Jonquel Jones is on the cusp of her long-awaited Liberty return

Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello expressed satisfaction after hearing star center Jonquel Jones declare herself feeling "99.9999999999999999 percent" back to full health following a team practice at Barclays Center. Jones made this statement, humorously specifying 16 decimal places, ahead of her confirmed return for the Liberty's first game after the All-Star break on July 22nd against the Indiana Fever.

Jones, the 2024 Finals MVP, participated in full five-on-five work for the first time on Saturday. She had been sidelined for eight games due to an aggravated right ankle injury suffered on June 19th against the Mercury. This was a recurrence of an initial ankle injury sustained on June 5th that caused her to miss two games. Doctors had given her a recovery timeline of four to six weeks.

Her absence significantly impacted the Liberty, causing their defense to falter without her presence in the paint and depriving the team of an important offensive piece both inside and from three-point range. During the stretch without Jones, the Liberty went 4-4. Five of those games were also without starter Leonie Fiebich, who was competing in Eurobasket for Germany. Jones has only played in nine games this season, averaging 12.1 points and 9.6 rebounds.

Despite the lengthy absence, Jones now reports feeling "great" and stated she doesn't feel her ankle during play. However, she noted that warming up remains "the hardest part" of her current routine.