Home|Sports|Jones, Liberty fall in Game OneSports
Jones records seventh straight postseason double-double; sets record
Simba FrenchSend an emailOctober 10, 2023 18 2 minute readFacebookTwitterLinkedInShare via Email
Bahamian women’s professional basketball player Jonquel ‘JJ’ Jones notched her seventh straight double-double of the postseason, but the New York Liberty were turned back by the Las Vegas Aces, 99-82, losing Game One of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Finals on Sunday.
Jones finished with 16 points and a game-high 10 rebounds on the road, at the Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The defending champions Aces took a key 1-0 lead in the series and will look to become the first repeat champion since the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2001-2002 season. The Liberty is looking to win the franchise’s first title and it is the first time they are in the finals since 2002.
Despite the loss, Liberty’s starting center Jones made WNBA history in Game One. She has now recorded the most double-doubles in a single postseason in the WNBA, as she did it in all seven of the Liberty’s postseason games. By the end of the first half, she had 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Grand Bahama native played just over 34 minutes in the game, shooting 7-for-12 from the field at a 58.3 percent clip. She gathered in seven defensive boards and three on the offensive side. Defensively, she had a steal and a block each.
The league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) Breanna Stewart led Liberty with 21 points. The Aces were led by Jackie Young with 26 points.
The Liberty held a three-point lead heading to the second half, up 49-46. The home team came out of the locker room as a different team. They stayed close to Jones and the Liberty and then took charge. The 6:27 mark of the third quarter was the turning point in the game. Chelsea Gray put the Aces up 57-55 with a shot from deep. Jones was able to pull Liberty within a point after getting her third offensive board of the game and getting a putback layup. The Aces led 60-59 with 4:33 left in that quarter. The Aces kept going at the Liberty who could not get going offensively. The Aces took a 71-65 lead with just over a minute left in the quarter. At the end of the third quarter, the Aces led 72-65.
The fourth quarter opened with the Aces going on a 6-0 scoring run to take their first double-digit lead of the game. They led 78-65 with 7:56 left in the fourth quarter. The Aces kept their offense going, extending the lead. They held their biggest lead of the game of 22 points with a 94-72 cushion with 3:32 left in the game. Liberty’s Head Coach Sandy Brondello pulled her starters with 1:34 left in the game.
In the second half, the Aces outscored the Liberty, 51-31. The Liberty shot just 41.2 percent in the second half compared to 61.3 percent for the Aces.
Game Two of the best-of-five series is set for Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the same arena. The game will be aired on ESPN. It will be a key game for Jones and the Liberty as they look to tie the series at a game apiece. Game Three will be played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and if necessary, Game Four will be played at that same venue. If necessary, Game Five will be played in Las Vegas.