{"id":976628,"date":"2026-08-02T22:58:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-02T22:58:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/976628\/"},"modified":"2026-08-02T22:58:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T22:58:26","slug":"why-jonquel-jones-and-breanna-stewart-are-a-historic-duo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/976628\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart are a historic duo"},"content":{"rendered":"

Although Breanna Stewart<\/a> and Jonquel Jones<\/a> were wearing different color jerseys at the WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago just over a week ago, the result was still the same. The two longtime friends and coworkers were there for each other in an important moment.<\/p>\n

Stewart celebrated Jones\u2019 success at center court after Jones was honored with the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game MVP trophy. ESPN\u2019s social media team asked Jones to wear the SportsCenter Top 10 Chain after putting up a 22-point, 13-rebound, and eight-assist performance in the game. Stewart made sure her friend wore it by getting behind Jones to properly place the chain across her neck.<\/p>\n

\u201cAppreciate you dawg,\u201d Jones said<\/a> to Stewart once the necklace was firmly on. The pair shook hands and hugged.<\/p>\n

\u201cC\u2019mon Ellie, let\u2019s get a picture,\u201d Stewart shouted to the New York Liberty\u2019s team mascot who had just observed the moment between her team\u2019s two All-Stars in Jones and Stewart.<\/p>\n

Helping Jones and reveling in her success is something that Stewart has done ever since the two were roommates at the 2016 WNBA draft. They\u2019ve been directly responsible for each other\u2019s success throughout their professional careers.<\/p>\n

Earlier on, it was during overseas seasons played in Yekaterinburg, Russia; however, now it\u2019s been much more visible ever since the two of them made the same bet on the New York Liberty in 2023, wanting so desperately to bring the city its first WNBA championship. And that\u2019s an accomplishment that they achieved together a season later.<\/p>\n

The Jones and Stewart frontcourt partnership has been a staple in New York now in its fourth season, coupled with the star power of homegrown talent Sabrina Ionescu<\/a>. The way the two league MVPs have worked together on and off the court has defined the Liberty\u2019s player-led leadership structure, especially as the 2026 team deals with the turbulent waters that this season has brought them.<\/p>\n

A new<\/a> head coach without league experience, injuries zapping<\/a> their wing depth and a month without<\/a> Ionescu have all been challenges that Jones and Stewart have faced together. Amid all of the turbulence, both Jones and Stewart earned 2026 All-Star nods while playing pivotal roles throughout the Commissioner\u2019s Cup games in June and the Cup championship game played on the final day of the month.<\/p>\n

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Jones averaged<\/a> 17.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists that month, while Stewart averaged<\/a> 19.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Stewart became the first two-time MVP of the Cup championship while the Liberty became the first two-time winners of the mid-season tournament championship game.<\/p>\n

The reason the Jones-Stewart frontcourt partnership works is because of their mutual human regard and how they play the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt works well because it\u2019s like we have a genuine good relationship with one another, you know,\u201d Stewart told The IX Sports in a phone call. \u201cTake time to kind of know each other outside of the court, and really bring that to on the court.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to many voices around the WNBA, it\u2019s their complementary plug-and-play skill sets, ability to read the game, and athleticism that make the duo historic and not quite something the WNBA or even its brother league the NBA has really seen prior.<\/p>\n

Sure, Lisa Leslie<\/a> and Candace Parker<\/a> played together for two seasons from 2008-2009, and Nneka Ogwumike<\/a> and Parker also played together, but those pairs didn\u2019t have the collective size and length that Jones and Stewart have.<\/p>\n

On the NBA side, it\u2019s hard to find two All-Star frontcourt players who played the way these two do for as long as they have together. Both Ionescu and Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco struggled to name an NBA comparison when they were asked. Not one came to mind, even after they were given a good minute or so to think about it.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s unique about this frontcourt?<\/p>\n

\"JonquelNew York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) and New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones (35) defend against Las Vegas Aces center A\u2019ja Wilson (22) during game one of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center on Sep 29, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo Credit: Gregory Fisher | Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon<\/a> has publicly said twice<\/a> that the Liberty were built to \u201ctake out\u201d her Aces. What does she mean by this?<\/p>\n

Hammon\u2019s Aces revolutionized<\/a> the way that WNBA basketball was played by centering their offense around A\u2019ja Wilson\u2019s interior scoring in space to collapse defenses, which opens up driving lanes and 3-point shots for dynamic perimeter players.<\/p>\n

The challenge the Liberty pose to that general principle is that they don\u2019t have just one All-Defensive frontcourt player to guard Wilson, but instead they have two in Jones and Stewart. Also, both frontcourt players have the ability to guard inside and out on the perimeter because of their athleticism and length, allowing them to disrupt the vision and play of the Aces\u2019 guards around Wilson. Stewart\u2019s wingspan is a bit over 7 feet long and Jones\u2019 is over 6\u20199.<\/p>\n

When Hammon spoke recently about the evolution of the Jones and Stewart frontcourt, she specifically mentioned how they too have benefited from the WNBA\u2019s pace and space era. The versatility that both Stewart and Jones have is honored and maximized rather than pushed to the side and used sparingly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can go out on the perimeter and abuse space, or they can abuse space near the rim,\u201d Hammon said. \u201cSo I think even the style of play makes them even more dynamic now than just maybe five, six years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones and Stewart can score from almost anywhere, especially now that Stewart\u2019s 3-point shot is having a resurgence. In Stewart\u2019s past 12 games, she\u2019s shooting 3-pointers at a 43.2% clip, making<\/a> 16 of her 37 most recent attempts from deep.<\/p>\n

Also, their 2026 shot charts show that where one player is less efficient, the other is more efficient. Jones is shooting a hair above 38% from three this season while averaging 4.5 attempts per game, the most in her career since her 2021 MVP season.<\/p>\n

While Stewart\u2019s numbers from three are on the up, her overall clip isn\u2019t what is to be expected of the two-time league MVP. On the flip side, however, Stewart is shooting 57.9% from within eight feet of the rim to Jones\u2019 40.7% according to Courtsketch.com.<\/p>\n

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But when Hammon references abusing space, she does not just mean scoring. Abusing space means where and how Jones and Stewart move and pass and what that does to an opposing defense.<\/p>\n

The gravity of both Jones and Stewart forces opposing frontcourt players to leave the paint but also try to keep up. Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh noted that he believes Stewart is \u201cone of, if not the best cutter\u201d in the WNBA.<\/p>\n

Jones and Stewart are also finding each other in a two-person game much more this season than they have in their previous seasons playing for the Liberty. According to PBP Stats\u2019 Assist Networks visual model, Jones has dished out<\/a> 23 assists to Stewart, and Stewart has 21 assists to Jones in 30 regular season games so far. That\u2019s on pace to beat all of their previous assist patterns to each other since 2023.<\/p>\n

Their collective passing and cutting were on full display in the Liberty\u2019s recent game against the Los Angeles Sparks on July 28. With around six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Jones received a pass from guard Marine Fauthoux<\/a> on the left wing after running in transition following a Stewart defensive stop on the other end.<\/p>\n

Jones looked like she was about to go into her shooting motion when Stewart continued running down the floor. As Jones brought her arms up with the ball in her hands, Sparks guard Ariel Atkins<\/a> went to contest what looked like would be a 3-point shot. Jones then made Atkins take the bait and shifted the ball in her arms to the right, giving Stewart a chance to continue cutting through an open lane.<\/p>\n

The pass was laser-beamed right to where Stewart\u2019s momentum was carrying her. Stewart grabbed the ball and had an easy layup right at the basket as Dearica Hamby<\/a> and Rae Burrell<\/a> were caught ball-watching.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI think we\u2019re able to see how it\u2019s grown every single year,\u201d Ionescu said about the evolution of the Jones and Stewart partnership. \u201cEspecially with [Jones] being a primary ball handler this year, more than she ever has, like that\u2019s been something we haven\u2019t seen, and her passing ability, her ability to get high lows, set screens, inverted pick and rolls.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ionescu continued <\/strong>explaining the damage that is done to opponents when Stewart is the facilitator.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Stewart] brings the ball up, [Jones] can screen for her. <\/strong>It just creates a lot of confusion for the defense when there\u2019s a post in a ball screen, because what do you do? Do you switch, do you stay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Washington Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson had a humorous quip when he was asked what\u2019s made the Jones and Stewart tandem so unique. \u201cHow much time do you have?\u201d he said before launching into a detailed response.<\/p>\n

The Jones and Stewart frontcourt has created an outline for younger teams across the WNBA to follow, aiming to replicate what sets the dynamic apart. The most obvious examples across the league are the rebuilding Seattle Storm, who have Dominique Malonga<\/a> and Awa Fam<\/a>, and the overperforming Mystics, who have a Shakira Austin<\/a> and Kiki Iriafen<\/a> frontcourt.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think to be really good at this in this league, you can\u2019t just be one thing,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cWe talked a lot about our own team and how we want to be key in three. We\u2019re expanding [Austin]\u2019s game, expanding [Iriafen]\u2019s game.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just about the \u2018aura\u2019 they both have<\/p>\n

\"BreannaNew York Liberty guard Breanna Stewart (30) and New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones pose with former NBA guard Steve Nash after the game against the Los Angeles Sparks at Barclays Center on July 3, 2025. (Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz | Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Aside from what Stewart and Jones bring on the court that has helped the Liberty win basketball games over the years, it\u2019s clear that what they bring off the court and to their teammates and coaches in the locker room is also responsible for their team\u2019s success.<\/p>\n

While DeMarco hasn\u2019t known Stewart and Jones for all that long, he knew immediately the type of people his two All-Stars are. \u201cThey both have aura,\u201d DeMarco told The IX Sports. \u201cThey are just down to earth. They don\u2019t\u00a0take themselves too seriously.\u201d <\/p>\n

DeMarco is using the slang definition of the word, the one that\u2019s used to describe athletes, entertainers and musicians. Aura is about someone\u2019s swagger, style and excellence, which he believes both Jones and Stewart possess.<\/p>\n

But the disposition of both Jones and Stewart is also versatile, and the two can balance each other out on the team if need be. Jones is the connector who can talk to anyone in the locker room, as she often is the player who lightens the mood when times get tough. She cares deeply about the people she\u2019s working with.<\/p>\n

Stewart cares deeply about those around her also, but she also makes sure her team knows how she really feels, especially when situations aren\u2019t going the Liberty\u2019s way. Stewart\u2019s high care for all of her teammates is evident in the way she talks about winning, noting that it\u2019s addicting to accomplish for herself and to witness some of her teammates do it for the first time in their careers.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

But in addition to serving their teammates, Jones and Stewart also confide in each other and hold each other accountable.<\/p>\n

After the Liberty snapped their four-game losing streak on July 20 following a 99-98 overtime victory on the road against the Dallas Wings, Stewart reflected on a discussion she had with Jones the day prior about how the two of them needed to step up to make sure that the team was accruing more possessions. They made a pact that both would start aiming for double-doubles. By having that north star, the duo give the Liberty a better chance of winning games.<\/p>\n

When Jones was asked what she got out of her one-on-one with Stewart, she explained that she reached out to Stewart and wanted feedback.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust going to her as someone that I obviously respect, and someone that has been really just leading us in the right way this year, so I just wanted to kind of hear her voice with everything,\u201d Jones said after the Liberty defeated the Sky narrowly 96-95 right before the All-Star break. \u201cWe talked about some other things too that I wouldn\u2019t share, wouldn\u2019t share with you guys. But yeah, it\u2019s just good to kind of just check in with people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clearly there\u2019s trust between Jones and Stewart, not just on the court but off it as well.<\/p>\n

Are the Liberty making the most of Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart\u2019s championship window?<\/p>\n

\"NewNew York Liberty center Jonquel Jones (35) and power forward Breanna Stewart (30) walk off following the conclusion of a game against the Washington Mystics at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C. on May 30, 2025. (Photo credit: Domenic Allegra | The IX Sports)<\/p>\n

There were many reasons<\/a> why the Liberty didn\u2019t reach the level of success that was expected of them in 2025, but one of them was simply because the frontcourt of Jones and Stewart didn\u2019t see the floor together quite enough. Both struggled with month-long injuries, which threw away a key component of what powers the contending-era Liberty.<\/p>\n

This season, Jones and Stewart have played 707 minutes<\/a> together through 30 games. Last season, it was 313<\/a>. The year before that, it was 913 total minutes<\/a> together during the 40-game 2024 regular season.<\/p>\n

Jones and Stewart are putting up numbers this season that are quite similar to 2024, the Liberty\u2019s championship year. But, if the season were to end today, the 17-13 New York Liberty would have the No. 8 seed. Entering the postseason at the bottom of the playoff ladder doesn\u2019t seem to yield positive odds for New York\u2019s potential return to the Finals, especially after they got bounced from the first round as the No. 5 seed last season.<\/p>\n

Since 2023, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart have built a historic WNBA partnership. This year, Stewart is having another MVP-caliber season. The question now is how much time remains to cement both Jones\u2019 and Stewart\u2019s legacy with another title?<\/p>\n

There is often sensitivity when sportswriters bring up Father Time and how it factors into the amount of pressure and urgency a franchise has. But right now Jones is 32, and Stewart will turn 32 near the end of this month.<\/p>\n

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The Liberty\u2019s championship window is tied to Jones and Stewart\u2014and also Ionescu, although she\u2019s a few years younger. If the franchise can\u2019t maximize this championship window in the current moment before all three of their contracts expire in 2028, the front office\u2014not its stars\u2014will bear the responsibility.<\/p>\n

Questions about how much success rookie head coach DeMarco\u2014also in his first year in the WNBA\u2014was truly set up for will inevitably rise to the surface.<\/p>\n

The Liberty were built, as Hammon said, to beat the Aces, a group that\u2019s still a top-two team in the league. But the thought remains: Will the Liberty even get the opportunity to be in the ring against their rivals on the stages where the lights are brightest?<\/p>\n

The first round of the playoffs doesn\u2019t really count. It would be a shame for another excellent season from both Jones and Stewart to go to waste.<\/p>\n

Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the group that owns the Washington Mystics, holds a minority stake in The IX Sports. The IX Sports\u2019 editorial operations are entirely independent of Monumental and all other business partners.<\/p>\n

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