Jonquel Jones hopes to help the Liberty grind their way to a Game 3 win in Connecticut Friday night as the WNBA semifinals continue. AP Photo by Mary Altaffer
Liberty forward Jonquel Jones went to the WNBA Finals twice with the Connecticut Sun and lost both times, including last year in four games to reigning champion Las Vegas.
The 6-foot-6 forward, who came to New York in a three-team trade last winter, hopes to return and grab her first ring and the Liberty’s first title as well.
“I think we all have the right mindset right now,” Jones said after New York escaped Brooklyn with a 1-1 home split in this best-of-5 series, which moves to Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena for Game 3 on Friday night.
Jones has posted a double-double in each of the Liberty’s first four playoff games and is averaging 16.0 points and 12.5 boards per contest during that stretch.
She put up 11 points and ripped down a game-high 13 rebounds in Tuesday’s 84-77 triumph over the Sun (1-1) at Barclays Center, giving New York (1-1) the win it needed to avoid facing elimination in Game 3.
Newly crowned WNBA Most Valuable Player Breanna Stewart joined Jones in dominating along the interior in Game 2, amassing 11 points, 11 rebounds and blocking five shots.
Stewart, who is a dismal 10-for-35 from the field in this series, including 1-of-12 from 3-point range, is due to make a more significant impact in the scoring department. She had a WNBA record four 40-point games this season.
But according to Jones, who grabbed MVP honors with Connecticut in 2021, her teammate is still one of the players most responsible for helping New York get a split in Brooklyn.
“That’s what she does. That’s why she’s MVP,” Jones said. “She can affect the game in so many ways and lead by example. We’re happy to have her.”
After a…
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