Just when the New York Liberty got star center Jonquel Jones back, it looks like they may have lost her again. Jones, who returned to the team on Tuesday after missing nearly two weeks due to injury, exited New York’s home game against the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday, and did not return to the game.
Without Jones at center, the Liberty fell just short of Phoenix, with a 89-81 loss — just the second loss this season for New York.
Advertisement
Advertisement
During the second quarter, Jones went down after an awkward landing, grabbing her right leg. She was helped into the locker room, with the team later saying that she would not return because of a right ankle injury — the same injury that she had just recovered from.
A foul was called against Phoenix guard Sami Whitcomb as a result of the play. After Jones left the court, Liberty forward Isabelle Harrison took the free throws on Jones’ behalf, confirming that Jones would not be returning to the game, per WNBA rules.
Jones rolled her right ankle on June 5, and had to be helped to the locker room then as well. The center missed two games with the injury, including a loss to the Indiana Fever on June 14 that snapped New York’s perfect start to the season.
Advertisement
Advertisement
On Thursday, the Liberty were once again sorely missing Jones, especially on the defensive end. The two teams traded leads before the Mercury were able to pull away slightly in the fourth quarter. With 30 seconds left, New York was down by five with a chance to potentially pull back into a tie, but a few key misses and a few Phoenix free throws gave the Mercury the narrow in.
Breanna Stewart put up a game-high 35 points in the loss, but it wasn’t enough to put the Liberty up over Phoenix. The Mercury ended with 42 rebounds, including 15 offensive rebounds, compared to New York’s 32, with six offensive.
It is unclear how much time Jones might miss as a result of re-aggravating the injury. But losing her may be costly for the Liberty, who are about to go on a tough four-game roadtrip. All four games are against teams in currently in playoff position, starting with the Seattle Storm (currently No. 5 in the standings) on Tuesday.
