Jonquel Jones finally gets comfortable playing for Liberty

Jonquel Jones just wasn’t looking like that 6-6 four-time All-Star who was so good with the Connecticut Sun in 2021 that she became the WNBA’s MVP.

“I feel like there were times at the beginning of the season … that I wanted to do things, but my body just didn’t feel right for me to do it, and it kind of led to me overthinking and stuff,” the Liberty center said.

They traded in January for this player from the Bahamas. But Jones had suffered a stress reaction in her left foot in the WNBA Finals and then spent some time playing overseas on it. She was then limited in training camp.

“She was out for eight weeks leading into the preseason,” coach Sandy Brondello said.

So she needed to get back into peak condition, adapt to her new team and get her rhythm.

Jones sure has found her way again.

“Now I’m a hundred percent and I feel good,” Jones said. “I feel great getting up and down the court, and I think it’s kind of showing in my rebounding, too.

“… So ultimately I’m exactly where I need to be at this point in the season. It’s been frustrating at times.”

Not anymore.

The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week had seen double-doubles on her stat line four straight times heading into Friday night’s matchup with Minnesota at Barclays Center. Her average tabs for those games — all wins that brought the team to 18-5 — came to 19.3 points and 13 rebounds.

“She’s a former MVP, and I think sometimes people forget that,” Breanna Stewart said. “But this is what she does.”

During her Sun run, Jones established her excellence inside and out, averaging 13.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks and hitting 37.7% of her threes.

But she decided she wanted out of Connecticut and she wanted in with the Liberty.

“I just knew it was time to change,” Jones said. “I gave a lot to CT. CT was a home for me for a long time, [six] seasons in the ‘W.’ But I just felt like it was time for a new journey, to push myself in a different way and come to a market like New York and play with great players.”

Jones came into this latest game standing fourth in the league in field-goal percentage at 55.7 and fifth in three-point percentage at 42.9. She played in the backcourt a lot growing up.

“So I have a lot of guard skills,” Jones said.

She was averaging 11.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks across 23 games.

“To be quite honest, I think the last few weeks you could see her getting better and more comfortable in the system and where she can find her pockets, and getting used to her teammates as well,” Brondello said. “What got her into some of the trouble was her fouls, that she couldn’t get into her rhythm. Obviously, she always wanted to play better.

“… She’s back playing like we all know that she’s capable of.”

Nyara Sabally called it “an honor to actually be able to play with her.” Jones has taken time out to help the rookie forward along.

“Watching her on the court, she doesn’t look kind,” Sabally said. “But she’s really, really kind and caring.”

Her impact on the court lately has really been felt on the boards.

“For me, just looking in the mirror, I think that’s something that the team expects of me and something that I haven’t been doing this season and something I’ve been putting the emphasis on these last [few] games,” Jones said. “I think that’s been the biggest thing, just trying to work on that and making sure that I’m bringing that every night to this team to make sure that we’re successful.”