Jonquel Jones thriving after pain of Liberty’s WNBA Finals loss

It was still training camp, but Diane Richardson could already sense that things were starting to go well for Jonquel Jones.

The Liberty star, who overcame a stress fracture before the start of the 2023 season and is entering his second year with the superteam, is “kind of in a good place,” and that optimism was palpable over the phone.

Just a few months ago, Jones, who scored 22 points in the Liberty’s 93-80 win over the Los Angeles Sparks, was coming off a disappointing loss in the WNBA Finals for the second straight year.

It happened on the Sun in 2022.

A year later, it happened again against the same ace team.

“She came close to winning twice and both times she missed out,” Richardson, the head coach at Temple University and the legal guardian of Jones, who also coaches there, told The Washington Post.

This sparked a “renewed interest” for Jones.

There was more progress to be made and more to go from the second half of the campaign.

She played in China and was a key part of their attack.

She pored over tape of the Finals and noticed open spots to take 3-pointers, and it all became the basis for a perfect scenario for Jones to attack the defense from “a different level.”

There’s no concrete way to quantify comfort and cohesion within a system, but if it exists, Jones’ numbers should be significantly higher than what he averaged in 2023, when he averaged 11.3 points and 8.3 rebounds.

The statistics show a similar trend: Jones’ 16.8 points per game average is his highest since winning MVP honors with the Suns in 2021.

Her improved 3-point shooting (43.3) hasn’t been this high since 2018. Her field goal percentage is second in the league.

And after a tough transition last season, Jones has taken on a more prominent role in the Liberty’s offense through the first 15 games leading up to Thursday’s game against the Sparks, and his return of points, assists and 3-pointers has helped spark a new evolution in the Liberty’s offense.

“Even the shots that I took, I looked a little tentative,” Jones said of last year’s series against the Aces, “so I just knew going into the season that whatever shots I was going to take, I was going to take the shots that I was sure would go in.”

Outside of those 3-pointers, Jones also created an effective pick-and-roll option alongside Sabrina Ionescu.

That could lead to a takeover.

Jones will direct the offense’s next move.

Jones rolled for a layup and Ionescu drove to the basket, relying on the defensive coverage.

The Liberty will use Jones on ball screens more often in 2024, head coach Sandy Brondello said.

It happened midway through the first quarter of Saturday’s game against the Aces. Jones, en route to a career-high 34 points, took a toss from Ionescu after a screen, faked a 3-point shot, dribbled to the left block and knocked down a layup.

Ionescu said having active cutters scattered around the court also helps her pave the way to the basket after screens.

“She really [other Liberty players] And I feel good right now,” Richardson said.

Brondello pointed to last year’s All-Star Game as a turning point, saying he saw Jones begin to become more comfortable and understand his role in the offense.

Jones finished the year with eight double-doubles after the break, then recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds in each of the Liberty’s first eight games.

That improvement will continue in 2024, as her assist numbers jump to a career-high 3.0. Jones can also toss a no-look underhand pass to Leonie Fiebic for a 3-pointer.

She can make the pass out of the pick-and-roll.

Jones learned the positions her teammates occupied on offense — a big difference at this point in 2023 with three new starters adapting — and made possessions successful when she wasn’t taking inside shots or 3-pointers.

“I’ve always called her the best offensive rebounder in the world,” said Sparks head coach Kurt Miller, who coached Jones for six seasons at Connecticut. “She’s really talented with her back to the basket, but when you show her versatility to make 3-pointers, she’s really, really tough to face.”

This version of Jones is similar to the Jones who received all but one MVP vote in 2021.

Those were contributions the Liberty also lacked in Game 16 last year.

Brondello said not much has changed for Liberty other than her added touches in and outside the paint.

“And JJ will do the rest,” Brondello said.