Bad news would not have come for the New York Liberty at a worse time. After Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones was added to the injury list on Wednesday. While there is no immediate update on Jones, there is a legitimate fear of missing out on playoff games after she exited the last game of the regular season with an ankle injury. According to Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco, the WNBA star’s injury was being evaluated for a concrete update.

“She rolled her ankle and made contact with a fan,” DeMarco told Khristina Williams during the post-game press conference. “She’s in good spirits and doing well, it sounds like, but she’s being evaluated right now.”

Jones got injured during the third quarter following a 3-point attempt against the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday. With just over four minutes left in the quarter, Jones attempted a step-back 3-pointer from the corner. She airballed but took a few steps back and rolled her ankle after stepping on a fan’s foot. The Liberty center hobbled to the defensive end but exited the game after a timeout was called.

Before her injury, Jones was having a good game. She finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds and a block in 20 minutes. However, with a compromised roster, the Liberty were already in deep trouble before losing to Atlanta for the second time in a back-to-back game at Barclays Center.

New York took a one-point lead in the opening period, but the Dream their offensive was paralyzed in the second quarter. They scored just seven points in the quarter against Atlanta’s 23, giving the Dream a 15-point lead heading to halftime. They won the second quarter, but were able to cut the lead by just one point. The Dream outscored them by 25-21 in the last period, closing the season with an 83-65 win.

The Dream also suffered an injury setback in the game after Angel Reese had to exit the game. She took a hit on her face from Sabrina Ionescu during a defensive assignment on the Liberty star during the second quarter. Ionescu was called for a Flagrant 1. But as per the latest update, Reese was fine.

“She was cleared, but we made a decision that it would be smart for her to sit out the second half,” Atlanta head coach Karl Smesko said after the game.

While the Liberty wait for Jones’ final status, it should be some anxious hours for the team since she is yet another crucial player on the injury list. New York entered the game without FIBA World Cup and their best player, Breanna Stewart, who sat out of the contest with soreness in her left knee. 

The Liberty’s elite lineup was already compromised after Satou Sabally’s injury early in the season. She had been out of the lineup since June 23 after she suffered a concussion during the game against the Las Vegas Aces. DeMarco later said Sabally was going to take some time away from the team for her recovery. At the beginning of this month, it was announced that she would be out for the season.

Jones is one of New York’s best players on both ends of the floor, averaging 14.6 points (third on the team), 9.0 rebounds (team-high) and 1.1 (second on the team) blocks per game this season. Her absence can significantly cut the Liberty’s odds in the playoffs even if Stewart comes back from the injury.

Both Atlanta and New York have already qualified for the playoffs, but this game mattered to both teams. A win would help the Dream clinch the fourth seed, and the Liberty a chance to escape the 8th seed and possibly face the Minnesota Lynx. Atlanta will now have the home-court advantage against their first-round opponent.

If the Indiana Fever win tomorrow against the Lynx, Atlanta will face Caitlin Clark and company in the first round. If Indiana loses and the Washington Mystics win their respective contests, Atlanta will face Washington instead.