Jonquel Jones left college basketball as one of the most decorated players in women’s collegiate basketball history last month.
TheGrand Bahama native won multiple awards while at George Washington University, and Thursday, she took the next step in her career, when she was drafted with the sixth pick in the first round by the Los Angeles Sparks in the 2016 WNBA draft. Following the pick, she was immediately traded to the Connecticut Sun in exchange for former Duke guard Chelsea Gray and the Suns No. 1 draft pick next year. Jones, when asked about the trade, said she wasn’t bitter at all about it and is looking forward to becoming a part of the Suns organization.
“That’s life, you just have to adapt and make changes,” she said. “I’m happy to be with Connecticut. I talked to coach Miller (Curt) extensively and he felt like my game would transition well to this system and he told me that he was really high on me, so i wasn’t surprised when i heard that they traded for me.”
The 6’ 6” forward was a two-time honorable mention All-American and was the only player in the Atlantic 10 to average a double-double for a third consecutive season. She led the nation in rebounding at 14.6 per game and ranks fourth in the conference in scoring at 16.2 points per game. She registered 18 double-doubles in 23 games played and was also second in the conference in blocks with 3.3 per contest. Jones led the Colonials to its third-straight 20-win season, going 26-7 on the year.
During the run, they saw their share of success in the A-10 as well, capturing a second consecutive conference tournament title. The Grand Bahama native repeated as an AP and WBCA honorable mention All-American and is projected to be a first round WNBA draft pick this month.
She also was a candidate for several national player of the year awards, including the Naismith Trophy, Wade Trophy and Wooden Award. Jones was one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, which was given to Connecticut’s Breanna Stewart.
