CHICAGO — Jonquel Jones won MVP of the 2026 WNBA All-Star Game on Saturday night at the United Center. The second question of her postgame press conference was about a clip from Thursday that had gone around all weekend, and she cried through the rest of it.
No player had held All-Star MVP, regular-season MVP, Finals MVP, and Commissioner’s Cup MVP before Saturday. The New York Liberty center is also the first Liberty player to win All-Star MVP, and the first international player to win it.
Her aunt’s memorial service was held earlier Saturday. Jones was in Chicago that night.
“You all are going to have me crying all night,” Jones said. “It’s been a really emotional weekend. My aunt’s memorial service was today, and then everything else that I just talked about happened as well. There were a lot of highs and a lot of lows.”
Jonquel Jones is the 2026 WNBA All-Star MVP
She joins Lisa Leslie, Candace Parker and Maya Moore as the only players in WNBA history to win an MVP, Finals MVP, and All-Star Game MVP! pic.twitter.com/7taLI8zQvS
— ESPN (@espn) July 26, 2026
Teresa Weatherspoon was the general manager of the team Jones played for. Weatherspoon played for the Liberty from 1997 to 2003. Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve ran the bench, and Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon coached the other side. Jones arrived in New York in a 2023 trade with Connecticut.
“To celebrate all the players who paved the way in our league, and to have T-Spoon coaching our team—someone who means so much to New York—and with New York meaning so much to me, it made the moment even more special,” Jones said.
Jones spoke about her aunt for several minutes without being asked a follow-up.
“My aunt meant so much to me,” Jones said. “She was one of the matriarchs of our family. Some of my best memories are the family gatherings at her house. She was always in the kitchen making incredible food and bringing everyone together. That’s how she showed her love. I talked with my family first and got their blessing. She wanted to be cremated, and her ashes will be spread later, so I knew I’d be able to be there for that. That’s why I decided to come and play in the All-Star Game tonight.”
The Clip From Thursday Night
On Thursday, a clip from a live feed circulated in which Jones told Courtney Williams that the Minnesota Lynx deserved the 2024 title over the Liberty. New York beat Minnesota in five games in the 2024 Finals for the first championship in franchise history. Jones was named Finals MVP.
Asked Saturday what she had meant, Jones started with where she was when she said it.
“Obviously, it was a night out, and those are usually moments where you let your guard down a little,” Jones said. “I was talking to someone who’s a close friend and somebody I’ve built a relationship with over the years. What I said didn’t really come out the way I intended.”
Built for the moment
Jonquel Jones talks on her love for the game after becoming the All-Star MVP, and she’s appreciative of it ALL!#WNBAAllStar2026 | @ATT pic.twitter.com/fmUN9CbX0y
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 26, 2026
Jones brought up her 2019 season in Connecticut. The Sun lost that Finals to the Washington Mystics in five games.
“What I was trying to say is that you can have a team with great chemistry, a great season, and everything looks good on paper, and sometimes that’s still not enough,” Jones said. “That’s why I brought up the 2019 Connecticut team—we had incredible chemistry, and it felt like we just needed one more piece to keep that group together. In 2024, we put our hearts into everything we did. I wouldn’t have wanted it to end any other way. I know what that championship meant to our city, to me personally, and to every player in that locker room.”
Jones said she took the reaction to the clip personally.
“I understand my comments were taken the wrong way, and I’ll take accountability for that,” Jones said. “I have a responsibility whenever I speak to represent not only myself but also our organization the right way. It was a gut punch for me. I honestly couldn’t really enjoy the weekend.”
Her voice gave out there. She waited a few seconds and finished the answer.
“New York means a lot to me,” Jones said. “The organization means a lot to me. Our locker room, our chemistry, what we’ve built—it means everything. I never wanted anyone to think I was doing anything other than trying to put my best foot forward for our team. So I apologize.”
Coach Richa
Temple coach Diane Richardson sat in the room during the press conference, filming on her phone. Richardson coached Jones at Riverdale Baptist School in Maryland after Jones left the Bahamas for high school in the United States, and she became Jones’ legal guardian.
Asked to name the All-Star in her own life, Jones pointed into the room.
“The All-Star in my life is the woman right there holding the phone,” Jones said. “That’s Diane Richardson. I call her Coach Richa. A lot of people know my story. She opened up her home to me when I came from the Bahamas as a kid that nobody knew. She trusted her instincts, trusted God, and gave me an opportunity. I didn’t just gain a coach or a guardian—I gained a second mother.”
Another achievement for JJ
Jonquel Jones becomes the first player in WNBA History to win MVP (2021), Commissioner’s Cup MVP (2023), Finals MVP (2024), and WNBA All-Star MVP (2026)!#WNBAAllStar2026 | @ATT pic.twitter.com/m3U9H7pKIA
— WNBA (@WNBA) July 26, 2026
Richardson is in her fifth season at Temple.
“She’s now the head coach at Temple University, she’s incredibly busy, and she still makes time to be here supporting me,” Jones added. “I appreciate her so much, and she’s definitely the All-Star in my life.”
Near Triple Double
Jones was within reach of a triple-double late in the game. Reeve got to her before her final stint to let her know she needed three more assists, but she finished with eight.
“As for the triple-double, Cheryl Reeve came over before I checked back in and told me I needed three more assists,” Jones said. “We tried to run a few plays to get it done, but it didn’t happen. That’s okay.”
The Dunk, and the One Before It
Jones dunked at the 2017 All-Star Game, sharing the floor with Maya Moore. Another in-game dunk landed Saturday, and Jones watched it from the bench next to Nneka Ogwumike. She was asked which of the two nights meant more.
“I think the MVP is a little more meaningful,” Jones said. “When I saw Dominique dunk tonight, Nneka and I were talking about it on the bench. I remembered how everybody made room for me to have my dunk in 2017. I was sharing the court with Maya Moore and so many players I’d admired growing up. For them to create that moment for someone who really hadn’t established herself in the league yet meant everything to me.”
Paige Bueckers was on the floor for it. Saturday was her first All-Star Game.
“She makes it look easy,” Bueckers said. “Thankfully she was on my team, so I got to see it up close and personal.”
Jones was asked about the league she came into in 2016 and the one she is in now.
“As the league continues to grow and new things come into the sport—whether it’s sports betting or other developments—I think it’s important that we continue to protect that sense of community, togetherness, and love,” Jones said. “Sometimes when I look online, I don’t see that as much anymore.”
Over 19,000 fans attended Saturday’s game, the largest crowd ever for a WNBA All-Star Game.
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