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Jonquel Jones · There aren’t many ways one could go about rewarding a former WNBA Most Valuable Player who already manufactures plays across every area of the New York Liberty’s gray-wooded court. Though, as she paired yet another outstanding two-way showing with a victory, Jonquel Jones wasn’t one to complain about the result to follow: homecourt advantage in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship. Settled into a stretch eerily reminiscent to that of her breathtaking 2021 campaign, the four-time All-Star adds to her wide-ranging defensive highlight reel, flying from one side of the floor to the other to send Jade Melbourne’s layup attempt back to Washington with an emphatic, second-quarter swat. Fused with energy, even during the end of New York’s grueling five-games-in-eight-days stretch, Jones was as pinpoint as one could be, pairing a surgical 29-point presentation (on 11-of-15 shooting) with eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and three 3-pointers. In helping her team survive the Washington Mystics’ grit, Jones — the player of the game during the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup — provided the Liberty with an opportunity to defend their title by virtue of their victory on June 9, 2024. · State of Mint · State of Mint