Although the New York Liberty’s final first-half game against the WNBA’s No. 2-seeded Connecticut Sun provided ample theater, so too does a prolonged All-Star break ahead.
Accounting for the All-Star Game and 2024 Paris Olympics, the team won’t play another organized WNBA matchup until Aug. 15, a full 30 days away from practices and a league-best winning rate.
Unlike many squads, though, the Liberty have sufficient star power to stay connected despite an absence from Brooklyn.
In fact, during Saturday’s 20th annual All-Star Game — pitting the league’s best against the players ready to don the stars and stripes for Team USA — Libs forward Jonquel Jones will square off against Olympic teammates Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart.
That intra-team matchup has generated some lighthearted competition.
“[Jones] said she wanted to block my shot,” Ionescu said with a laugh. “I said I wasn’t going to be shooting over her. I don’t want to give her any opportunity to block it.”
Jones, a five-time All-Star who also partook in the 2021 All-Stars vs. Olympians contest, sensed a different energy during the first year of the distinct format.
“It felt more serious starting in the beginning,” Jones said. “It felt like, ‘Oh yeah, we want to go win this.’ I feel like Team USA kind of had that idea, like, ‘We don’t want them to win because we want to prove that we are the premier USA players that are going to go and represent the USA.’ ”
with Stewart. Getty Images
During that 2021 matchup, Jones — then with the Sun — poured in 18 points, 14 rebounds and three steals to propel the WNBA All-Stars past Team USA, 93-85.
On the other side three years ago, Stewart, the Liberty’s two-time MVP, mentioned extra intensity surrounding Olympic training, especially facing imposing tune-up competition.
“Thursday with Team USA, that practice is not an All-Star practice,” Stewart said. “That’s a practice so we can continue to get better, because we don’t have that many. We’re not used to losing.”
Paris. Getty Images
With Saturday’s All-Star Game featuring household stars like A’ja Wilson, Diana Taurasi, Stewart — plus rookie dynamos Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese — players recognize another stepping stone for the surging popularity of women’s basketball.
“Every All-Star [Game], I feel like, is just getting bigger and bigger and bigger,” Ionescu said. “I’m excited to see what this one has to hold, and how we can continue to grow the game.”
No matter who prevails at Phoenix’s Footprint Center, site off the All-Star Game, the Liberty’s three centerpiece players are eager to extend their ordinary intensity — while remembering the significance of international competition to come.
“We go out there, we play hard, but we also try to stay safe,” Jones said. “Understand that we have a season to play later on, and the Olympians have really big goals that they’re going up for. Just playing hard, but also being smart.”