The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

Grand Bahama native Jonquel Jones will make her return to the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Finals with the New York Liberty this Sunday versus the league’s defending champions - the Las Vegas Aces.

The second overall regular season team punched their ticket to the club’s first finals since 2002 after knocking off Jones’ former team, the Connecticut Sun, 3-1 in the semifinals.

The Aces, on the other hand, advanced to the finals for the third time in four years after steamrolling the Chicago Sky and Dallas Wings in consecutive sweeps for this year’s appearance.

The stakes are high for both teams following brilliant showings in their respective conferences.

The leading Eastern Conference team came into the 2023 WNBA season with high expectations following their acquisitions of Grand Bahamian Jones from the Sun and this season’s MVP Breanna Stewart in the offseason.

New York’s top two performers led the dominant team to a franchise best 32-8 win/loss record and a second overall finish to end the season. The sheer dominance of the dynamic duo only continued in the playoffs.

Jones has been phenomenal in the postseason, raising her regular season totals in points, rebounds, assists and blocks.

In the six games played by the Liberty, the forward has collected six consecutive double-doubles which is a new WNBA postseason record. She is averaging 16.5 points per game (ppg), 12.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and is shooting 53.1 per cent from the field.

Her postseason prowess has picked up for the shaky playoff performance by the two-time MVP Stewart.

The Associated Press Player of the Year is averaging 19.8 ppg, along with nine boards.

However, she is shooting an inefficient 35.6 per cent from the field and 20.7 per cent from behind the arc which is well below her regular season numbers.

Nonetheless, since the start of the regular season the two powerhouse women’s teams were projected to meet in the finals and now the Liberty are hoping to raise their first WNBA championship banner at the Barclays Center.

The team will no doubt have their hands full against the league’s defending champions.

The Aces ended the regular season with a league’s best record of 34-6 and have run through the postseason relatively unchallenged. The 2022 MVP A’ja Wilson is averaging a double-double in the playoffs. She has consistently put up 25.8 ppg, 11.2 boards, and is converting field goals on an efficient 59.5 per cent shooting. The two superteams have collided four times in the regular season and split the games 2-2 on their respective home turfs. However, in the fifth meetup the Liberty took down the Aces 82-63 to capture the Commissioner’s Cup title from last year’s winners.

Despite the in-season tournament loss the Aces are attempting to make WNBA history by becoming the first team since the Los Angeles Sparks (2001-2002) to win back-to-back titles.

With history on the line for both clubs, the competition level is expected to skyrocket not only on the court but also on the sidelines.

Aces head coach Becky Hammon and Liberty coach Sandy Brondello both played as WNBA guards and have earned title wins in the women’s league. The sideline showdown is the first time two former WNBA players are coaching against each other in the WNBA finals.

Both teams and WNBA fans are ready to watch the league’s two top teams go head-to-head. Meanwhile, Jones is on the hunt for her first WNBA Championship.

The Aces will have the home court advantage on Sunday as the Liberty travel to Las Vegas, Nevada for game one.

The best-of-five series is set for 3pm at the Michelob ULTRA Arena.