Jonquel Jones' Liberty struggle in clutch after losses
Jonquel Jones and the New York Liberty are stuck in a clutch-time slide after back-to-back losses to the Minnesota Lynx and Toronto Tempo, dropping to 13-11 and the No. 8 seed. A -3.0 clutch net rating—the Liberty’s first negative mark since Jones arrived—plus Leonie Fiebich’s foot injury have left New York fighting for playoff breathing room.
Key Takeaways
- Jonquel Jones posted a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double in the Lynx loss, her ninth of the season, but New York still fell 90-85.
- The Liberty’s 2026 clutch net rating sits at -3.0, well below 13.9 (2023), 25.6 (2024) and 8.6 (2025).
- Leonie Fiebich is sidelined with left foot soreness; MRI second opinions are ongoing and it is not a fracture.
- New York is 13-11 and eighth in the WNBA standings, with a recent 2-7 stretch over nine games.
- First-year coach Chris DeMarco has already used 11 different starting lineups amid injuries and experimentation.
Why can’t Jonquel Jones and the Liberty close out games?
Five of New York’s last seven losses have been decided by single digits. That clutch fade is new in the superteam era that began when Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones arrived in 2023.
According to The IX Sports, the Liberty’s clutch net rating—last five minutes, within five points—is -3.0 in 2026, their lowest and first negative mark since Jones joined. After a Commissioner’s Cup title on June 29, New York went 1-3 with a -0.9 net rating and a 19.4 turnover percentage.
On the road weekend covered by amNewYork, the Liberty erased large deficits against Minnesota and Toronto yet still lost 90-85 and 93-91. Sabrina Ionescu scored 25 and 28 points in those games, while Stewart’s late contested look fell short in Montreal.
How much does Leonie Fiebich’s absence hurt Jonquel Jones?
Fiebich’s left foot soreness surfaced after New York’s July 3 win over the Lynx—the Liberty’s only victory since the Cup. She stayed in Brooklyn while the team traveled to Minneapolis; coach Chris DeMarco said imaging showed no fracture and that a second opinion was underway.
On-off numbers underscore the gap. With Fiebich on the floor, New York’s net rating is 8.13 versus 1.10 without her, and opponent three-point shooting jumps from 28.57% to 35.58%. Analyst Nekias Duncan noted she eases defensive pressure on Jonquel Jones in the paint and on Stewart elsewhere. Satou Sabally also remains out as she begins reconditioning.
Are the Liberty’s championship hopes slipping out of reach?
As of mid-July standings, New York sits eighth at 13-11, 5.5 games behind the Minnesota Lynx. Yahoo Sports reported a 2-7 mark over the last nine games, including drops to contenders and to Toronto and Seattle.
DeMarco has already deployed 11 starting lineups and stressed flexibility with Fiebich and Sabally in and out. Stewart tied rebounding issues in the zone to personnel and box-outs. For more celebrity sports fallout, see BlasterPost Celebrity Breaking News.
The Liberty still have All-Star break breathing room, but clutch execution, ball security and wing health—especially around Jonquel Jones’ frontcourt load—will decide whether eighth seed becomes a temporary dip or a lasting problem.