CHICAGO — An emotional Jonquel Jones delivered a heartfelt apology Saturday night for a remark made during a “StudBudz” livestream that she acknowledged was “taken the wrong way.”
The incident originated Thursday when Jones appeared on a stream hosted by teammates Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman. During the broadcast, she suggested the 2019 Connecticut Sun were more deserving of a championship than the Washington Mystics, drawing a parallel to her belief that the 2024 Minnesota Lynx were more deserving than the New York Liberty.
The clip circulated rapidly online, drawing criticism from Liberty supporters. Jones described the backlash as “a gut punch” that overshadowed her weekend.
Speaking moments after being named the 2026 All-Star Game MVP, Jones explained she had been relaxing with a friend and let her guard down. “What I said didn’t really come out in the way that I meant it,” she said. “What I was just saying is that you can have a team that has a lot of chemistry, that is great on paper, that has had a great season and it’s still not enough to get it done, and that’s what I was trying to explain to her with that whole clip.”
Jones, who also earned Finals MVP honors in 2024, paused to compose herself as she addressed the organization and fanbase directly. “Obviously we put our hearts out there on the court in 2024, and I wouldn’t want it to finish any other way. I know what it means to our city. I know what it meant to me and every single player that stepped on the court, put their heart into that, and so obviously I feel like what I said was taken the wrong way and I’ll take accountability for that as well and understand that I do have a responsibility when I speak to make sure that I’m representing not just myself but our organization in the right way.”
“New York means a lot to me,” she continued through tears. “The organization means a lot to me. Our locker room, our chemistry, what we built, I never wanted to misrepresent that and I just never wanted people to ever feel like I was doing anything other than trying to put my best foot forward for our team, so I apologize.”
The Liberty captured the franchise’s first championship last season by defeating the Lynx in five games, a series that ended amid controversy when Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve claimed the title “was stolen from us” due to officiating.
On Saturday, Jones emphasized she intended no disrespect with her comments to the StudBudz hosts, seeking to close the chapter on the distraction.
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