Twenty-four and nil.
Thats the Liberty‘s regular-season document when Jonquel Jones information a double-double. And the document emphasizes a theme that wanted to be bolstered since her arrival to New York: The Liberty are at its greatest when taking part in by Jones because the centerpiece of the offense.
The message — once more — wanted to be bolstered in Saturday’s comeback victory over the Indiana Fever. After constructing a cushty 15-point lead, the Liberty discovered themselves down 12 with below 9 minutes remaining in regulation.
The problem? The Liberty got here out of halftime stagnant and settled for too many threes as an alternative of constant ball motion with Jones because the centerpiece. In return, the Fever capitalized off empty possessions and charged on a run, led by Caitlin Clark.
“I just thought we’re taking — became one-on-one. That’s not our success,” Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello mentioned postgame. “It wasn’t a superb present. I’m advantageous if it’s an awesome shot, however they weren’t good photographs. They have been contested photographs. We didn’t get the additional move, the motion. We have been very stagnant. So it’s simply ‘hey, get back to what we want to do.’
“We got some threes out of it with our movement, JJ in pick and roll actions, I didn’t think we got enough, because they were late switching to and then finding some really high percentage baskets down low. But I thought our defense created our offense with our movement, and we executed better. Yeah, I love threes as much as the other team, but I don’t like threes so where it’s just one pass and we’re missing and we’ve got to feel the game. We went away from our identity, but we came back to it, and that’s because these players are bright and they understand how we should be playing.”
They obtained again to their id: feeding Jones and ensuring she touched the ball on nearly each possession throughout a fourth-quarter run. The Liberty roared again, regaining management on a 22-8 run to grab management of the sport. Jones contributed 14 of these factors, together with two made three-pointers whereas dominating Indiana’s Aliyah Boston within the paint as nicely. Jones completed the sport with 26 factors, 12 rebounds and three assists whereas taking pictures 9-of-15 from the sphere.
The Fever altogether ended up scoring simply 12 factors within the remaining interval, two lower than Jones’ fourth-quarter complete.
“Jonquel was great,” mentioned Sabrina Ionescu, who logged 23 factors, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. “We know what she’s capable of doing, and to be able to kind of be a part of her own run was really fun. Like I was just looking for her every time I could, believed in her shot and knew she was going to get some great looks.”
Jones added that disappearing in video games — like she did in Saturday’s third quarter — is an “area of growth” for her from final 12 months.
“I think sometimes I did get kind of out of the game, and I kind of felt myself slipping into that a little bit during halftime, and I kind of just kind of talked myself out of it and just understanding that, like there’s no room for that. And so, yeah, it’s just going out there, playing, trusting my teammates, and trusting that we’re going to make the right plays for each other, because that’s what makes us successful as a team.”
CLOUD IS AS ADVERTISED
Whereas Jones carried her staff out of a deficit, Natasha Cloud made positive to maintain her staff in entrance for the victory.
If Cloud’s first two Liberty video games didn’t persuade you of her good match on the staff, Saturday confirmed any leftover doubts. After totaling for 40 factors, 10 rebounds, 17 assists within the first two video games of the season, Cloud stayed on tempo in opposition to the Fever: 16 factors, seven rebounds, six assists, 5 steals and two blocks.
And he or she spent a majority of the win defending Clark, who scored 18 factors however turned the ball over 10 occasions.
Cloud did all of it: ran the ground, disrupted Indiana’s motion and shut the door on the Fever with two game-saving performs.
The primary got here with the sport tied with 10.1 seconds remaining. DeWanna Bonner appeared to get simply sufficient area to obtain an inbounds move and toss up a go-ahead floater that will’ve put her staff up, 90-88. Then got here Cloud, who swatted Bonner’s probability and despatched the ball out of bounds with a second remaining on the shot clock. Kelsey Mitchell then missed a go-ahead jumper on the following possession.
After Ionescu made a pair of free throws to place the Liberty up two, the Fever known as a reset timeout to advance the ball with 2.2 seconds remaining.
It was Clark time.
Clark acquired the inbounds move from Sophie Cunningham, however couldn’t get a shot up after being hounded by Cloud. Cloud sized up the younger star, reached in and swiped the ball away as time expired.
Win secured.
“Tash got the Freddy glove for the big stops at the end,” mentioned Jones.
“And I think everyone knows what she brings to this team and why she’s so valuable offensively and defensively, and she does it every single night,” mentioned Ionescu. “She plays with a lot of heart, and we know what we’re going to get from her. And I think that’s why everyone was so happy when she was able to come here and be a part of this team…”
KB GETS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT
Kennedy Burke’s function was anticipated to broaden with Kayla Thornton‘s departure (expansion draft) and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s season ending harm.
After Saturday, her function might get even greater.
The Liberty departed Indiana with two extra gamers struggling accidents. First, Nyara Sabally was a pregame scratch attributable to a proper knee harm. Then Leonie Fiebich sat out the ultimate 9 minutes off the primary half after injuring her left shin following a collision with Indiana’s Lexie Hull.
“Just got hit in the shin. Hit a nerve maybe. So that’s hard,” Brondello mentioned about Fiebich, who by no means returned to the sport after the collision. “She’s big for us, Leo, with what she brings. We already had Nyara [out], so [Jones] had to go a few more minutes tonight, and they all had to go a few more minutes. I think both teams there. But that’s how important this win is. This team, they want to win a championship, and so do we. So hopefully Leo will be OK.”
Extra forwards on the mend means extra minutes for the positionless Burke. She was plus-10 whereas logging seven factors, two assists, two rebounds and 4 turnovers in 28 minutes off the bench Friday. Burke misfired on a pair alternatives from deep (1-of-3 on three-pointers) whereas taking pictures 2-of-4 from the sphere.
Even on a loaded roster, Burke might see extra alternatives if Sabally and Fiebich spend extra time on the bench. Her contributions might turn out to be extra essential within the early a part of the season.
Initially Printed: Might 24, 2025 at 6:15 PM EDT
