An emotional Jonquel Jones wins WNBA All-Star MVP, dedicates honor to late aunt

CHICAGO (AP) — It was an emotional night for Jonquel Jones as she won MVP honors at the WNBA All-Star Game and dedicated the award to her aunt, who recently died.

Jones fell just short of the second triple-double in WNBA All-Star history with 22 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists to help Team Spoon top Team Coop 129-122.

“My aunt meant a lot to me, she was one of the matriarchs in our family,” Jones said. “Lot of great family parties and get togethers that happened at our house. My best memories were being in the kitchen and making great food for us. Show her love in that way.”

Jones said she talked to her family about coming to All-Star weekend and they gave her permission. Jones said that her aunt was going to be cremated and her ashes spread at a later date, which made it easier for Jones to play on Saturday.

The Liberty star also got emotional in apologizing for comments she made on a livestream which insinuated that Minnesota should have won the WNBA title in 2024 instead of New York.

“New York means a lot to me, the organization means a lot to me, our locker room, our chemistry what we’ve built,” she said. “I never want to misrepresent that. I never want people to feel like I wasn’t putting my best foot forward to our team and I apologize.”

Jones’ effort came a year after Skylar Diggins had the first triple-double in the league’s All-Star history. The New York Liberty star, playing in her sixth All-Star Game, came off the bench and had her incredible night in just 22 minutes. She had nine points, seven rebounds and six assists by the end of the first half.

She was dominant in the third quarter, scoring eight points to help Team Spoon take command for good. Jones said that coach Cheryl Reeve told her she was a few assists away from the triple-double in the fourth quarter.

“Run some plays to get it done, it didn’t happen, but that’s OK,” Jones said.

It was a memorable weekend for Jones as she met one of her idols, former President Barack Obama, at practice Friday. Jones even got the former President to play defense on her for a few seconds.

New York means a lot to me, organization means a lot to me, our locker room, our chemistry what we’ve built, never want to misrepresent that. I never want people to feel like I was putting my best foot forward to our team and I apologize.”

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball