In the wild, wild world of women’s basketball, the 2024 WNBA Finals felt like a Hollywood blockbuster—the kind where you know who the hero is, but somehow, the villain still keeps you guessing. And in this case, the villain was more like a lovable, misunderstood character that everyone couldn’t help but root for. Enter Jonquel Jones.
The New York Liberty finally broke through, bagging their first-ever championship by taking down the Minnesota Lynx in a five-game slugfest. And the person who put the team on her back? Finals MVP Jonquel Jones, of course. Her 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game were the basketball equivalent of a mic drop—especially considering her teammates Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu were suddenly allergic to making shots. But it was all good, because Jones was dialed in, hitting 56.1% of her shots like she had cheat codes activated, and dropping three-pointers at a smooth 42.9%. Spoiler alert: That’s ridiculous.
So, while the world was basking in Jones’ well-deserved glow, she decided to switch things up. Instead of soaking in all the applause, she hopped on Flau’jae Johnson’s podcast, “Best of Both Worlds with Flau’jae,” and tossed out some flowers. Not for herself, mind you, but for the next-gen phenoms Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. And she did it with the grace of a veteran and the bite of someone who knows a thing or two about being underrated.
“I’m proud of ya’ll when I’m watching ya’ll do what ya’ll doing,” Jones said, oozing that big-sister energy, before adding, “You and Angel and Caitlin… Ya’ll really are elevating women’s basketball, and I feel like we gotta make sure we give ya’ll flowers, too.”
Hold up. Jonquel Jones, Finals MVP, the one who just torched defenses all season long, is hyping up rookies? That’s like LeBron James handing out MVP votes to rookies during the playoffs. But hey, that’s Jonquel for you. She’s seen the game evolve from the sidelines to the front lines, and she’s giving the new kids on the block their due respect.
And why not? Caitlin Clark, the sharpshooter from Iowa, and LSU’s star duo of Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson basically turned the NCAA into must-see TV in 2023, with Reese and Johnson’s Tigers snatching the National Championship from Clark’s Hawkeyes in a game that felt more like a cultural event than a basketball contest. The rivalry between these young stars has already made its mark, and apparently, Jones—like the rest of us—is here for the drama.
But don’t get it twisted. Jones wasn’t just fangirling on the podcast. She was making a point—these rookies, now with the Indiana Fever (Clark) and Chicago Sky (Johnson and Reese), are the future. And if anyone understands the grind of building a career from the ground up while still moving the culture, it’s Jonquel. After all, she’s been doing it for eight years, and she finally has the hardware to prove it.
Still, hearing Jones shout out these rookies was like watching a teacher praise students for turning in homework they didn’t think was due until next week. It was both sincere and a little bit like, “Enjoy this spotlight while you can, because I’m still running this league.”
As Jones signed off from the podcast, her message was clear: Women’s basketball is in good hands, but those hands better stay ready—because Jonquel Jones isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The rookies may be the future, but for now, the league still belongs to Jones and the Liberty. And anyone who doubts that can just check the box score from the Finals.
So here’s to Jonquel Jones, the Finals MVP who knows how to win, and also how to give credit where it’s due—just don’t expect her to hand over the crown anytime soon.
