What a way to start off the 2025 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) season for Bahamian professional player Jonquel ‘JJ’ Jones and the defending champions, New York Liberty.
The team hung its first championship banner in the rafters and presented players with their WNBA championship rings before a 92-78 victory over the Las Vegas Aces at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday.
Jones, the 2024 WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP), was special in the team’s season opener. She powered her way to 17 points, a team-high 10 rebounds, and added six assists and a block in 30 minutes of play.
She was also efficient in her efforts, shooting 6-for-12 on field goals and 4-for-6 at the free throw line.
Breanna Stewart, the 2023 league MVP, pitched in a team-high 25 points, and added eight boards and three dimes. She shot 10-for-14 from the field and was a perfect 5-for-5 at the charity stripe.
Natasha Cloud, who was acquired from the Connecticut Sun in the offseason, scored 22 points and was one assist shy of a double-double with nine assists in 33 minutes of action.
The reigning champions got the edge on their long-time rival once again, this time in the 2025 season opener. It was New York’s first game against the Aces since defeating them 3-1 in the semifinals of last year’s WNBA playoffs.
After falling behind by one at the end of the first period, 20-19, New York asserted their dominance in the second quarter, outscoring the Aces, 28-13.
Jones assisted on a layup by Cloud at the 3:30 mark of the second quarter to give her team a 36-25 lead. The double-digit advantage blossomed to a 14-point cushion, 47-33, at the halftime mark.
The 2024 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson helped her team to shave down the double-digit deficit early in the second half.
She knocked down a pull-up jumper at the 6:46 mark of the third quarter that trimmed the Libs’ lead to just six, 53-47.
Jones closed out the third with a layup, and the champions led, 63-58, at the end of three.
Jones once again hit a timely layup in the fourth quarter, placing New York in the driver’s seat at 83-72. The Aces never recovered.
Wilson capped off her season debut with a game-high 31 points, 16 rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes of play.
New York’s efficient shooting and inside presence was the difference maker on Saturday.
The Liberty shot 48.6 percent from the field and held the Aces to 34.1 percent shooting. Additionally, the Liberty dominated the points in the paint, 56-32.
With New York’s first championship banner hanging at the Barclays Centre, the team will certainly look to add another at the end of this season.
The team defeated the Minnesota Lynx 3-2 in the 2024 WNBA Finals and Jones took home the MVP honors.
They will return to action on Thursday night at 8 p.m., taking on the Chicago Sky at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois.