Liberty Re-Sign WNBA Playoff Heroine Jonquel Jones
Last fall's WNBA Finals proved to be far from the last metropolitan crusade for Jonquel Jones.
The New York Liberty announced the re-signing of center/forward Jonquel Jones on Friday, which will keep the starting five from last year's Finals run fully intact. Jackie Powell of The Next previously was the first to report Jones' intentions of returning in January.
“We are overjoyed to welcome back JJ,” Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said in a team statement. “In just one season, she became an indelible part of the Liberty’s core identity, on and off the court, and keeping her in seafoam was our first priority in open free agency as we continue our championship pursuit in 2024.”
Brandon Todd, NY Liberty
Jones, 30, was brought over last offseason in a multi-pronged trade with the Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings. While a lingering injury sustained overseas caused her to get off to a slow start, Jones made up for it and then some in the second half of the season: after the All-Star Game on July 15, Jones averaged 12.2 points and 10.3 rebounds as the Liberty went 18-4 the rest of the way en route to a franchise-best season.
The Bahamas native came up particularly big in postseason play: Jones set a WNBA playoff record with eight double-doubles during the team's 10-game playoff run and also took home MVP honors with a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double in the Commissioner's Cup victory over Las Vegas in August.
While it's been a mostly quiet offseason for the Liberty, especially considering last winter's whirlwind, New York is set to fully retain the starting five that allowed it to reach the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2002. Jones' fellow interior threat and fellow WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart has been extended a core qualifying offer while Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney, and Courtney Vandersloot are all under contract.
The Liberty open their 2024 season on May 14 against the Washington Mystics.
