Jonquel Jones' Return Has Stacked Liberty Poised for Championship Repeat

They would begin to play "Liberty basketball" once more, just in time to ride into the All-Star break on the back of a three-game winning streak.

A dominant 98-77 win over the Indiana Fever in front of a packed Barclays Center crowd punctuated their return to form. Of course, Indiana was without Caitlin Clark after the star guard injured her right groin earlier that week. Still, for a New York squad that had struggled mightily in Jones' wake, the thorough performance made a noteworthy statement.

"Sandy continued to keep us together, which in a time like that can make or break teams," Ionescu said postgame, crediting Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello. "You're gonna hit adversity at some point in the season, and we hit it really early on. I think that's just gonna continue to help us. We know how to deal with those adverse situations because we just went through it and were able to weather the storm."

Role Players Helped Liberty Find Success Without Jones

Belgian forward Emma Meesseman committed to joining the Liberty, Alexa Philoppou reported Monday, signifying a major move to enhance New York's core.

It marks the second addition for the Liberty this week after signing 31-year-old forward Stephanie Talbot, who was waived last week by the Golden State Valkyries.

While Meesseman's signing has not been made official, and the timing in part hinges on her visa application, the 8-year WNBA veteran comes with postseason experience in the form of a 2019 Finals MVP and an impressive overseas resume to boot.

But even before Meesseman bolsters New York's ranks, the Liberty have dazzled with their wealth of depth, a wealth that was prominently on display during their most recent three-game winning streak. After an initial rocky stretch without Jones, New York's supporting cast has kicked things into high gear, and it's helped soften the blow of losing one of the league's top centers.

6-foot-5 forward Nyara Sabally has bounced in and out of the starting lineup this season and found herself back in the starting five for all three games before the break. She rewarded Brondello's decision with some terrific interior defense, tallying 7 blocks across her last two contests.

"She's learning how to defend these post players," Brondello acknowledged after Wednesday's game against Indiana. "She's been really great for us here. I know she wasn't probably as involved as much in the offensive end, but we need her on that defensive end. It starts with her, especially with big post players that other teams have."

Case in point, Sabally was critical to shutting down Aliyah Boston, helping to limit the All-Star center to 7 points on 1-of-8 shooting as the Liberty stifled Indiana's offense.

And she's not the only big-bodied forward on New York who's garnered praise of late.

Returning from a knee injury that sidelined her for a primetime game against the Las Vegas Aces, Isabelle Harrison saw increased minutes in the final two games before break, posting a pair of 9-point outings off the bench.

"I think Izzy has just been a pro's pro and that's what she brings to this team," lauded Breanna Stewart. "When her number is called, she's ready. Whether it's a steal or guarding a bigger player or just the hustle plays -- she knows where to be, right place, right time, and she reads and reacts off of us really, really well."

Averaging 9.7 minutes in 19 games off the bench this season, Harrison is towards the backend of New York's rotation. But she's still been a piece of the puzzle, and a rather helpful one at that with Jones out.

Then, of course, there's the ever-flashy Marine Johannes, whose tendency to pull off circus shots and passes has made her a favorite of fans and teammates alike.

"We know that the crowd loves it, but we love it even more," Stewart said with a smile. "It's hard to come in and have an immediate impact, but she does. We're just happy to see her taking advantage of her moments and knowing when it's her time to call her own number."

Johannes reached double figures twice in a three-game span, highlighted by a 12-point night against the Fever in which the French guard shot 4-of-5 from distance. An impressive outing, no doubt, and not even her best of the season after draining a career-high 6 three-pointers against the Golden State Valkyries back in May.

"It's really hard to be able to come off the bench and be able to just find your rhythm that quick, from a shooter's perspective" Ionesca chimed in. "It gives us a huge lift off the bench. There's not many bench players in the league that are able to come out every single night and do what she is able to do."

Ionescu's resume as a shooter, which includes leading the WNBA in three-point percentage back in 2023 and a pair of 3-Point Contest wins to her name, speaks for itself, and her point is well taken.

While Johannes' shooting streaks have come in waves this season, often surrounded by the occasional dry spell, her ability to get hot in a flash and subject opponents to a three-point barrage is not a luxury many teams have off the bench.

Arguably most impactful, however, have been the recent efforts of Leonie Fiebich.

Prior to the start of New York's three-game winning streak, Fiebich had reached double figures just twice in 11 contests. The 6-foot-4 forward bested that mark in three games alone, notching double figures in all three wins and pacing the Liberty with a season-high 21 points in a 79-72 triumph over the Atlanta Dream on July 13.

Examining things at the All-Star break, Fiebich has started all 14 games she's appeared in, missing roughly a month to represent Germany in EuroBasket. But while Fiebich has been a familiar face in the starting five, it's been a struggle to incorporate her with any regularity.

Usage percentage (USG%) is an advanced metric that estimates how often a player is used to end a team's possession -- essentially any time a team's possession ends with that player attempting a field goal, free throw, or turning the ball over.

The more involved you are on offense, the more possessions you'll have with one of those three outcomes. Not surprisingly, Ionescu, Stewart, and Jones lead the Liberty in this metric.

Fiebich's 12.0 USG% ranks dead last on New York, notably trailing bench pieces like Rebekah Gardner, Jaylyn Sherrod, and even Marquesha Davis, who was recently waived to make space on the roster.

The last two weeks saw a sizable shift in this trend, with Fiebich finding success amongst New York's star-studded starting five and playing a much larger role on the offensive end.

Fiebich is shooting 56.8% from the field and 50% from three on 44 attempts, so the efficiency hasn't been a problem -- it's simply a matter of keeping her involved in the offense. New York finally made strides in that department, but the return of Jones adds another mouth to feed in a rotation that has a bevvy of offensive options.

Liberty Set for Big Second Half as Jones Returns

Jones is set to make her return against the Fever this Tuesday, albeit on an anticipated minutes restriction after a month-long injury stint.

While the Liberty are better equipped to handle the absence of an All-WNBA center than most, it's increasingly evident that the 2024 Finals MVP is an integral part of New York's winning formula.

If Jones can keep herself on the court, the Liberty have the makings of the most formidable team in the WNBA, even trumping that of the league-leading Lynx.

Meesseman's addition is an exciting one that gives Brondello even more flexibility with her starting five and bench rotations.

Barring injury, Stewart, Ionescu, Jones, and Natasha Cloud are fixtures in the starting lineup. Whether it's Fiebich, Meesseman, Sabally, or Kennedy Burke manning the final spot, you're looking at some major talent coming off the bench.

It's a display of brilliant salary cap management by GM Jonathan Kolb. While his top core of Stewart, Ionescu, Jones, and Cloud all make between $195,000 and $208,000, Kolb has surrounded them with a crop of productive role players who are all signed to rookie contracts or veteran minimums.

That, in conjunction with an offseason knee injury to Betnijah Laney-Hamilton that wiped her contract off the salary cap, has given New York the flexibility to make additions to an already fearsome roster.

Beyond skill, of which the Liberty have an unmatchable excess, New York also boasts incredible size. Meesseman's arrival would give the Liberty six different players who are 6-foot-3 or taller.

The Liberty are in a position to dominate opponents, not just from an offensive perspective but also from a purely physical perspective.

Of course, championships aren't won on paper -- New York fans should know this all too well after the Nets failed to capitalize on a big three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.

But in the case of the Liberty, they've put themselves in an excellent position to hoist a trophy in October once again.