SAN FRANCISCO — Liberty standout Jonquel Jones was unflinching in the face of their tough defeat against Seattle on Thursday night, refusing to offer up excuses.
When a reporter hinted that the team’s fluctuating lineups might have played a role in the Liberty’s 16 turnovers, which the Storm capitalized on for 15 points, Jones didn’t bite.
“We just need to be more focused,” Jones remarked following New York’s 99-88 setback. “By now, we’ve logged plenty of practice, had our shootarounds, and spent time building team chemistry. I’m not here to make excuses for us—we simply have to perform better. That’s all there is to it. It’s not about practice reps, playing time, or any of those factors. It’s about showing heart and playing with real passion.”
The Liberty, currently struggling after dropping three of their last four matchups, will conclude their four-game road stint on Sunday against the Golden State Valkyries.
Throughout their recent games, a sense of complacency has occasionally crept in, with a tendency to match their level of play to that of their opponents.
Effort and focus has waned.
That hasn’t bode well for the Libs, who suffered disappointing losses against the Portland Fire, Washington Mystics, Los Angeles Sparks and Storm.
Playing down to an opponent shouldn’t be an issue for the Valkyries.
But the Liberty have to be prepared for the smothering team defense the Valkyries possess.
Led by All-Star candidate Gabby Williams, Golden State is coming off back-to-back wins against the Atlanta Dream, including Friday night’s 78-75 rock fight.
And Williams said she believes Friday night’s showing was proof that Golden State is ready to knock down another contender.
“We knew that Atlanta was really going to go after us after that first game and I think it’s going to be something similar with New York,” Williams said. “We know how bad New York wants this after seeing what happened with them in Seattle. And so just expecting that they’re going to want to throw that first punch, and I think the way we handle tonight, that gives me confidence that we can handle New York on Sunday.”
Consider that a warning shot directed at the Liberty.
The Valkyries already demolished the Libs once this season, defeating them 87-70 at the start of their Brooklyn homestand. In that loss, turnovers, missed shots and poor execution on defense were major factors in the Liberty’s demise.
New York’s defense has improved immensely since May 21, when the Liberty were without Leonie Fiebich, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Sabrina Ionescu.
All three are back.
Fiebich has been on a tear over the past four games, averaging 15.8 points on 55.6 percent shooting, including 59.1 percent from deep.
This month, Jones bolstered her own All-Star case, shooting 79.3 percent in the restricted area and 44.9 percent from behind the arc. She’s averaging 17 points and 9.1 rebounds in June.
Breanna Stewart, who sat out the Storm loss to rest, is expected to be back in the mix.
Meanwhile, Sabrina Ionescu hasn’t found her footing in the Liberty’s flow offense and hasn’t looked her best defensively since returning from back soreness.
But what better time for Ionescu to have a breakout performance than in the Bay Area, where her roots lie?
On Friday night, Ionescu had her high school gym in Orinda, Calif., named in her honor.
On Sunday night, she’ll have a chance to torment the Valkyries, who would be more than happy to one day bring the Bay Area native home.