After spending her total basketball life close to dwelling, Haley Jones will head to Atlanta for the beginning of her skilled profession.
And she or he’ll be joined by a fellow Archbishop Mitty Monarch, too.
The 2-time All-American was taken by the Dream with the sixth total decide within the 2023 WNBA Draft on Monday evening.
Even after successful a nationwide championship at Stanford, Jones admitted to ESPN’s Holly Rowe after being drafted that she hadn’t ever felt like this earlier than.
“That is extra nervous than I’ve been in any basketball recreation thus far,” Jones stated. “It’s simply surreal proper now. There aren’t actually phrases to explain it.”
South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston, as anticipated, was taken first total by the Indiana Fever. After that, the Minnesota Lynx chosen Diamond Miller of Maryland second, the Dallas Wings took Villanova’s Maddy Siegrist third and UConn’s Lou Lopez Sénéchal fifth. The Washington Mystics took Stephanie Soares out of Iowa State fourth and traded her rights to Dallas.
One other Stanford senior, put up participant Ashten Prechtel, was taken late within the third spherical by the Connecticut Solar (thirty fourth total). Jones’ choice at sixth total is the second yr in a row that a Stanford participant was taken there, as Lexie Hull was picked sixth by Indiana final yr.
Jones will head to Atlanta, the place she stated she has a number of members of the family within the space, and be part of a flexible and deep Dream backcourt that features one other fellow former Mitty star Danielle Robinson, who Atlanta acquired in a January commerce.
“Day by day in observe in highschool, I noticed D-Rob up on the wall,” Jones stated. “She’s somebody that I actually seemed as much as and was the primary Mitty legend within the ladies’s basketball program. To get to play alongside her is sort of wonderful.”
Mitty coach Sue Phillips was overjoyed on the information on Monday and informed Bay Space Information Group she’ll have to discover a method to get a cut up jersey made up with each Jones’ and Robinson’s names on it and might want to add just a few street journeys to see Atlanta video games to her summer season plans.
“I’m simply over the moon,” Phillips stated. “Simply to have two former gamers within the WNBA as teammates is only a thrill.”
The previous Ultimate 4 Most Excellent Participant was as soon as thought of the highest recruit within the nation popping out of highschool. However her draft inventory fell within the final yr, principally as a result of she stopped taking and making bounce photographs and 3-pointers. Jones acknowledged she heard the chatter, however stated it wasn’t what Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer requested her to do.
“At Stanford, it wasn’t actually my function to 3-point shoot. It was to play-make, rebound and run, facilitate, run the offense and play out of the excessive put up,” Jones stated. “When that was my given function, I performed to the very best extent that I might and we did a variety of nice issues.
“I used to be an awesome 3-point shooter in highschool and I believe now it’s simply sort of bringing that again to the arsenal. I don’t assume it ever actually left, it’s simply bringing it again to the forefront. It’s been on standby for some time.”
By being taken sixth, Jones will make $71,300 in her rookie season. Her wage could be $72,727 in 2024 and $79,999 in 2025 earlier than Atlanta (or every other crew) would have a crew choice at $90,908 in 2026.
Dream co-owner Renee Montgomery informed reporters in Atlanta, “I’m hype. On my Christmas want record was Haley Jones.” Dream head coach Tanisha Wright stated Jones was the highest participant on Atlanta’s draft board for the sixth decide, one thing basic supervisor Dan Padover echoed.
Jones may even be teammates with 2022 first total decide Rhyne Howard and 2017 WNBA Rookie of the 12 months Allisha Grey. There’s additionally former Arizona star Aari McDonald, who Jones and Stanford beat within the 2021 nationwide championship recreation.
“She has a capability to do some little bit of all the pieces, and I believe that’s going to enrich the group we now have already,” Padover stated, including that Jones can guard three and even 4 positions. “She’s going to carry a steadiness to her recreation, simply from enjoying at a excessive stage her total profession. I believe everyone’s going to slot in seamlessly.”
Final season, Atlanta missed the playoffs by one recreation, dropping on the ultimate day of the common season to the New York Liberty. After just a few years of rebuilding, Atlanta’s trades for Robinson and Grey this offseason are a sign that the Dream are aspiring to compete for a playoff spot in 2023.
“It’s a younger group with good veteran items as nicely,” Jones stated. “I believe that they’re constructing a very nice begin proper now and so they had an awesome season final yr with that younger group. I’m excited to hitch it and I believe I can impression the crew in numerous methods.”