Liberty trying to unlock another Jonquel Jones level off the bounce in new offense

Breanna Stewart swooped in to set a screen for Jonquel Jones on the Liberty’s second possession of Wednesday’s game.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA.

Nyara Sabally got stuck, Jones drove by, taking two dribbles before laying it in.Jones has built a reputation on her versatility.The 2021 league MVP and 2024 Finals MVP is an elite rim protector.

She drains 3-pointers at an efficient rate and can pass.She uses her size and strength to her advantage inside.But Liberty coach Chris DeMarco believes there’s another level to Jones’ game that has yet to be unlocked.

And her dominant 22-point, 17-rebound performance in the Liberty’s 97-82 win against the Toronto Tempo was a glimpse of that.“Her shooting, obviously, is a concern for other teams,” DeMarco said after Friday’s practice, “so they want to get out there, gives her the ability to drive and as long as we have the proper spacing, she can do a lot of things off the bounce.We’re trying to grow that part of her game this year.”DeMarco wants Jones to attack the basket more often.

Her strong drives to the rim can either result in a layup or collapse a defense, which leads to an opportunity for someone else on the floor.Jones said the spacing of the Liberty’s offense allows her to be a more aggressive driver.“It’s probably the first time in a very long time that I’ve been able to play coming off of screens and stuff, like the last time I did that was probably before I left Connecticut,” she said.“And so to be able to get back into that and feel comfortable again and really working it into my individual workouts and stuff like that, so that when I do get out on the court, I feel that too but just not panicking when I get down there, I see guards waiting on me, taking that extra dribble, I think has been really good for me, too.“Normally, I’d pick it up a little bit earlier, s...