Jonquel Jones leads New York Liberty past Indiana Fever with strong return performance
TOI World Desk | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Jul 23, 2025, 21:53 IST
( Image credit : AP )
Jonquel Jones returned after injury. She scored 18 points. New York Liberty beat Indiana Fever 98–84. This was their second win against Indiana. Breanna Stewart and Leonie Fiebich scored 17 points each. Sabrina Ionescu made 13 points and nine assists. Kelsey Mitchell of Fever scored 29 points. Liberty showed strong teamwork. Fever missed Caitlin Clark due to injury.
Jonquel Jones returned from injury in commanding fashion on Tuesday night, scoring 18 points to lead the New York Liberty to a 98–84 victory over the Indiana Fever at Barclays Center. The win marked the Liberty’s second consecutive triumph over Indiana, following a 98–77 result prior to the All-Star break, and improved New York’s season record to 15–6.
Jones, who had been sidelined with an ankle injury since June 19, provided an immediate impact in the frontcourt, helping New York establish control in the paint on both ends of the floor. She was supported by Breanna Stewart and Leonie Fiebich, who each added 17 points, while Sabrina Ionescu and Isabelle Harrison contributed 13 apiece. Ionescu also tallied a team-high nine assists.
Despite missing rookie standout Caitlin Clark for the second straight game due to a groin injury, the Fever started strong. Indiana capitalized on several early Liberty turnovers and held a narrow 46–42 lead at halftime. Kelsey Mitchell stepped up in Clark’s absence, pouring in a game-high 29 points to keep the Fever competitive into the second half.
The Liberty struggled early with their offensive rhythm, with Stewart and Ionescu held to a combined nine points in the first half. But a momentum shift came late in the third quarter when Stewart connected on a crucial three-pointer followed by a driving layup to put New York ahead. That spark carried into the fourth, where Ionescu caught fire, scoring 10 consecutive points to extend the Liberty’s lead into double digits.
Jones anchored the team defensively in the closing stretch, and New York’s depth ultimately wore down the Fever. With this victory, the Liberty solidified their place among the league’s top contenders and showed encouraging signs of cohesion heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
Indiana fell to 12–11 with the loss. The Fever now await further updates on Clark’s recovery timeline as they look to regain momentum in the coming games.