A move that seemed an uphill task for the New York Liberty might just be taking shape, with Jonquel Jones’ latest announcement. The Liberty front office had an uphill task to re-sign three of their centerpiece players: Jones, Breanna Stewart, and Sabrina Ionescu, but with recent developments, the franchise can finally breathe with a month remaining in a new WNBA season tip-off.

According to a recent report from basketball journalist Jackie Powell, Jones is exploring a return to the New York Liberty ahead of the upcoming season. Currently, the 6’6 center is an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, similar to Stewart and Ionescu. With free agency talks slated to start this week, things will get even clearer this week on how the situation around the players and the Liberty is weighing.

“Jonquel Jones intends to re-sign with the Liberty, per @ClassicJpow,” a credible women’s basketball page stated.

Of course, the return of Jones will be a silver lining for the New York Liberty. With Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart in the spotlight, Jones might go under the radar on some occasions. But a center with an equally formidable skill on either side of the court is a trait that very few can boast in the current market, elevating her to the same status as the other two members of the infamous ‘Big Three’.

Stewart and Ionescu led the scoring last season for Liberty, but it was Jones who perfectly fit into that disruptor role, averaging 1.1 blocks per game and contributing with her rebounding skills on both ends. Yes, last season wasn’t her best, with injuries playing a major role. But all things considered, Jones’ impact goes beyond what shows up on the stat sheet. It’s the gritty, unglamorous work that wins championships. Remember the 2024 postseason when her crucial performances as part of the Big Three guided the team to a WNBA title.

With this skill set, Jones was, of course, going to be one of the priority signings for Liberty in the offseason. Furthermore, the optimism around Jonquel Jones and the Big Three’s return to Liberty has been prevalent at the team camp since last year. Team general manager Jonathan Kolb had shared back in September. “I have the utmost confidence that they want to be back with us,” Kolb had shared during a press conference.

As reality set in, things are quietly falling in place, as Kolb said. Last week, Stewart confirmed that she aspires to stay with the New York Liberty, stating that her family is here and remarked that she won’t even be holding any free agency meetings. “I will be staying in New York. I’m not planning on taking any free agency meetings even though I am an unrestricted free agent,” Stewart had said.

On similar lines, Ionescu has also expressed her admiration for the New York Liberty, stating that she’s immensely happy where she is. And now with Jones’ confirmation, the dream of a ‘Big Three’ is taking shape again next season in Brooklyn. Yet despite that, will the New York Liberty be able to keep all of their stars for the season despite a historic CBA?

Can CBA Pose a Threat to Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, and Sabrina Ionescu’s Reunion in the 2026 Season?

There’s no lack of sentiment around the reunion of the ‘Big Three’ in the New York Liberty camp. But the math around them is causing the hurdle. It’s essential to understand that with the new CBA in place, the salary cap has risen to around $7M. But subsequently, players’ salaries have increased significantly, including through supermax contracts, which allow players to earn $1.4M or more.

This is where the issue seems to arise for the New York Liberty. With the experience and successes all these players of the “Big Three” have, all of them can easily push for supermax salaries in their negotiations. If the Liberty agrees to such a deal, it will block $4.2M from their cap immediately. It means that all the other players of the roster will have to adjust within the $2.8M, which is not at all feasible.

Madeline Kenney of the New York Post shed light on this growing concern for the New York Liberty. “I think it’s going to be really hard for the Liberty to give her (Breanna Stewart) a supermax because then you look at the rest of the roster and how much do you give Sabrina Ionescu or Jonquel Jones?” she said a week back.

Dropping Breanna Stewart from a supermax salary seems to be a downgrade, considering the immense success she has brought to the team in recent years. But the same can be said of Ionescu and Jonquel Jones, who can demand the supermax salary in their own right. All in all, it will be upon the free agency talks and the subsequent negotiations to decide the fate of a “Big Three” reunion for the New York Liberty, even if they have showcased their aspiration to join the team.

Teams can officially send the qualifying offers to the players between April 6 and 7. The subsequent negotiations will be held from April 8 to 10. What are your expectations from the New York Liberty and their perspective on a “Big Three” reunion? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments.