Former WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones has agreed to a two-year deal to return to the New York Liberty, according to The Next. The two-year protected deal will keep Jones in New York through 2025, when the players are expected to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement.
After spending the first seven seasons of her career with the Connecticut Sun, Jones forced a trade to the Liberty last offseason in the hopes of competing for a title. Jones and Sabrina Ionescu were later joined by Breanna Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot, as the quartet formed a superteam that rolled through the regular season behind a historic offense and won the 2023 Commissioner's Cup.
In the Finals, however, Jones and the Liberty fell to the Las Vegas Aces in four games. Jones was denied the first title of her career and the Liberty's drought continued for another year. Of the three original teams still in existence (along with the Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury) the Liberty are the only one without a championship.
They'll hope they can change that this season now that Jones is back in the fold. Stewart remains a free agent, but the team used the core designation on her and she is expected to return. Assuming that happens, the core four will all be back along with Betnijah Laney, and the Liberty will be one of the two main favorites to win it all.
While Jones' 2023 campaign got off to a bit of a slow start while she worked her way back into shape from a foot injury, she eventually displayed the dominant form that made her one of the league's top players. Her 16-point, 15-rebound effort in the Commissioner's Cup championship game earned her the MVP award for that event, and after the All-Star break she averaged 12.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game on 52.0% shooting.
During the playoffs, Jones was the Liberty's best player and set a new WNBA record for the most consecutive double-doubles in the postseason with eight. In the Finals, she put up 17.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per night while making 58.7% of her attempts.
That's the kind of form the Liberty will hope to see from her this season now that she's settled in New York and is coming off a full and healthy offseason.
