For the second year in a row, the Liberty could very well have the league’s MVP winner on their roster. Except this year, instead of Breanna Stewart, it might be teammate Jonquel Jones lifting the hardware.
In New York’s 90-82 win over Las Vegas in the 2023 WNBA Finals rematch on Saturday, Jones scored a career-high 34 points on 12-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, and added eight rebounds.
She had three makes from deep in the first quarter as the Liberty built an early eight-point lead.
Jones was also the beneficiary of an Aces defense that gravitated toward Stewart and guard Sabrina Ionescu, resulting in easy looks.
While in transition in the third, Jones trailed Stewart as both sprinted toward the basket. No one picked her up on defense, and she easily got in the lane for a layup.
Up 15 in the fourth, Jones hit a dagger when Ionescu found her wide open on the perimeter out of a double-team.
Over her last three games, Jones is averaging 28.3 points on 71.1 percent shooting. With her Saturday performance, Jones joined former Wings center Liz Cambage as the second player in league history to score 85 points or more while shooting at least 70 percent in a three-game span (h/t Across The Timeline).
The Liberty improved to 12-2 with the win, while the Aces fell to 6-6. No one doubts that Aces center A’ja Wilson is the league’s best player, but if Las Vegas floats around the .500 mark for the entire season, that might put a serious dent in her MVP candidacy.
Meanwhile, New York trails Connecticut (12-1) by a half-game for the best record in the WNBA, and the Liberty beat the Sun last Saturday in a game that kickstarted Jones’ incredible run.
She already has one MVP award, which she won while with the Sun in 2021. This season, Jones is averaging the most field goals and points per game since her MVP year while also shooting a remarkable 58.7 percent, including 70 percent on two-point attempts.
Per Her Hoop Stats, Jones ranks second in the league in effective field-goal percentage (67.3 percent) and points per scoring attempt (1.39).
Her efficiency has been crucial for the Liberty, which has the league’s top offensive rating (107.9). Ionescu (34.7 percent), Stewart (17.5 percent) and guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (34 percent) are off to below-average starts from beyond the arc, but Jones has steadily made her shots.
After the game, Ionescu gave her teammate high praise.
“She’s the best post player in the league, and we have her on our team,” Ionescu said, then adding, “She does everything for us, and she’s really our glue.”