Jonquel Jones, New York Liberty Star, Out with Injury
New York Liberty’s center, Jonquel Jones, will be out for four to six weeks due to a right ankle sprain, the team announced Saturday night. The injury occurred in the second quarter of Thursday night’s game against the Phoenix Mercury, a match that ended in an 89-81 defeat for the Liberty, marking the first home loss of the season. Jones, 31, had already suffered a sprained ankle on June 5, in the 86-78 victory over the Washington Mystics. After additional tests and evaluations, it was determined that Jonquel avoided a long-term injury, according to a team statement. However, her recovery could extend until the WNBA All-Star weekend, which takes place between July 18 and 19. At the time of the injury, Jones, the league MVP in 2021 and Finals MVP in 2024, was ranked second in the WNBA with 9.6 rebounds per game, in addition to averaging 12.1 points and 2.3 assists for the current champions. The absence of Jones notably affected the performance of the Liberty against the Mercury. New York was outrebounded 42-32 and committed a total of 20 turnovers.The Liberty will begin a four-game road trip on Sunday, facing the Seattle Storm.Obviously we are not happy with the way we played, we should have been a little more aggressive in that first half and generate some energy. There are no excuses for the way we played.
Sandy Brondello, New York Coach
