After a physical Game 1 defeat, Jonquel Jones looks to recapture her dominant form to counter Angel Reese’s impact in the semifinal series.
The scoreboard in Atlanta told a grim story for the New York Liberty, but for Jonquel Jones, the loss was personal. As the final buzzer sounded on a 92-82 defeat, it was clear that Round 1 of this semifinal series belonged entirely to Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream.
Reese commanded the floor with the intensity of a newly crowned Defensive Player of the Year. finishing with 17 points on 60 percent shooting. Her impact went beyond the box score; she was physical. vocal. and relentless. pulling down seven rebounds while recording four steals and three blocks. Her energy set the tone, forcing the Liberty into a game played strictly on Atlanta’s terms.
New York never consistently unlocked Jones, who finished with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting. While she managed a game-high 11 rebounds. three assists. and five blocks. the offensive rhythm that defined her first-round success against Minnesota was missing. The disparity was stark: while Atlanta turned the Liberty’s 21 self-inflicted turnovers into 32 points. New York struggled to establish a consistent interior presence.
“I have to get back into that Game 2 mindset that I had against Minnesota,” Jones said after the loss. “Maybe just crashing and trying to make things happen, be a little bit more physical in that sense. Yeah, just try to affect the game a little bit more defensively.”
That earlier performance—a 21-point, 13-rebound masterclass—remains the blueprint for what the Liberty need. Sabrina Ionescu. who scored 27 points on 50 percent shooting but managed only one assist against five turnovers. knows her own role in that recovery. “I need to find a way to get everyone else in better positions,” Ionescu said. “I had one assist, so I think I got to find ways to get JJ going a little bit more… and that’s my job, and I’m going to do that next game.”.
The relationship between the two is a primary engine for New York’s offense. When Ionescu finds Jones rolling and sealing, the floor opens up for the entire roster. But the margin for error is razor-thin. Atlanta has built their playoff identity on being the league’s peskiest defense. currently forcing opponents into an average of 21 turnovers per game.
For the Liberty, the path forward is binary. If Jones recovers the aggression that dismantled the Lynx, the entire formula of the series shifts. If she cannot find a way to navigate the physical gauntlet Reese is laying down in the paint. the Liberty’s path to the WNBA Finals will close just as quickly as it began.
Jonquel Jones Angel Reese WNBA playoffs New York Liberty Atlanta Dream Sabrina Ionescu