Jonquel Jones is on the cusp of her long-awaited Liberty return

Sandy Brondello heard just what she wanted to hear from Jonquel Jones on Tuesday. 

Her star center said she is feeling “99.9999999999999999 percent” back to full health after the Liberty’s practice at Barclays Center. 

Yes, she listed 16 decimal places, which seemingly leaves little room for error prior to Jones’ confirmed return for the Liberty’s first game after the All-Star break, July 22 against the Fever at Barclays Center. 

“Good. Love that,” Brondello said upon hearing the news about Jones. “I was hopeful. We’ve missed her and now it’s about ramping her up. She hasn’t played for quite some time, but just her impact will give confidence for everybody.” 

The 2024 Finals MVP participated in five-on-five work for the first time Saturday after being sidelined for eight games with an aggravated right ankle injury suffered after driving to the rim and landing awkwardly in a game against the Mercury on June 19. She suffered an initial ankle injury June 5 that kept her out of two games. 

Jones was given a timeline of four to six weeks, leaving the Liberty defense to falter without a big center presence as well as an important offensive piece in the paint and from beyond the arc. 

Without Jones in that stretch, the Liberty went 4-4 and five of those games were without fellow starter Leonie Fiebich, who was playing in the Eurobasket for Germany. Jones has only played in nine games this season, averaging 12.1 points and 9.6 rebounds. 

Now, the 2021 MVP said she is feeling “great” and doesn’t really feel her ankle when playing. Yet, warming up is “the hardest part.” 

“Obviously, just getting everything moving mobility-wise. But once I’m warm, I feel great,” she said. “I feel like we’ve done a really good job keeping my conditioning levels really high. I’ve been lifting and conditioning almost every day. I played a lot of five-on-five (Monday) and I felt really good. So, I’m really not worried about that part of it.” 

Jones went on to describe her recovery, which involves the weight room followed by conditioning and basketball work on the court. 

Before leaving, she is back in the treatment room for “hands on” ankle work prior to getting taped up on the way out. 

“It sounds like a little bit, but it’s a long time in the gym,” Jones said. “I’m doing more stuff in the gym right now than I would do if I was playing. So I cannot wait to get back on the court.” 

Given the progress, Jones isn’t taking time off during All-Star weekend. She will be flying home to the Bahamas along with a few Liberty coaches and practice players. 

“I’m still going to be working out and making sure I’m building towards playing after the All-Star break,” she said. “So, while I’ll be home, I’m definitely still going to be in the gym a lot.” 

Jones, who has been named an All-Star in five of the past seven seasons, including 2024, was initially “pissed” for not receiving the honor when the starters were announced June 30. 

There’s no minimum games played requirement to be named an All-Star, but Jones knew her injuries were a big factor. She didn’t make the 12-player reserve list either, which is determined by WNBA head coaches. 

On Tuesday, she seemed to have accepted that what was once one of her personal goals for the season was scrapped. 

“I don’t think there’s anybody on the list that made the All-Star team this year that I’m just like, ‘They don’t deserve to be there,’” Jones said. 

She isn’t sure if she will tune in to the game Saturday, saying she is a “playing it by ear type of person.”