CHICAGO — On Saturday night, Jonquel Jones expressed sincere regret over a comment she made during the “StudBudz” livestream that gained widespread attention. In an emotional statement, Jones clarified that her words had been misunderstood.
While appearing on the stream hosted by Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, Jones mentioned feeling that the Connecticut Sun was more deserving of the 2019 WNBA Finals win compared to the Washington Mystics. She likened the situation to her belief that the Minnesota Lynx deserved victory over the Liberty in 2024.
The remark quickly went viral, sparking discontent among some Liberty fans who took issue with her statement.
Describing the experience as “a gut punch,” Jones admitted it weighed heavily on her, preventing her from fully enjoying her weekend.
Jones explained that she was out enjoying an evening and was having an unguarded conversation with a friend when she made the remark.
“What I said it didn’t really come out in the way that I meant it,” Jones said moments after winning this year’s All-Star Game MVP. “What I was just saying is that you can have a team that has a lot of chemistry, that is great on paper, that has had a great season and it’s still not enough to get it done and that’s what I was trying to explain to her with that whole clip.
“Obviously we put our hearts out there on the court in 2024, and I wouldn’t want it to finish any other way. I know what it means to our city. I know what it meant to me and every single player that stepped on the court, put their heart into that and so obviously I feel like what I said was taken the wrong way and I’ll take accountability for that as well and understand that I do have a responsibility when I speak to make sure that I’m representing not just myself but our organization in the right way.”
At one point during her answer, Jones, the 2024 Finals MVP, was overcome with emotion and needed to take a moment’s pause to gather herself.
“New York means a lot to me,” she continued through tears. “The organization means a lot to me. Our locker room, our chemistry, what we built, I never wanted to misrepresent that and I just never wanted people to ever feel like I was doing anything other than trying to put my best foot forward for our team, so I apologize.”
The Liberty beat the Lynx in five games to capture the franchise’s first championship. The series ended in controversy when fiery Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said the series “was stolen from us” because of poor officiating.
But Jones set the record straight Saturday that she didn’t mean any harm by the comment she made to the StudBudz.