Brionna Jones’ injury latest for unlucky Sun who win despite missing key

It takes a little bit of luck to win a championship. A little more to build a dynasty. There may be no team more understanding to that than the Connecticut Sun, who watch hundreds ride the waves of luck at the slots outside of Mohegan Sun Arena and can’t catch a break of their own.

In each of the last three seasons, the Sun have succeeded despite being without at least one of their starters for most of the year. The unwanted streak continued when Brionna Jones, a former Most Improved Player and Sixth Player of the Year who the team cored in the offseason, sustained a non-contact leg injury late in a win against Seattle on Tuesday night. It is unclear how long she will be sidelined.

Twice in the last four years, the Sun have persevered without a key player and reached the WNBA Finals. The other two years, one of which was without their star center, they lost in the semifinals. They’re the winningest franchise since 2017. Yet, there isn’t a WNBA championship to their name.

It would be fair to assess the Sun as the unluckiest team in the league over the past five to 10 years. Arguments could be made for the Seattle Storm, who couldn’t run it back after losing Breanna Stewart for a year to Achilles rehab, and the Washington Mystics, whose MVP Elena Delle Donne missed time after their title to undergo two back surgeries.

Counter argument: There’s at least one trophy sitting in their cases. Point awarded to the Sun, who at least own that title: Most Unlucky.

Connecticut is one of three teams still searching for its first WNBA championship. The franchise watched in person as Washington dropped from those ranks in 2019, then sat at home because of the Chicago Sky and watched them enjoy their first Finals confetti in 2021. Last fall, at their own house, they walked by the celebratory Aces locker room as the team celebrated the first title in franchise and city history.

A title in 2023 was already viewed as a long shot in preseason chatter. The Aces are favorites with all five starters returning and the addition of two-time champion Candace Parker from that Sky title team. The New York Liberty, the only original franchise without a title, built a super-team by adding the Sky’s Courtney Vandersloot, two-time Storm champion Stewart and former league MVP Jonquel Jones in a trade with the Sun.

They were overlooked because of the super-teams, the change to their core six and a move from former two-time Coach of the Year Curt Miller to first-year leader Stephanie White. But more than a quarter of the way into the season, the Sun (11-3) are second in the standings and the only team so far to defeat the mighty Aces.

It was looking up until Jones went down. She averaged 15.9 points, 8.2 rebounds (ninth in the league), 2.4 assists and 1.8…