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New York Liberty star Jonquel Jones is recovering from ankle surgery, the 2024 WNBA Finals MVP revealed via her Instagram Story on Monday.
Jones sprained her ankle twice during a turbulent 2025 season and missed a total of 13 games.
The IX’s Jackie Powell reports that it was a “minor surgery to correct Jones’ right ankle instability” and that she still intends to play for Fenerbahçe in Turkey this winter.
“Surgery done. Officially Day 1 of recovery,” Jones wrote over a video she recorded from her hospital bed, showing her right leg taped up and her father sitting by her side.
Jones told reporters toward the end of the season that she intends to be back with the Liberty next year, though she and most veterans in the league are free agents this year. That includes the Liberty’s other two stars, Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart.
“I have the utmost confidence that they want to be back with us,” Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said of the three after the season.
But Jones’ comments came before New York lost to the Phoenix Mercury in the first round of the WNBA Playoffs and the organization fired head coach Sandy Brondello.
Despite her injuries, Jones still managed to average 13.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 blocked shots per game this season. Those numbers are down slightly from last season and she struggled in the playoffs with the Mercury continuously finding ways to frustrate her. She still got her rebounds, but managed to score just 17 total points over three games. Jones went 1-10 from the field in the Liberty’s season-ending Game 3 loss.
A month after their elimination, the first task for Kolb remains to find a new head coach. The Liberty have requested permission from the Mercury to interview assistant coach Kristi Tolliver and already interviewed Brooklyn Nets assistant Will Weaver (the Nets and Liberty organizations share a home arena and ownership group). Joseph Blair, head coach of the Houston Rockets’ G League club has also interviewed, according to The Athletic’s Ben Pickman.
Russell Steinberg covers Major League Baseball and the New York Liberty for ClutchPoints. A baseball and basketball lifer, he has written for Boardroom, SLAM, SB Nation, The Next, and more. He graduated from NYU in 2012 and still returns to serve as PA announcer and occasional broadcaster for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams.
