Liberty to lean on Jonquel Jones as WNBA playoffs open
Veteran forward’s history of elevating her game in the postseason makes her central to New York’s first-round outlook against Phoenix.
PHOENIX — As the WNBA playoffs open Sunday, the New York Liberty will again look to Jonquel Jones to reproduce the heightened play that has defined her postseason career.
Jones, the Liberty’s most experienced playoff performer, was a central figure in New York’s title run last season and was named 2024 Finals MVP after averaging 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 56.1 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three against the Minnesota Lynx. She also made all 19 of her free-throw attempts in that series. This season, the expectation is that Jones will be the primary defender on former teammate Alyssa Thomas in New York’s first-round matchup with the Phoenix Mercury.
New York enters the postseason with the most combined playoff experience on the roster, totaling 252 games, and Jones has more playoff appearances than any other current Liberty player. Historically, Jones’ numbers rise in the playoffs: she has produced higher averages in points, rebounds, assists and blocks and improved her efficiency compared with regular-season play. Coaches and teammates have repeatedly cited her ability to lift her level in postseason settings.
The Liberty’s regular season was marked by injuries and uneven stretches. Jones missed roughly a month after spraining her right ankle twice, interruptions that sidelined her from contention for a sixth All-Star nod. She finished the regular season averaging 13.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 blocks per game, and knocked down a career-best 1.7 three-pointers per game at a 42.4 percent clip.
If Jones can replicate the consistency and efficiency she showed in last year’s playoffs, it would address several of the Liberty’s most pressing needs. New York requires interior scoring and rebounding to match up with the physicality of Phoenix, and Jones provides rim protection and defensive experience that can help limit Thomas’ impact on both ends of the floor. The Liberty’s depth has been tested this season; stabilizing the frontcourt role around Jones would allow coach and rotation decisions to focus on matchup advantages and bench-minute management.
Jones’ regular-season production dipped at times as she and the team battled injuries and lapses in focus, but the playoffs represent a reset. Liberty personnel have said they expect the veteran forward to be a steadying presence: to secure defensive rebounds, convert high-percentage shots in the paint, and maintain the defensive discipline that curtailed opponents in last year’s postseason run.
New York’s first-round series against Phoenix will test whether Jones can carry the momentum from last season’s championship performance into another deep run. The Liberty advance with the understanding that much of their postseason ceiling rests on their ability to get consistent, high-level contributions from their veteran core, with Jones at the center of that expectation.
Coaches and players will closely monitor her minutes and ankle status as the series progresses. For now, the Liberty are banking on a familiar playoff pattern: when the stakes rise, Jones’ production and efficiency often follow suit, and that combination could determine New York’s trajectory in this year’s postseason.