– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
WASHINGTON — It took longer than expected, but one of the offseason acquisitions by the New York Liberty that made them a “super team” coming to the season finally had her most super game of the campaign on Friday night.
Forward Jonquel Jones paced New York with 27 points on her way to a double-double that helped the Liberty defeat the Washington Mystics 96-87 inside the Entertainment & Sports Arena on Friday night. Jones, who had 11 rebounds, was joined by Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu in the double-double mix, with Stewart going for 24 points and 10 rebounds. Ionescu was an assist shy of a triple double, with 16 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.
Jones, who won the 2021 WNBA’s Most Valuable Player Award while a member of the Connecticut Sun, has seen her production dip while getting accustomed to life on the Liberty squad, with tonight’s contest marking just the third double-double of the season. She also eclipsed the 20-point mark for the first time this season, and her 14 shot attempts (10-for-14) was only the third time this campaign that she has taken at least 10 field goals in a contest in 2023.
Washington jumped out to a 10-2 lead before Jones sparked a 19-2 run that game the Liberty the lead that they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. She scored five straight points, including a three-point play, to cut Washington’s lead to 10-7. After a Shatori Walker-Kimbrough jumper game the Mystics a 12-7 advantage, New York went on a 14-0 run, with Jones and Ionescu combining for all of those points. Jones scored eight of those points, including two threes — the second one ending the run, giving the Liberty a 21-12 lead, and leading to a Washington timeout.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Friday evening’s game, with all photos taken by DC-area photographer Clifford Ray Williams. After clicking on the first photo to enlarge the picture, make sure to press the left and right arrow buttons to scroll through the rest of the pictures. There are 19 pictures in total.
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
