I know she does not have a chance at the award but if I had a vote for WNBA MVP, I'd have to give serious consideration to voting for Asjha Jones.

Forget her numbers, although they are an impressive 16.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks, but the fact that the Sun have been arguably the worst team in the WNBA since a strained left Achilles' tendon forced her out of the lineup points to her importance to the Connecticut team. Maybe I am biased since I don't see the other teams as often as I do the Sun but I think you'd have to search hard and long to find a player as critical to their team's success as Asjha Jones is to Connecticut. The award is "Most VALUABLE Player" and she is as valuable as they come.

Connecticut had to rally from a 17-point deficit against New York and trailed Minnesota by 12 points before winning both games otherwise the Sun would be 0-9 without the former UConn star in the lineup.

It's hardly surprising that Connecticut has struggled without Jones but it is how it is losing which is a bit stunning. One of league's best defensive teams during the first half of the year, the Sun have allowed at least 85 points in eight of the nine games without Jones.

Even with the late-season swoon, Connecticut still has a chance at the playoffs. Currently sitting sixth, the Sun are just a game out of third place with home games against New York and Indiana sandwiched around a game at Atlanta.

Going under the assumption that Indiana and Atlanta will occupy two of the four Eastern Conference playoff spots and that New York won't be making up a 2 1/2 game deficit over its last four games, here is the breakdown of the teams fighting for the final two playoff spots in the East.

Washington (14-15) vs. Seattle, at Chicago, at Indiana, vs. Atlanta, at New York
Detroit (14-15) vs. Indiana, vs. Chicago, at Minnesota, vs. New York, at Chicago
Chicago (14-16) vs. Washington, at Detroit, vs. Indiana, at Detroit
Connecticut (14-17) vs. New York, at Atlanta, vs. Indiana

First things first, Connecticut needs to take care of its end of the bargain and win out. Having the two Western/Eastern games remaining (Seattle at Washington and Detroit at Minnesota) won by the Western squads would be a huge bonus as would either Detroit or Chicago sweeping the other since that would likely knock one of the squads out of the equation.