Jonquel Jones has been a driving force behind Liberty’s success

The New York Liberty continue to be one of the most dangerous teams in the WNBA. Last season, they fell in the WNBA Finals to the Las Vegas Aces but have come back this season looking as strong as ever. A large factor in that strong start has been the play of Jonquel Jones.

Through the team's first 13 games, she has averaged 15.5 points. But in the 11 Liberty wins, she averaged 17.1 points. In their two losses, she has averaged just six points. Stopping Jones might be the key to stopping this Liberty squad, but it's easier said than done.

The 2021 MVP is looking like she is in the best shape she's been in since repping New York across her chest.

While she has been steadily scoring this season, her defensive impact is just as large. Jones is a suffocating one-on-one defender, just ask Angel Reese, but also a great weakside shot-blocker and disruptor in the middle of the floor. She pairs all that with the ability to step out to the 3-point line and stretch the floor, making the Liberty that much harder to guard.

In their biggest win of the season, Jones led the Liberty past the previously undefeated Connecticut Sun. While going up against her former team, Jones came up big, scoring 22 points with 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks. She also knocked down the big 26-foot shot to put New York up six with 3:23 left in the game. She then responded again with a 3-pointer with 1:15 left to put the Liberty up four.

Jones was too much for the Sun to handle, and her surging game style gave them their first loss of the season and put the Liberty in another Commissioners Cup championship game.

The Liberty played six games in 10 days, ending on Sunday with the last Commissioners Cup matchup against the Washington Mystics. Throughout that entire stretch, they were undefeated.

Against Washington, Jones scored a season-high 29 points with 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. She shot 11-for-15 on the night and only missed one shot in the fourth quarter.

Jones has been impeccable down the stretch in tight games for the Liberty. She did it against the Sun and did it again against the Mystics.

While teams are double-teaming and trapping Breanna Stewart, Jones has shown she can step right up and shoulder the load at both ends. Even though the duo of Stewie and Sabrina get most of the media attention, Jonquel Jones is as important as anyone to the Liberty right now.