New York Liberty’s Jazmine Jones named to WNBA All-Rookie team

Sabrina Ionescu, the Liberty’s overall No. 1 in the WNBA Draft, went down with a sprained ankle in New York’s third game but one of her six rookie teammates picked up the slack and on the weekend was rewarded for her efforts.

Jazmine Jones has been selected to the 2020 WNBA All-Rookie Team, becoming the first Liberty rookie to earn the honor since teammate Kiah Stokes in 2015.

Jones becomes the fifth Liberty player to be named to the All-Rookie Team, joining Stokes, Brittany Boyd (2015), Kelsey Bone (2013), and Kalana Greene (2010).

Jones received six votes from a panel made up of 12 WNBA head coaches. Each coach selected a total of five players and were not permitted to vote for players on their own team. In addition, each of the five players the coaches selected were not determined by player position.

“I am beyond excited to be named to this year’s WNBA All-Rookie class and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my teammates, coaches and the Liberty staff,” said Jones. “It’s an honor to be among such a talented group of elite players, and I look forward to continuing to get better as a professional.”

The Louisville alumna ranked fourth in scoring (10.8 points), third in rebounding (4.1 rebounds, and first in steals (1.4 steals), among her rookie class. Jones came off the bench in 18 of her 20 games during the 2019-20 season, providing a valuable punch off the bench for a Liberty team who battled the injury big throughout the season and took advantage of that opportunity to play on the hardwood.

Jones was selected with the 12th overall pick by the Liberty in the 2020 WNBA Draft; a pick New York acquired from the Washington Mystics. In fact, Jones played the point guard position for the Liberty, filling in for Ionescu; a position she did not play since she was in high school.

Crystal Dangerfield (Minnesota), Kennedy Carter (Atlanta), Julie Allemand (Indiana), and Satou Sabally (Dallas) were the other rookies selected to the 2020 WNBA All-Rookie Team.
Ionescu, who had been odds-on favorite in the preseason was averaging 18.3 ppg when she was hurt.