor and then not letting one end of the floor affect the other (was) a big message.”

Jones, the reigning WNBA MVP, was one of five players to score in doubles figures as she had 20 points and 14 rebounds.

“I think (it was) getting back to how we played in the beginning of the season,” Jones said. “(It) was definitely a point of emphasis. Just playing hard, just staying locked in and just understanding that we have all the pieces. We just put it together.”

DeWanna Bonner had 19 points and five rebounds, Brionna Jones had 17 points and two steals and Courtney Williams had 10 points, five assists and three steals for Connecticut. Natisha Hiedeman scored all 11 of her points in the third quarter.

Kelsey Mitchell scored 16 of 21 points in the second half for the Fever (5-20), who have lost seven straight. NaLyssa Smith added 12 points and 13 rebounds.

The first quarter has been an issue of late for the Sun, so it was an encouraging sign for them when they took a 21-14 lead after a quarter.

Bonner’s reverse layup and Jonquel Jones’ putback pushed Connecticut’s lead to 41-28 at the half.

Indiana shot a meager 26.7% (8 of 30) in that half.

“We struggled to score the ball heading into the All-Star break and I think it all then affected our defensive intensity because we could feel the struggles on the offensive end,” Miller said. “We stopped getting to the foul line for a stretch of six or seven games so (there was) an emphasis on trying to get back to the foul line. How do you that? You’ve got to be determined penetrators. You’ve got to play in transition. You’ve got to play through the post.”

The Sun took the majority of their shots inside the paint and scored 34. They also made 21 of 24 free throws.

Connecticut led by as much as 20 points (71-51) after Brionna Jones made two free throws with 7:52 remaining in the game.

“There was a concerted effort to get touches (inside) for Bri Jones and JJ when they were in tonight,” Miller said. “(We) did a lot of disruptive things in the first half between man and zone (defense). They couldn’t find a rhythm. Again, a lot of positives coming out of that (game) and obviously still a lot to work on.”

n.griffen@theday.com