Jonquel Jones big part of Liberty playoff puzzle

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Jonquel Jones walked out toward center court inside Barclays Center and soon was rising for the opening tipoff of her WNBA semifinal series. But first the Liberty center wrapped her arms around the Sun, hugging every member of their starting five.

The 2021 WNBA MVP played six seasons with Connecticut and went to the Finals twice, including last September. Then she got traded and went 4-0 against them during this regular season.

“I’ve been there so many times with them on the other side,” Jones said after the Liberty’s Game 1 loss. “It’s a little bit weird to see them on the other side, but you’ve had enough time to kind of prepare and get ready for it.” 

She started slowly this season. But the physical, athletic 6-6 Jones has really stood tall since the second half tipped off. She became a big reason why the Liberty went 32-8, ousted Washington in two in the opening round and pulled even with the Sun at 1-1.

Jones had 11 points and 13 rebounds in Game 2. The Liberty were 15-1 when she posted a double-double, including the Commissioner’s Cup championship game win at Las Vegas and the first four playoff games.

And now she was back in Connecticut, trying to again help push the Liberty past her old team and one step closer to the Finals, playing Game 3 Friday night.

“We’re really proud of the way that she’s come into her own on this team,” Sabrina Ionescu said. “We all believed that she was able to have this big of a role on this team. 

“That’s why we really wanted her here and she really wanted to be here because we saw the vision, understanding what she brings to us offensively and defensively, her ability to dominate the paint, get offensive rebounds, give our team second-chance opportunities.”

Jones grabbed a large offensive rebound of Ionescu’s missed free throw and followed with two free throws to send the Game 2 clincher against Washington to OT.

“She’s big and good,” Mystics coach Eric Thibault said.

Her postseason averages were 16 points and 14.5 rebounds.

“She’s a monster on the boards,” Connecticut’s DeWanna Bonner said.

Jones had wanted a trade to the Liberty. Her wish was granted in January.

“… 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 said during the regular season.

Her regular-season numbers were 11.3 points and 8.4 rebounds.

This 29-year-old native of the Bahamas averaged 12.2 points and a league-high 10.3 rebounds and posted nine of her 11 regular-season double-doubles over the 22 games following the All-Star break. Jones was at 10.3 points and 6.1 rebounds before it.

Part of her slow start had to do with a stress reaction in her foot. 

“When you’re out for eight weeks [before training camp], you can’t do too much on a foot, and she’s a big player,” coach Sandy Brondello said. “It just took her time to get healthy conditioning-wise.

“You also had to learn new players, new system, putting her in new situations maybe she hadn’t done as much in the past. … I think she just got comfortable from All-Star [time]. 

“We kept believing in her. We told her, ‘You’re going to be fine.’ ”

The Liberty weren’t fine in Game 1 against the Sun. But they were undeterred.

“We have the ability to control our own destiny,” Jones said, “so we’re not going to put the ball in their court and let them just knock us out of the playoffs.”