NEW YORK — The New York Liberty will look to defend their Commissioner’s Cup championship on their home floor in two weeks thanks to the recent play of star center Jonquel Jones.
With starting guard Courtney Vandersloot (personal reasons) unavailable and center Nyara Sabally (back) unable to support the frontcourt, who stepped up to lead Liberty to an undefeated 5-0 record in Cup play over a brutal six-game stretch. was Jones. -Game extended by 10 days.
Her two-way play in Saturday’s game against the Connecticut Sun, the WNBA’s last undefeated team, was a reminder of why Jones is a former league MVP (2021). Jones rattled off two treys in the final minutes, limiting the Sun’s defensive attempts to 1-for-16, according to ESPN.
And in Sunday’s five-point win over the Washington Mystics, Jones scored a season-high 29 points, going 4-of-5 in the fourth to secure home-court advantage in the Commissioner’s Cup final. .
Jones is showing glimpses of his MVP self so far in the 2024 campaign. And her versatility is making Liberty an even more dominant superteam.
“She is really good at finding me. She’s setting a great screen. She is being herself.” Sabrina Ionescu spoke to Jones Sunday. “For her to make plays like this after the long games we’ve had, she’s fighting on the defensive end. She has also been pinning us down aggressively. I think… she took us to a whole different level than the last few games.”
Ionescu highlighted Jones’ spectacular backpass to Leonie Fiebich that led to a trey on Sunday. It’s an example of how comfortable this versatile big has become within the offense.
“She can block shots, come down, run the floor and make layups. Her three. She can do everything and you can rely on her,” Ionescu added.
Her skills weren’t always on display during her first season with the Liberty in 2023. After completing her offseason trade with the Sun, Jones had to adjust to a new city and learn a new system while returning from her previously suffered foot injury. Post season.
“Well, I’m definitely in better shape,” said Jones, who is averaging 15.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 blocks in 13 games. She averaged 10.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.6 blocks in her first 13 games of the 2023 season.
“Everything was new last year. So it was just about figuring out the situation and knowing your teammates. Now there’s less of that and a lot more chemistry.”
Her arrival comes at a perfect time for Liberty. Her dominance on the glass against the Indiana Fever (13 boards) and Chicago Sky (12 boards), the league’s fourth-best rebounding teams, lifted the Liberty to wins in their first two Cup games.
The last three Cup games against the Atlanta Dream, Sun and Mystics have turned into a block party. Jones took at least two shots in that matchup and averaged three shots per game.
The team looked at Jones in stretches where the offense struggled to find a rhythm, a recurring theme through Liberty’s first 13 games. And as the team isn’t sure when Vandersloot will be back in the lineup, her ability to space the floor, knock down open shots and facilitate her teammates has been a welcome sign.
After losing back-to-back games through the end of May, the team is currently on a seven-game streak. Coach Sandy Brondello is enjoying the progress with each game.
“It’s really good. I thought we made a lot of progress forward,” Brondello said after the team’s 10 days of brutal training. “After the two losses we suffered, it was more of a wake-up call than anything. “Yes.”
Jones’ recent play anchored Liberty as the Eastern Conference’s only undefeated team in Cup play. They will await their Western Conference opponents on June 25 when they travel to Barclays Center for the Commissioner’s Game Cup Final.
Western Conference Finalist
With one Cup game remaining, the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx were tied with 3-1 records on Tuesday. Each team will play five Commissioner’s Cup games. The Mercury went head-to-head after defeating the Lynx last Friday.
The Seattle Storm entered Tuesday with a 2-1 record after 0.5 games played.
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