The New York Liberty entered the 2025 season as one of the favorites to win the championship. New York sits in third place in the regular-season standings with a 12-6 record. A commanding 9-0 start allowed the Liberty to create some separation between themselves and all other teams except Minnesota.
Since then, the Liberty have slipped, losing six of their last nine games. For most of that stretch, the Liberty were without Jonquel Jones, who is dealing with an ankle injury, and Leonie Fiebich, who represented Germany in EuroBasket.
The Liberty’s struggles without Jones in particular highlight the center’s importance and an uncomfortable truth about New York’s title hopes. The Liberty’s chances of repeating may hinge on an issue beyond the team’s control: Jonquel Jones’s health.
The Liberty sorely miss Jonquel Jones on both ends of the floor
Jonquel Jones is an MVP and WNBA All-Defensive First Team member. It is not surprising that the Liberty sorely miss her contributions on both ends of the floor.
Jones was off to a great start before her injury, too. In May, she played five games and recorded four double-doubles, including a 26-point performance against the Indiana Fever. In June, she recorded two more double-doubles before exiting the Liberty’s game against the Mercury after just nine minutes.
Jones may not put up the same numbers that earned her the 2021 WNBA MVP award with the Liberty, but her play often fuels her team’s success. Jones offers size and rim protection that few teams can contend with as well as a great 3-point shot.
With her sidelined, the Liberty are missing 12.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game and are not nearly as imposing defensively.
When asked about Jones’s absence after the Liberty’s loss to the Storm, Breanna Stewart said, “We miss her everywhere.”
The Liberty must figure out how to beat good teams without Jones
New York has gotten some wins without Jones, beating the Golden State Valkyries and Los Angeles Sparks. They also lost to the Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm, and Atlanta Dream, however. Those three teams have emerged as the biggest threats to the Liberty’s and Lynx’s return to the finals.
The Liberty must learn to beat those teams, even without one of their best players. For one, getting as many wins as possible in the regular season should allow the Liberty to enter the playoffs with home-court advantage. Secondly, the Liberty must be prepared for the eventuality that Jones can’t stay healthy this season and may have to miss some time in the playoffs.