CHICAGO — Liberty star Jonquel Jones on Saturday night raised the All-Star MVP trophy above her head, prompting the United Center crowd to cheer even louder.
Moments later, she dedicated the award to her late aunt, Marilyn Anita Knowles.
“Winning the MVP of the All-Star Game means a lot,” Jones said after leading Teresa Witherspoon’s team to a 129-122 victory in front of a WNBA All-Star record crowd of 19,783 fans. “There’s a lot of great players that came before me that did that. … New York means a lot to me and every time I put on the jersey. I know I represent a city that loves the game and the players that came before me that really paved the way, so I think it was a really big thing to come here tonight and play in a way that represents the game well.”
Jones almost didn’t come to Chicago this weekend after earning her sixth All-Star selection this season because her aunt’s memorial service was also Saturday. She talked to her family before deciding to play and found peace knowing she would be there when they spread her aunt’s ashes.
“My aunt meant a lot to me,” said Jones, who fondly remembers watching her aunt cook. “She was one of the matriarchs in our family and I remember so many wonderful parties, family parties and family reunions that happened at her house and she was so willing to bring everyone together.”
In her sixth All-Star game and first since 2024, Jones tallied 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists off the bench. She will receive a prize of $20,000 USD for being named the best player in the game as well as a bonus of $15,000 USD for participating in the game.
Fever star Caitlin Clarke paid tribute to Jones, who was her team-mate at the weekend.
“JJ is incredible and such a good soul,” Clark said. “She’s a good person, very down to earth. She’s funny, and kind.”
Jones is the fourth player in league history to win MVP honors in the regular season, Finals and All-Star Game, joining Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker and Maya Moore.
Liberty’s other player, Breanna Stewart, finished with six points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for Cynthia Cooper-Dyke.
“It was weird,” Jones said of playing against Stewart. “At the game, I hit a shot and said, ‘Yes, Stewie.’ And everyone was looking [at me] And I was like, “Oh, we’re on a different team.” So it was a little awkward but at the end of the day, she’s an All-Star and it’s a great accomplishment, and she’s someone that I’ve built a relationship with…and she really embodies what it means to be a leader, what it means to be a superstar in our league and what it means to be a great human being.
As inconsistent officiating remains a hot topic in the WNBA, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced a major investment that could help combat some of the ongoing issues.
The WNBA is set to launch a central replay center at the start of next season, Engelbert said Saturday before the All-Star Game.
Engelbert said the league will take advantage of the NBA’s Replay Center in Secaucus, New Jersey, allowing the WNBA to review replay situations in real time during games.
“This is one of the most significant investments we have ever made in our basketball operations,” Engelbert said. “This tens of millions of dollars investment will help bring greater consistency, efficiency and transparency to our refereeing process while continuing to improve the quality of the game.”
Engelbert said the league is still finalizing operational details for the replay center.
It was not immediately known whether the infrastructure for the eight non-NBA arenas that WNBA teams currently call home would need to be rewired to handle Sony’s Hawk-Eye innovations, which the NBA uses.
“We’re really excited about this project and the value it will add to the game,” Engelbert said. “And we’ve had a lot of people working on it behind the scenes to bring it to fruition at the start of next season, so we’ll be sharing more details next month.”
There has been interest for years for the WNBA to implement a “last two minutes” report similar to the NBA’s format, which reviews every call and non-call during the final two minutes of a game.
“It’s another huge allocation of capital to get an L2M report,” Engelbert said. “It’s definitely on the list [things to do] But there is nothing to report.
Engelbert said the NBA has ended its years-long investigation into whether the Las Vegas Aces violated the league’s salary cap rules — at least for now.
“There is insufficient evidence at this time to prove a salary cap fraud violation,” Engelbert said.
No discipline will be recommended or imposed, Engelbert said.
“Of course, if new or additional evidence emerges, we will continue the investigation,” she added. “But the integrity of our game is No. 1.”
The WNBA launched an investigation in May 2024 after the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority said it would pay each Aces players $100,000 per year for two years.
Liberty legend Teresa Witherspoon said she would “absolutely” enjoy another WNBA coaching job.
“Nothing stops the show,” she said. “I’m not the only person in the world that this has happened to. … But there’s one thing about me, which is that it doesn’t hold me back, and nothing holds me back as I move forward.”
Weatherspoon served just one season as head coach of the Chicago Sky. She was fired after the team went 13-27 in 2024.