New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones chases an elusive WNBA title – Andscape

As the 2024 season begins, New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones shared a new perspective on how she is approaching the year ahead.

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” she said.

Although Jones, entering her eighth season in the league, spoke about the upcoming season, that phrase can be applied to several aspects of her WNBA career.

In many ways, Jones' rise through the league has been a marathon. She didn't make the All-Rookie team, she was named the league's Most Improved Player in 2017 and the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year in 2018, and she was named the league's MVP in 2021.

The same goes for their pursuit of winning a championship.

As the Liberty duel with the Minnesota Lynx for the championship, Jones is playing in the fourth WNBA Finals of her career. A WNBA title is one of the last remaining awards Jones can add to her trophy cabinet. So far it has been difficult to grasp.

This year may be Jones' best run at a championship, as part of a Liberty team that finished the regular season atop the league and eliminated the back-to-back champion Las Vegas Aces en route to the WNBA Finals.

However, Jones and the Liberty will still have some work to do after losing to the Lynx in a tense 95-93 overtime thriller in Game 1 on Thursday. If her performance in the series opener is any indication, Jones is determined to end the championship drought for himself and the team.

“That’s the last thing JJ has to kind of check off,” said Liberty teammate Courtney Vandersloot.

“This is a big deal for them.”

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, in the WNBA's 28-year history, there have been 10 players who lost in their first three Finals appearances.

Of those 10 players, guard Katie Douglas won one championship – in 2012 with the Indiana Fever. The list includes players like forward Angel McCoughtry and former Liberty guards Becky Hammon, Vickie Johnson and Teresa Weatherspoon.

As Jones prepared for the finale, she focused on the opportunity in front of her.

“I just come in and play hard,” Jones said. “I'm really the type of person that focuses on one thing at a time, no matter what the main thing is, I allow it to be the main thing. Of course you learn from these finals, but you also have the attitude to win these finals.”

Although the teams Jones played for were unsuccessful in their first three championship attempts, she had an outstanding game. According to ESPN Research, she is one of only six players in WNBA history with more than 20 double-doubles in the playoffs.

Jones has performed exceptionally well in each of her three finals appearances. In 2019, Jones averaged 19.2 points, 11 rebounds and 1.8 assists in her first Finals appearance with the Connecticut Sun against the Washington Mystics, a streak that ended until the fifth and final game. In 2022, Jones averaged 16 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists against the Las Vegas Aces, who would lead the Sun in four games. Last season, Jones averaged 18.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks against the Aces as Las Vegas won its second straight title in four games.

In Game 1 on Thursday, Jones finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds, both game highs.

“That’s really been the story of my career, to be honest,” Jones said. “If you look at all the finals I’ve been to, I played well there, we just didn’t win. That’s just it.”

On a team with several future Hall of Famers, Jones was the team's best player in the 2023 playoffs. Ultimately, it wouldn't be enough.

“It’s always motivating to make it to another championship and fail. I think we did a lot of good things last year. We just needed a little bit more,” Jones said.

There has been a significant difference in the Liberty's cohesion on the field this season. The team built on their chemistry to transform from a group of gathered stars into a harmonious unit. Combine that with a desire to return to the finals and the result is a Liberty squad that has played at the level of the title favorites for most of the season.

“Our team has had a year to really grow, understand and build each other up,” Jones said. “We have the unifying experience of making it to a championship and failing there, and then feeling the hunger to go out and decide how to approach the game – that (defeat in the final) wasn't possible.” happen again.

“We still have a job to do. … We realize it’s going to be a struggle, but together we’ve been through a lot together and built ourselves up and become a lot stronger.”

For Jones, this season was about getting back to her old self. For most of last season, Jones was recovering from a foot injury.

“This year, just playing basketball and getting back to myself and being healthy really helped,” Jones said.

“I think she's just comfortable and I think it just takes time,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “She's been injured for six months and it's hard, emotionally, physically, it's hard for her. She got going towards the end, but then it became more about how can I get better from day one. She was great for us.”

This season, Jones was selected to her fifth All-Star Game. She averaged 14.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and a career-best 3.2 assists for the Liberty.

When asked if she saw a sense of urgency in Jones this year and her pursuit of a title, Vandersloot said there was no notable difference as Jones has always had the same championship energy.

“I don't necessarily see anything different because she's always approached every season like she wants to win a championship for as long as I've known her,” said Vandersloot, who played with Jones overseas before they became teammates at Liberty. “Here, of course, I think a little experience is helpful. She knows what it’s like to be in that group, but she approaches it the same way.”

Like Jones, forwards Breanna Stewart and Vandersloot will be making their fourth Finals appearance, a feat accomplished by only 29 other players in WNBA history. Stewart won two championships with the Seattle Storm and Vandersloot won one championship with the Chicago Sky. All three are looking to win their first title since forming a superteam in New York last season.

Vandersloot said she would love to see Jones win the first title.

“Especially the three of us were kind of in cahoots to come here and be in this exact situation and get JJ her first one. Stewie and I knew what it was like, and of course you always want more,” Vandersloot said. “(JJ) put in the time. She made the effort. She was MVP. All of her individual success in her career. It’s huge for them to get there.”

Jones understands that there is always the possibility that a championship opportunity will never arise again and knows that she can never take the time to take the final for granted, whether she wins or not. While Jones said there is a certain frustration in reaching the final lap of the season time and time again only to fall just short, she knows better than most what the finish line looks like.

She hopes to make it this season.

“I understand it's a marathon, not a sprint,” Jones said again, this time during the shootout before Game 1. “You go out there and do your best to do whatever the team needs for you to win can.”