The New York Liberty were crowned WNBA champions for the first time in the franchise’s 28-year history Sunday night. New York’s Jonquel Jones earned her first career Finals MVP award, an achievement a long time in the making.
Jones, the sixth overall pick by the Connecticut Sun in 2016, had been to three WNBA Finals — two with the Sun, one with the Liberty — in her eight-year career prior to 2024. She led her team in scoring in each of the three series, but never was able to secure a Finals MVP award after being on the losing end each time.
That narrative was re-written following the Liberty’s overtime victory Sunday night that earned Jones a long-awaited championship ring and allowed her the opportunity to finally secure the Finals MVP trophy.
Overcome with emotions after the game, Jones spoke on what the reality of finally winning a championship felt like.
“I could never dream of this,” Jones said. “You all know my story. You all know how many times I’ve been denied it. But it was delayed, that’s all it was. I’m so happy to do it here.”
Through the first four games of the series, Jones totaled 72 points, 32 rebounds and shot a remarkable 50% from the three-point line. She led the team in scoring in Games 1 (24) and 4 (21). It was her Game 5 performance, however, that cemented her legacy as the MVP of the Liberty’s Finals team.
Outside of Jones, the Liberty made a measly 27.4% of their shots in Game 5. At the forefront of New York’s offensive troubles were their most dominant offensive weapons, Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart, who landed a combined five of their 34 field-goal attempts.
While Ionescu and Stewart struggled, the Liberty turned to Jones for offensive production. Jones connected on five of her 10 field-goals and made all seven of her free-throw attempts in the deciding game. Her 17 points and +10 plus-minus both led the team.
Jones spoke on how she was able to maintain her composure during a career-defining night following the game.
“You have to lock in if you want to be a champion,” Jones said. “It was all about this and us winning together because we really love each other. We’re here now so it was all worth it.”
