The Phoenix Mercury won the second game comfortably, putting pressure back on the New York Liberty. The 86-60 loss at the Barclays Center was shocking for the defending champions, but Jonquel Jones looked confident after the loss and warned the opposition for the remaining game.
She has a reason to be confident in the team. Breanna Stewart showed positive intention before the game and played with an injury, and the Liberty won the first game at the PHX arena.
Jonquel Jones Warns The Phoenix Mercury
Breanna Stewart and Natasha Cloud praised the Barclays Center crowd and were confident they would close the series early. But the Phoenix Mercury looked more desperate for the win and even had a 15-0 run in the second quarter. They eventually closed the game with a 26-point win.
Sandy Brondello pinpointed the turnovers as the main issue for the loss and even hoped for a strong response from her team. Jonquel Jones was confident despite the loss and said that there is no need to panic.
“The vibe is, the season isn’t over. The vibe is, we got game 1. We have the opportunity to go play another game and win another game… We know what it’s gonna take, and there’s definitely no panic,” Jones said in a press conference.
Jonquel: "the vibe is that the season isn't over…we have the opportunity to win another game, we have the experience and we know what it's gonna take. There's definitely no panic here."
— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) September 18, 2025
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Incidentally, Alyssa Thomas also showed similar confidence in her game and team after a loss in game one. She had a chance to win the game, possibly, but Thomas was unfazed by the missed opportunity and remained focused on the next game. Perhaps a similar technique will help the defending champions win the elimination game.
Jonquel Jones Struggles In Opening Two Games
The 2024 WNBA finals MVP had been a key player in the team’s success. During her time with Liberty, she controlled the paint region and contributed to the offensive end. But the Mercury team managed to keep her quiet in both games played so far in the series.
She scored 14 points in two games and collected 25 rebounds. Given the Phoenix Mercury’s strong forward lineup, the Liberty needed a more productive performance from the former MVP.
With Breanna Stewart struggling through injury, the 6-foot-6 center will need to step up her game to challenge the powerful Mercury team.