Although Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones 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.
Stewart celebrated Jones’ success at center court after Jones was honored with the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game MVP trophy. ESPN’s 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.
“Appreciate you dawg,” Jones said to Stewart once the necklace was firmly on. The pair shook hands and hugged.
“C’mon Ellie, let’s get a picture,” Stewart shouted to the New York Liberty’s team mascot who had just observed the moment between her team’s two All-Stars in Jones and Stewart.
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’ve been directly responsible for each other’s success throughout their professional careers.
Earlier on, it was during overseas seasons played in Yekaterinburg, Russia; however, now it’s 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’s an accomplishment that they achieved together a season later.
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. The way the two league MVPs have worked together on and off the court has defined the Liberty’s player-led leadership structure, especially as the 2026 team deals with the turbulent waters that this season has brought them.
A new head coach without league experience, injuries zapping their wing depth and a month without 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’s Cup games in June and the Cup championship game played on the final day of the month.
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Jones averaged 17.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists that month, while Stewart averaged 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.
The reason the Jones-Stewart frontcourt partnership works is because of their mutual human regard and how they play the game.
“It works well because it’s like we have a genuine good relationship with one another, you know,” Stewart told The IX Sports in a phone call. “Take time to kind of know each other outside of the court, and really bring that to on the court.”
According to many voices around the WNBA, it’s 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.
Sure, Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker played together for two seasons from 2008-2009, and Nneka Ogwumike and Parker also played together, but those pairs didn’t have the collective size and length that Jones and Stewart have.
On the NBA side, it’s 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.
What’s unique about this frontcourt?
New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) and New York Liberty forward Jonquel Jones (35) defend against Las Vegas Aces center A’ja 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)
Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon has publicly said twice that the Liberty were built to “take out” her Aces. What does she mean by this?
Hammon’s Aces revolutionized the way that WNBA basketball was played by centering their offense around A’ja Wilson’s interior scoring in space to collapse defenses, which opens up driving lanes and 3-point shots for dynamic perimeter players.
The challenge the Liberty pose to that general principle is that they don’t 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’ guards around Wilson. Stewart’s wingspan is a bit over 7 feet long and Jones’ is over 6’9.
When Hammon spoke recently about the evolution of the Jones and Stewart frontcourt, she specifically mentioned how they too have benefited from the WNBA’s 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.
“They can go out on the perimeter and abuse space, or they can abuse space near the rim,” Hammon said. “So I think even the style of play makes them even more dynamic now than just maybe five, six years ago.”
Jones and Stewart can score from almost anywhere, especially now that Stewart’s 3-point shot is having a resurgence. In Stewart’s past 12 games, she’s shooting 3-pointers at a 43.2% clip, making 16 of her 37 most recent attempts from deep.
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.
While Stewart’s numbers from three are on the up, her overall clip isn’t 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’ 40.7% according to Courtsketch.com.
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.
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 “one of, if not the best cutter” in the WNBA.
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’ Assist Networks visual model, Jones has dished out 23 assists to Stewart, and Stewart has 21 assists to Jones in 30 regular season games so far. That’s on pace to beat all of their previous assist patterns to each other since 2023.
Their collective passing and cutting were on full display in the Liberty’s 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 on the left wing after running in transition following a Stewart defensive stop on the other end.
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 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.
The pass was laser-beamed right to where Stewart’s momentum was carrying her. Stewart grabbed the ball and had an easy layup right at the basket as Dearica Hamby and Rae Burrell were caught ball-watching.
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“I think we’re able to see how it’s grown every single year,” Ionescu said about the evolution of the Jones and Stewart partnership. “Especially with [Jones] being a primary ball handler this year, more than she ever has, like that’s been something we haven’t seen, and her passing ability, her ability to get high lows, set screens, inverted pick and rolls.”
Ionescu continued explaining the damage that is done to opponents when Stewart is the facilitator.
“[Stewart] brings the ball up, [Jones] can screen for her. It just creates a lot of confusion for the defense when there’s a post in a ball screen, because what do you do? Do you switch, do you stay?”
Washington Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson had a humorous quip when he was asked what’s made the Jones and Stewart tandem so unique. “How much time do you have?” he said before launching into a detailed response.
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 and Awa Fam, and the overperforming Mystics, who have a Shakira Austin and Kiki Iriafen frontcourt.
“I think to be really good at this in this league, you can’t just be one thing,” Johnson said. “We talked a lot about our own team and how we want to be key in three. We’re expanding [Austin]’s game, expanding [Iriafen]’s game.”
It’s not just about the ‘aura’ they both have
New 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)
Aside from what Stewart and Jones bring on the court that has helped the Liberty win basketball games over the years, it’s clear that what they bring off the court and to their teammates and coaches in the locker room is also responsible for their team’s success.
While DeMarco hasn’t known Stewart and Jones for all that long, he knew immediately the type of people his two All-Stars are. “They both have aura,” DeMarco told The IX Sports. “They are just down to earth. They don’t take themselves too seriously.”
DeMarco is using the slang definition of the word, the one that’s used to describe athletes, entertainers and musicians. Aura is about someone’s swagger, style and excellence, which he believes both Jones and Stewart possess.
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’s working with.
Stewart cares deeply about those around her also, but she also makes sure her team knows how she really feels, especially when situations aren’t going the Liberty’s way. Stewart’s high care for all of her teammates is evident in the way she talks about winning, noting that it’s addicting to accomplish for herself and to witness some of her teammates do it for the first time in their careers.
But in addition to serving their teammates, Jones and Stewart also confide in each other and hold each other accountable.
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.
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.
“Just 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,” Jones said after the Liberty defeated the Sky narrowly 96-95 right before the All-Star break. “We talked about some other things too that I wouldn’t share, wouldn’t share with you guys. But yeah, it’s just good to kind of just check in with people.”
Clearly there’s trust between Jones and Stewart, not just on the court but off it as well.
Are the Liberty making the most of Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart’s championship window?
New 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)
There were many reasons why the Liberty didn’t 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’t 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.
This season, Jones and Stewart have played 707 minutes together through 30 games. Last season, it was 313. The year before that, it was 913 total minutes together during the 40-game 2024 regular season.
Jones and Stewart are putting up numbers this season that are quite similar to 2024, the Liberty’s 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’t seem to yield positive odds for New York’s potential return to the Finals, especially after they got bounced from the first round as the No. 5 seed last season.
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’ and Stewart’s legacy with another title?
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.
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The Liberty’s championship window is tied to Jones and Stewart—and also Ionescu, although she’s a few years younger. If the franchise can’t maximize this championship window in the current moment before all three of their contracts expire in 2028, the front office—not its stars—will bear the responsibility.
Questions about how much success rookie head coach DeMarco—also in his first year in the WNBA—was truly set up for will inevitably rise to the surface.
The Liberty were built, as Hammon said, to beat the Aces, a group that’s 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?
The first round of the playoffs doesn’t really count. It would be a shame for another excellent season from both Jones and Stewart to go to waste.
Monumental Sports and Entertainment, the group that owns the Washington Mystics, holds a minority stake in The IX Sports. The IX Sports’ editorial operations are entirely independent of Monumental and all other business partners.
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