The wait for the Liberty is almost over as Jonquel Jones is close to returning to action.
Photo by Brian Babineau /NBAE via Getty Images
Jonquel Jones has been out since June 19 due to a reaggravated right ankle injury. Since then, the reigning WNBA champions have gone 4-5 as they try to survive without the Finals MVP. Fortunately for them, they won’t have to wait much longer.
At Liberty practice on July 15, Jones took part in 5-on-5 activities with her teammates. Since the injury, she’s been gradually ramping up and working to get back to where she needs to be. She told the assembled media that she will be back for the Liberty’s first game after the break … which is against the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark on July 22 at Barclays. Made for TV.
“We’ve done a really good job keeping my conditioning levels really high,” she told us. “I’ve been lifting and conditioning almost every day. I played a lot of 5×5 yesterday and I feel really good. So, I’m really not worried about that part. I feel really good.”
Throughout her absence, Jones has been working hard in practice to get back up to speed and is with the team on the bench providing guidance and support to her teammates throughout the game.
Jonquel (looking cool as hell) tells Natasha Cloud, “When you coming down in transition, one-on-one, they can’t guard your fucking ass, bro” pic.twitter.com/diJzGsWEkS
— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) July 5, 2025
She joked she’s doing more stuff in the gym out injured than if she was playing, and I asked her about the importance of taking time to herself in the Bahamas during the All-Star break considering how hard she’s working to get back.
“I went back and forth between “did I want to stay here during the break, did I want to go home?” But yeah, I just felt it would be good to get a change of scenery, a change of location, get a little bit of beach time, a little bit family time, all that stuff just to get my mind right coming back into the season.”
When Jones returns, the Liberty will be complete. JJ is a matchup nightmare on both sides of the ball as she can guard just about every position on the court, is a great initiator of offense, helps tremendously on the boards, etc. Jonquel does everything at a high level and will allow the champs the flexibility to experiment even more with various combinations and lineups.
As JJ continues to work her way back, three of her teammates will be heading to Indianapolis for some special festivities.
A busy All-Star Weekend
Photo by Soobum Im/NBAE via Getty Images
All-Star weekend is a time for festivity and celebration in the W. It’s the official midpoint of the season and all of the game’s best players will be under one roof. This year, the party’s heading to Indianapolis, but before the games can begin, Breanna Stewart has a big meeting to attend.
Stewie is a Vice President in the WNBPA and has been an active participant in the negotiations between the league and Players Association. We asked her about the state of the talks earlier this month, and she mentioned that the league has been slow walking them throughout the talks and has been non-responsive to their proposals. The league and PA will be meeting on July 19, and Stewart will be there along with taking part in community events and playing in the game itself on Saturday July 19. It’s a lot to juggle for a player who wears as many hats as Stewart does
“Honestly,” Stewart told me, “this All-Star I’ve said no a lot. “I’ve said no to a lot of things just because I want to be able to, at some point, have some time to kind of relax, be with my family, and actually celebrate the moment of being an All-Star.
But the CBA meeting is an important one. I’m happy it’s on Thursday, honestly, because then it’s like Friday, Saturday is when the madness starts a little bit. So everybody can get in, get to town, get settled, and let’s go meet, and then let’s enjoy the rest of the weekend after that.”
Stewie will get to watch two of her teammates shine on All-Star Friday. Natasha Cloud will make her WNBA Skills Challenge debut as she will compete against Skylar Diggins, Erica Wheeler, Courtney Williams, and last year’s Skills Challenge winner, Allisha Gray. Cloud has done a great job running point for the Liberty this season and is third in the W in assists per game. This invitation is a nice acknowledgement of the work she’s put in this season and throughout her nine year career. Gray will once again pull double duty, and in the main event of the evening, it will be an especially star studded affair.
The last time Sabrina Ionescu participated in a three point contest, it was magical
Sab will make her Three Point Contest return as she faces the 2024 Three Point Contest winner Allisha Gray, Kelsey Plum, Sonia Citron, and Caitlin Clark! The NBA offered Clark a chance to compete in their Three Point Contest during All-Star Weekend this past February, but she declined. She wanted her first three point contest to be with the WNBA, and it works out perfectly that she’ll be making her debut in front of the hometown audience in Indianapolis. Clark is one of the most magnetic players in all of professional sports, and this event promises to be a memorable one.
The party gets started at 8 00 pm Friday night on ESPN. Should be a good one!