George Washington Professional Athletes

George Washington in the WNBA | Aug. 16–22, 2026

The week started in alarm and ended in relief for Jonquel Jones — and, by extension, the New York Liberty.

The George Washington alumna exited New York's 93-86 loss to the Chicago Sky on Wednesday after suffering an ankle injury in the game's first quarter. She had managed just five points before leaving the floor, and the timeline for her return was immediately uncertain. Breanna Stewart didn't sugarcoat it afterward, acknowledging the injury hit a Liberty squad already navigating a bruising stretch without Satou Sabally, who remained sidelined indefinitely with concussion issues.

Jones' absence loomed large. New York entered the week in a tight race for playoff positioning, and losing their frontcourt anchor — a former MVP and All-Star — to an injury of unknown severity was about the worst-case scenario at the worst-case time.

But the story took a better turn by Saturday.

Listed as questionable heading into the Liberty's matchup with the Indiana Fever, Jones was ultimately cleared to play — and then some. She delivered 19 points and 10 rebounds in a 109-102 New York win, a double-double that put the Liberty back in the win column and reinforced just how central she is to this team's identity. The performance came roughly three days after she hobbled off the court in Chicago, making the turnaround all the more striking.

The week also carried a notable subplot: a midweek win over the Connecticut Sun in which Jones contributed to what sources described as the Liberty "waking up" after a slow start at Mohegan Sun Arena. Jones had previously authored a memorable farewell performance at that arena — 23 points and 11 rebounds in an 82-75 Liberty victory — though whether that game falls within the immediate lookback window, it underscores the kind of form New York needs from her down the stretch.

For Liberty fans who spent Wednesday night bracing for the worst, the Saturday performance offered a clear exhale. Jones is the kind of player whose presence alone changes a defense's calculus, and with the postseason race tightening, New York can ill afford extended stretches without her on the floor.

The ankle will bear watching. But for now, the GW product has given her team — and its fans — reason to feel good heading into the league's final playoff push.

GW Alumni Report: WNBA | Aug. 9–15, 2026

Jonquel Jones is carrying the New York Liberty into the playoff stretch — and carrying a cloud overhead at the same time.

The George Washington alumna was the decisive force in New York's 82-75 win over the Connecticut Sun on Saturday, posting 23 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double that kept the Liberty rolling at 22-14 on the season. Playing without star guard Sabrina Ionescu — sidelined day-to-day with a tweaked left ankle — New York leaned on Jones to anchor an offense that couldn't afford a shaky performance. She delivered, finishing with a +7 plus-minus in a wire-to-wire team effort.

But it wasn't a solo act. Fellow GW alumna Marine Johannes stepped into the void Ionescu left and provided the decisive punch, keying a fourth-quarter run that broke the game open and sealed the Sun's fate. With a backcourt piece missing, the Liberty found a different gear — and Johannes was the spark plug.

A Week of Consistency

Jones' Saturday effort capped a quietly dominant stretch across four games this week. Against the Las Vegas Aces on Aug. 9, she put up 15 points and 8 rebounds in a blowout 111-71 Liberty win, finishing +19. She followed that with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks in a 106-92 loss to the Indiana Fever on Aug. 11 — one of the few blemishes on New York's recent slate. Then came the Aug. 14 win over the Los Angeles Sparks, where Jones went for 11 points and a monster 18 rebounds, finishing +14 as the Liberty ground out an 85-81 victory. In four games this week: three wins, four double-digit scoring performances, and rebounding numbers that put her among the league's elite frontcourt players.

New York has now won four straight and seven of its last eight. Jones, alongside Breanna Stewart and Ionescu, forms one of the WNBA's most formidable top-three trios — and right now, she's the one doing the heaviest lifting.

The Suspension Watch

The week isn't without controversy. Jones is facing potential WNBA disciplinary action following an incident involving Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham. The league has not yet announced a ruling, but punishment could be coming, according to The Sporting News — a development that would complicate New York's push at exactly the wrong moment in the season.

The timing matters. With the Liberty in contention and jockeying for playoff positioning, any games missed by Jones would be a significant blow to a team already managing Ionescu's health. For now, Jones remains in the lineup and in peak form — but GW fans will be watching the league office closely this week.

Two Colonial alumnae, one urgent stretch run. The Liberty's ceiling may well depend on how both storylines resolve.

When the New York Liberty needed to make a statement in early August, their George Washington alumna delivered — twice.

Jonquel Jones turned in back-to-back standout performances this week as New York swept the Seattle Storm and extended one of the WNBA's hottest stretches. The Liberty have now won five of their last six games, and Jones has been the engine holding it all together.

In Monday's 95-83 opener at Barclays Center, Jones dropped 20 points as the Liberty never trailed. Breanna Stewart led all scorers with 24, and Sabrina Ionescu chipped in 18, but it was Jones providing the steady interior force that kept New York in control from wire to wire. The win pushed the Liberty to 18-13 on the season.

Wednesday's rematch was arguably more impressive. With Seattle scrapping to avoid the sweep, Jones answered with one of the more complete lines of her season: 14 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists in a 92-86 Liberty victory. She finished a blistering +18 in the plus/minus column. It was a performance that transcended the stat sheet — Jones was simultaneously the team's anchor in the paint and its connector in transition, while Stewart poured in 28 to close the deal.

Seattle, for its part, has now dropped 10 straight and owns a 6-27 record. The Storm were little more than a backdrop, but that shouldn't diminish what Jones has done. The Liberty's superstar trio of Stewart, Ionescu, and Jones has been clicking at the right time, and the GW product is making the most unambiguous case for her value as New York eyes a deep postseason run.

For GW alumni watching, there's a genuine case that Jones — often overshadowed by the star power around her — was the most indispensable Liberty this week. Twenty points and seven boards Monday. Fourteen points, fifteen rebounds, and seven assists Wednesday. Back-to-back sweeps sealed. That's not a supporting role; that's a cornerstone performance at the peak of the regular season.