If the Liberty were going to have a player win the 2024 WNBA Finals MVP award, it wouldāve bšeen odd ifā anyone else walked home with the trophy.
Still, Jonquel Jones has been snubbedš before in her two WNBāA Finals series losses with the Connecticut Sun.
However, after Jones averaged 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds in the five-game series, commissioner Cathy Engelbert called out the five-time All-Star for the honor after the Liberty clinched their first franchise title with a 67-62 Game 5 overtime victory ovešr the Lynx on Sunday.
It took four WNBA Finals appearances for Jones to earn her first title anšd her first Finals MVP award in her nine-year career.
āYāall know my story, yāall know how many times Iāve been denied it, but it was delayed thatās all it was,ā Jones said as she accepted the award on the ācourt in front of a sellout crowd at Barclays Center.
In her six seasons with the Sun, Jones went on two runs to the WNBA Finals and earned the 2021 MVP awašrd.
Despite losing in the finals to the Washington Mystics in 2019 and to the Las Vegas Aces in 2022, Jones made a case for MVP in both series by averaging 19.2 points and 11 reboundsš„, and 16 points, respectively.
After her 17 points and six rebounds in Game š¤”š5 helped lead the Liberty to victory, Jones finally has the trophy.
āIām just rešally happy. Iām really just trying to take in the moment and just enjoy every aspect of it,ā Jones said. āIām just up here smiling, thanking Jesus and thanking my teammates.ā
The Freeport, Bahamas native left her family behind to move to Maryland in pursuit of a career in basketballš¦¹ and she eventually landed with George Washington for her collegiate career. š ;
She was drafted sixth overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks before she was traded to the Sun and later joining the Liberty alongside Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu to form the superteam in 2023.
After the victory, the Liberty said they want a championship parade and the nextź§ WNBA exhibition game in the Bahamas for Jones.
āIām just really proud of JJ,ā head coach Sandy Brondello said Sunday. āI love coaching her. I just love her personality, how she brings it every single day. She was big for us and it wasnāt a pretty game today. … Usually I donāt like to play her 42 minutes but she just stayed, competing, because thatās how important it was. She knew how she needed to help us.ā