The Jonquel Jones Resurgence
Basketball writer and content creator Nick Andre takes a deep dive into the former WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones finding her footing for the New York Liberty.
The New York Liberty have figured things out. After an up-and-down start to the 2023 season, this team is clicking on all cylinders and proving that they are one of the title contenders in the WNBA. The main focus of the season has been the leadership of Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu. Both players have been the driving force behind the Liberty’s success and have continued to carry the way offensively. However, there’s another star that’s starting to make her way onto the scene, which is former MVP Jonquel Jones.
After the 2022 season, it was time for a change of scenery for Jones. As a member of the Connecticut Sun, she led her team to the WNBA Finals for the second time in four seasons. Unfortunately, they fell short of a championship by losing to the Las Vegas Aces in four games. During free agency, Jones was traded to the Liberty, which also played a small role in Breanna Stewart’s signing to the big apple as well. At that point, the Liberty formed a new super team. With championship aspirations, the team wanted to make their mark known as the best team in basketball.
While the Liberty were finding their rhythm through the first half of the season, Jones was out of the mix offensively. She didn’t receive many touches in the post and mostly got her points off lob passes for easy layups. It was clear that the Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello was trying to figure out a way to make everyone effective on the floor. However, one player must make a sacrifice for the better of the team. Jones was the player who had to make the sacrifice offensively. However, she continued to make her impact known on the other end as a post-defender.
Through the first 10 games of the season, Jones averaged 9.8 points per game while taking less than 10 shots in seven of those games. Many times, it looked as if she was removed from the offense. However, Jones finally found her rhythm in a late July matchup against the Washington Mystics. Jones was effective on the offensive end from multiple perspectives. She did a great job crashing the glass for second-chance points while also spacing the floor and being a great rim runner.
Jonquel Jones reminded the world why she was an MVP and multiple-time All-Star. When the Liberty needed her to produce i big performance, she stepped up to the plate. Jones finished the contest with 27 points and 11 rebounds on 71 percent shooting. After her season-best performance, she followed it up with eight double-doubles, being an X-Factor in New York’s success.
The Commissioner’s Cup against the Las Vegas Aces was where Jonquel Jones continued her shine as well. Two years removed from losing her opportunity against the Seattle Storm, the importance of this win was major for Jones and the Liberty. Jones’ movement off the ball was terrific. She did a terrific job of keeping the defense off their heels while being at the right spots. She also did a terrific job crashing the glass while giving her team extra possessions on offense.
In a contest where both teams didn’t shoot the ball well, Jones made sure to remain effective. She finished the contest with 16 points and 15 rebounds on 50 percent shooting. Due to Jones’ rebounding, the Liberty had a 49–28 advantage crashing the glass in the end, the Liberty came out on top in an 82–63 win while Jones was named the Commissioner’s Cup MVP.
Despite their loss to the Aces in Thursday night’s contest, the Liberty are rolling. They’ve secured a playoff spot and look to continue their mark as title contenders. The emergence of Jonquel Jones this season has continued her significance for the better of the team. As the season winds down, Jones should look to continue her dominance scoring and crashing the glass.
