If the Atlanta Dream win a WNBA championship this season, it'll come without help from All-Star forward Brionna Jones.
Jones has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2026 WNBA season with a left leg injury. The Dream announced the news Thursday, ahead of a matchup with the Connecticut Sun, saying the 30-year-old is expected to make a full recovery.
On Aug. 13, the four-time WNBA All-Star left a matchup at Mohegan Sun with a leg injury. In the second quarter, Jones slid over to help with defending Nell Angloma, who was driving to the basket. Jones met Angloma in the paint and blocked her shot before Angloma could get it off. However, after landing following the blocked shot, Jones almost immediately reacted. She began hopping into the air.
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nearby player asked Jones if she was OK before Jones exited the court. She was subbed out at the 8:56 mark and went to the locker room. Jones was ruled out for the remainder of the game against Sun. The Dream forward played four minutes of action, finishing with one rebound, one assist and one block.
Jones made her 2026 season debut on July 17 and played nine games after having offseason surgery on her right knee. In her return, she averaged 8.2 points on 51.9% shooting, 5.9 rebounds and two assists.
The former Maryland standout, who started all 44 games for Atlanta last season, suffered the injury while playing overseas for USK Praha during the offseason. Jones tore her meniscus and had surgery to repair it. Since her return to basketball, she has averaged 9.3 points on 52.9% shooting, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
"She's coming off an injury and a surgery and a rehab and hadn't played for a really long time," Dream head coach Karl Smesko said of Jones on Aug. 10 ahead of a Toronto Tempo matchup. "So, we are being kind of conservative with bringing her along, but she's doing well. We're hoping to be able to progress her to more time on the court."
Jones was drafted in 2017 as the eighth overall pick and spent the first eight years of her career with the Sun before joining Atlanta in 2025. She re-signed a one-year deal with the Dream in April after a successful first season with the franchise, where she earned All-Star honors. In 2025, she averaged 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals per matchup.
Jones is still currently slated to play in Project B, a global basketball league beginning in Jan. 2027.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brionna Jones injury update: Dream forward out for remainder of WNBA season
