The former 2021 WNBA Most Valuable Player as a member of the Connecticut Sun was held to a season-low four points on 1-of-5 shooting to go with six rebounds, a blocked shot and three of New York’s 18 turnovers in 28 foul trouble-plagued minutes.
Jones was hung with five fouls for the second straight game after amassing that total in last Thursday night’s 90-81 defeat to Chicago at Downtown’s Barclays Center.
The 6-foot-6 eight-year veteran had eight points, four boards, one assist and a season-high five turnovers against the Sky as New York was unable to match its 5-0 start from ’07.
Through her first four games, Jones looked like the dynamo that helped carry the Liberty (4-2) to the brink of their first-ever WNBA title last fall.
She averaged 17.3 points and 9.5 caroms during New York’s hot start with eight turnovers, matching her total through the last two losses.
Liberty coach Sandy Brondello is blessed with a starting five featuring reigning MVP Breanna Stewart, All-Star Sabrina Ionescu, veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot and forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton.
But Jones’ recent lack of production hasn’t just hurt New York in the box score, it has helped knock it into fourth in the league standings behind unbeaten Connecticut, the Lynx and back-to-back reigning WNBA champion Las Vegas.
“We need JJ. She’s a key piece of what we’re trying to do,” Brondello insisted after New York fell in Minnesota Saturday afternoon.
“There were three people around her every time she caught it. I thought Minnesota’s defense was extremely good.”
Jones did go 4-of-8 from the field vs. Chicago, but was unable to show off her full arsenal on both ends of the floor due to the onset of fouls as the Sky and Lynx forced the action along the interior.
“Every one is going to have a bad day here or there aren’t they?” Brondello pondered after her team’s initial loss of the year. “It’s just making sure you don’t have two bad days in a…
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