NEW YORK — Scoring against the New York Liberty is challenging due to their impressive length on defense, but Jonquel Jones thinks there could be an even more formidable opponent out there.

This is because Jones, who stands at 6-foot-6 (with a wingspan of 6-foot-9¼), once teamed up with 6-foot-4 forward Breanna Stewart (wingspan: 7-foot-1) and 6-foot-9 Brittney Griner (wingspan: 7-foot-3½) while playing in Russia. Together, they boasted an average wingspan exceeding seven feet for their front court.

Replace Griner with New York Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich, and the average wingspan for New York’s lineup comes to about 6 feet 5 inches.

In short, things could be worse. However, that doesn’t offer much comfort when you’re up against that many long arms.

A long wingspan, measured from fingertip to fingertip with arms extended, is often a sign of effective defenders. Such reach can disrupt passing, block or alter shots, redirect rebounds to teammates, and create significant challenges for opposing offenses.

The Liberty have drawn plenty of attention this season for assembling a so-called “super team” by signing some of the league’s elite players during the 2023 free agency. They brought in stars like Jones and Stewart, both of whom are MVP winners (Stewart claimed her second title last season). Yet what many overlooked while gathering this top-tier talent was the impressive length of their players.

In addition to the accolades for Stewart and Jones, both named to the WNBA All-Defense teams, 6-foot guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is among the league’s top perimeter defenders with a wingspan of 6-foot-3¾ (she earned multiple All-Defense votes too). Rookie Fiebich, standing at 6-foot-4, also has a wingspan to match.

As Jones stated, “That’s some really long players protecting the paint.”

“It helps me a lot because often we switch to defend guards, and I can count on my teammates to have my back,” said Jones, who posted an average of 9.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks during the regular season. “I don’t always need to be the one rotating in to help guard the rim.”

Facing even one or two lengthy defenders is tough enough. Apart from 5-foot-11 guard Sabrina Ionescu, who has a wingspan of only 5-foot-9½, every starter for New York has a wingspan that is equal to or exceeds their height.

Even the bench players possess impressive length: Forward Kayla Thornton, who contributed around 20 minutes per game this season, stands at 6-foot-1 with a wingspan of 6-foot-4.

However, having such long wingspans does have its quirks. Stewart humorously noted during the semifinals against Las Vegas that it’s a challenge to find long-sleeve shirts that fit well.

Earlier in her career, Ionescu experienced the difficulty of scoring against someone with such length while playing against Stewart in Seattle.

“Now that I’m on the same team as her, I’ve seen how she can block shots, redirect passes, and get tips,” Ionescu explained. “Her presence on defense is everywhere, thanks to her ability to utilize her hands, wingspan, and height. I definitely know firsthand how long she is.”

So what happens when Ionescu attempts to score against Stewart at the basket?

“I don’t,” Ionescu answered with a straight face. “I just pass it out.”

She chuckled and added, “She can use her length effectively to deceive you into taking a shot, only to deflect it or make it seem like you have an open look at the basket before she comes out of nowhere to block it. Watching her protect the rim is truly impressive.”

Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve suggested a strategy for dealing with such length: Go underneath it.

“Play below it, don’t attempt to go over the top — that’s what we emphasize,” Reeve stated. “If we try to go over against a taller team, it often doesn’t end well for us. So we focus on being disciplined and fundamental.”

While the Lynx had success in Game 1, winning 95-93 in overtime with a shooting percentage of 50.7%, they recognize the problems New York’s length has caused for various teams throughout the season.

Las Vegas coach Becky Hammon pointed out that New York’s reach posed a significant challenge for the Aces in their semifinal matchup, stating, “If you lay out all those wingspans, it looks like an NBA team.”

Having played in the WNBA for 16 years, Hammon recalled other long defensive teams from the past, especially the Detroit Shock from the early 2000s.

One notable aspect of the Shock, besides their length, was that they won WNBA championships in 2003, 2006, and 2008.

Now, New York is making its sixth Finals appearance and seeking its first championship, hoping to follow in those successful footsteps.