New York Showed Up In A Big Way

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Jonquel Jones of the Liberty has played in more Finals games than anyone else on the team. Despite Breanna Stewart’s impressive track record, she had never lost a game in a championship series before this year. It’s interesting to note that while Stewart has a lot of experience on basketball’s biggest stages, she has never experienced being in a difficult situation. However, her teammate, Jones, understands what it’s like to be down 0-2 and be considered the underdog. “We need to prove ourselves,” Jones told reporters before Game 3 on Sunday. Although she hasn’t won a championship yet, she appeared like a true champion in New York’s 87-73 victory over the Aces, preventing a series sweep.

And really, a sweep wasn’t an option, was it? We didn’t wait all summer for that, did we? These teams are too evenly matched and exciting to have such a predictable ending. The Liberty managed to survive despite poor performances from Sabrina Ionescu, Jones, and Stewart in the regular season series against the Aces—I witnessed this firsthand. It just didn’t seem possible that they were doomed from the beginning. The Aces’ dominance in the first two games led to speculation that Sabrina Ionescu is a massive fraud. However, I find this argument lacking in excitement. It’s not a groundbreaking observation to say that Ionescu struggles on defense. The reason why people had faith in the Liberty was not because Ionescu would magically become a lockdown defender, but because their frontcourt players are versatile enough to compensate for her shortcomings.

New York’s guards have had difficulty containing Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young in this series, so coach Sandy Brondello made a clever adjustment. The Liberty placed Betnijah Laney on Young to counter her size and speed, while assigning Stewart to defend Chelsea Gray. Despite her poor shooting in the playoffs, Stewart’s defensive abilities—she was named to the All-Defensive first team shortly before Sunday’s game—compensated for her offensive struggles. Her long wingspan troubled Gray, cutting off passing lanes and forcing her into tough shots. This matchup also limited the Gray-A’ja Wilson pick-and-roll, effectively neutralizing two Aces with one strategy.

As for Wilson’s offense, she finished with a 4-of-16 shooting performance and expressed disappointment during the postgame interview. However, Jones defended Wilson superbly, delivering a 27-point performance of her own while showcasing her defensive skills with eight rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Jones was a force to be reckoned with, challenging Wilson at the rim and providing smart help defense for the Liberty guards. Brondello praised Jones for her contributions, particularly her shot-blocking, ability to disrupt shots, and willingness to defend guards despite her size. It’s worth mentioning that the outcome of this series ultimately hinges on the performance of the guards, even if some of them are masquerading as bigs.

The new matchups disrupted what was working for the Aces, although Becky Hammon believed it didn’t fully account for their loss. She stated, “I don’t think that should have resulted in a 40-point decrease in our score.” Stewart defending Gray reminded me of an adjustment made in last year’s Finals when the Sun assigned the long-limbed DeWanna Bonner to guard Gray, which led to four turnovers. While the Sun avoided a sweep, Gray managed to bounce back in the following game. This time, it might be difficult for Gray to respond. She left Game 3 with a foot or ankle injury, and although Hammon didn’t provide an update postgame, Gray was unable to put weight on her left foot as she headed to the locker room.

Being subjected to baseless criticism is an unfortunate consequence of growth. Michael Wilbon, for some unknown reason, claimed on Friday’s Pardon the Interruption that the Liberty had the worst home-court advantage and spirit in the entire WNBA. However, 17,143 fans proved him wrong and were rewarded with an exciting game. The Liberty’s performance showcased their tactical prowess, with impressive matchups, switches, and screens. But beyond tactics, the game itself was highly entertaining. As Jones hit a turnaround fadeaway over Wilson, I couldn’t help but scribble “She A’ja-ed A’ja!!” in my notes. In the third quarter, when Plum attempted to score near the basket, Jones swiftly blocked her shot into the stands. Soon, everyone was on their feet. The city showed up, and finally, so did its basketball team.