Jonquel Jones leads Liberty rally past Caitlin Clark-less Fever in her first game back from injury

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters

It wasn't easy or always pretty. But Jonquel Jones' return to the New York Liberty Tueday night was a success. 

Jones had missed nine straight games after aggravating a sprained right ankle on June 19. The former MVP and 2024 Finals MVP returned Tuesday night to lead the Liberty in scoring and rebounding as New York rallied past and Indiana Fever team playing without Caitlin Clark for a 98-84s win. 

Jones opened the game's scoring with a catch-and-shoot corner 3 in the first minute. 

She then proceeded to miss the rest of her first-half field goal attempts in a 1-for-7 start from the floor, clearly still rusty from her long layoff. 

A Fever team playing without Clark took a 46-42 lead into halftime over the reigning WNBA champions and extended that edge to 67-60 late in the third quarter. 

But Jones rediscovered her stroke. And New York's defense held Indiana scoreless for a 4:50 stretch to seize control of the game. Indiana didn't score again in the third quarter after taking its 67-60 lead with with 2:24 remaining. The Liberty ended the quarter on a 9-0 run for a 69-67 lead entering the fourth.

New York extended that run to 13-0 in the fourth quarter before Indiana's scoring drought ended 2:26 into the fourth quarter with a Natasha Howard free throw. By then, New York's lead had extended to 73-66, and the Liberty never relinquished control. 

Jones hit multiple 3-pointers during the run and finished the night with 18 points and nine rebounds to lead the Liberty in both categories. She shot 5 of 13 from the field, including a 3-of-7 effort from long distance. 

Jones' effort overcame a 29-point performance from Indiana's Kelsey Mitchell, who took on a larger-than-usual role on offense with Clark sidelined by a groin injury that she aggravated before the All-Star break.