Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu automatically earned spots when they made the United States women’s basketball team for the 2024 Olympics, and forward Jonquel Jones made Team WNBA, the league announced Tuesday night, to mark the fifth selection of her career and her first since joining the Liberty.
Stewart and Ionescu will be appearing in their sixth and third All-Star Games, respectively.
Jonquel Jones of the Liberty handles the ball against the Sparks’ Li Yueru. Michelle Farsi/New York Post
“Last year, it was rough,” Jones told The Post before the Liberty defeated the Lynx, 76-67, at Barclays Center. “Especially, you know, you watch your teammates go and you know that you … can play at that level and have been there numerous times in your career.”
Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello also vouched for guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton to earn a selection, but she didn’t make Team WNBA.
The Fever’s Caitlin Clark and the Sky’s Angel Reese earned selections as rookies, while the Sun’s DeWanna Bonner and Brionna Jones — as well as the Wings’ Arike Ogunbowale and the Storm’s Nneka Ogwumike — cracked The 12-player roster will compete against Team USA before the women’s national team departs for Paris.
Jones has averaged 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists for the Liberty in 2024, with her surge in assists and 3-pointers capturing the latest evolution for the 2021 WNBA MVP.
Last season was all about an adjustment — to a new lineup, to a nagging injury that carried over from the 2022 WNBA Finals — and it took time for Jones to find her rhythm on the superteam.
This year, she has become a focal point of their offense alongside Stewart (19.7 points, 9.2 rebounds) and Ionescu (18.7 points, 6.5 assists), with Jones and Ionescu forming an effective pick-and-roll duo that has become one of the Liberty’s strengths.
“I love her,” Jones said of facing Ionescu in the All-Star Game. “But I’m gonna try to block every shot.”
Breanna Stewart handles the ball during a recent game against the Dream. Michelle Farsi/New York Post
There have been difficult stretches still — including her first two games against the Lynx this season, when she was held to a combined eight points — but Jones also erupted for a career-high 34 points in the Liberty’s WNBA Finals rematch against the Aces.
She led all scorers Tuesday with 21 and collected her seventh double-double.
Jones led the league in field goal percentage entering Tuesday, too.
Sabrina Ionescu handles ball against Kayla McBride during the Liberty’s win over the Lynx. Michelle Farsi/New York Post
And it all culminated with an All-Star Game return.
“Obviously, everyone knows that that’s the type of player that she is,” Stewart said of Jones, “and she’s had an amazing season thus far for us.”
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