Jonquel Orthea Jones (born January 5, 1994) is a Bahamian professionalbasketball player for theNew York Liberty of theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the2016 WNBA draft.[1] Since May 2019,[2] she also holds the citizenship ofBosnia and Herzegovina, allowing her to play for thenational team.
A 6'6"power forward/center, Jones played college basketball forClemson andGeorge Washington. After the February2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, she left the Russian teamUMMC Ekaterinburg,[3][4][5] and joined the Turkish teamÇukurova Basketbol.[6]
Jones was born in The Bahamas. She attended Tabernacle Baptist Academy. At age 14, she moved toMaryland, where she attendedRiverdale Baptist School.[7]Temple women's basketball head coach Diane Richardson became her legal guardian. Her nickname in high school was "Big Slim".[8]
In 2016, Jones was acquired by theConnecticut Sun after having her draft rights traded by theLos Angeles Sparks in exchange forChelsea Gray and two draft picks.[9] In her rookie season, Jones was the backup center for the Sun. She averaged 6.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 1.1 bpg in 34 games with 6 starts.
In 2017, Jones became the starting center for the Sun and had a breakout second season. After an 0–4 start, Jones led the Sun to their first win of the season, scoring 23 points along with 21 rebounds in a 97–79 win over theChicago Sky, making her the 13th player in league history to record a 20-point, 20-rebound performance.[10] On July 8, Jones scored a team-high 22 points and 9 rebounds as the Sun completed the biggest comeback in franchise history, defeating theWashington Mystics 96–92 after overcoming a 22-point deficit.[11] Jones was selected to the2017 WNBA All-Star Game, her first career All-Star Game appearance. She finished the season averaging a double-double in points and rebounds and also averaged career-highs in scoring, rebounding, and blocks. She broke the single season record for rebounds with 403, breakingTina Charles previous record of 398 (the record would be broken again bySylvia Fowles in 2018).[12] Jones was selected to the2017 WNBA All-Star Game and received theWNBA Most Improved Player Award. Her breakout performance, along with teammatesJasmine Thomas andAlyssa Thomas emerging as All-Stars, led the Sun to the playoffs as the fourth-seeded team. They received a bye to the second-round elimination game, where Jones scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in an 88–83 loss to the number 5-seededPhoenix Mercury.
In 2018, Jones would have a reduced role on the team despite her success from last season. She started in 16 of the 34 games played but would still effective for the Sun both in the starting lineup and off the bench. By the end of the season, Jones won the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year award. The Sun made it back to the playoffs as the number 4 seed with a 21–13 record, receiving a bye to the second round. However the Sun would lose yet again to the Phoenix Mercury in the second round elimination game by a final score of 96–86.
In 2019, Jones would redeem her starting Center role for the whole season. She would lead the league in rebounds once again and averaged a career-high in blocks, steals and minutes by the end of the season. Jones was also voted into the2019 WNBA All-Star Game, making it her second all-star appearance and would also make WNBA Second Team. The Sun were a championship contender in the league, finishing with a 23–11 record and the number 2 seed, receiving a double bye to the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, the Sun swept theLos Angeles Sparks 3–0 to advance to the WNBA Finals, making it the franchise's first Finals appearance since 2005, and Jones' first career Finals appearance. The WNBA Finals series was a hard-fought battle, but the Sun fell to theWashington Mystics in five games.
In June 2020, Jones announced that she would sit out the WNBA season due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[13]
In 2021 Jones returned to the WNBA and led the Sun to the best record in the league; she additionally was averaging a career high in every major statistic before reporting to theFIBA Women's Eurobasket to represent theBosnian women's national basketball team. When she returned the Sun, the team went back to being the top team in the league and closed out the season with a 14-game winning streak, leading to a record of 26–6 and the best record in the league. Jones averaged a career-high in points and assists, with averages of 19.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks, and was named the 2021 WNBA MVP nearly unanimously.[14] Jones also made WNBA All-Defensive First Team and nearly won the DPOY award. With winning MVP Jones became the first player in WNBA History to win MVP, Sixth Woman of the Year and WNBA Most Improved Player Award.[15]
During the offseason prior to the2023 WNBA season, Jones requested a trade out of Connecticut and was dealt to theNew York Liberty on January 17, 2023.[16] She was named the MVP of the 2023 Commissioner's Cup, winning it for the New York Liberty with 16 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.[17] In the ensuing2023 WNBA Playoffs, she confronted and eliminated her former team in the semifinal round, three games to one.[18] In the 2024 season, she was namedWNBA Finals MVP after scoring 17 points in the final Game 5 overtime game, in which the Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx 67-62.[19]
During the 2016–17 off-season, Jones signed withAsan Woori Bank Wibee of theWomen's Korean Basketball League and won a championship with the team.[20] In October 2017, Jones signed withShanxi Flame of theWomen's Chinese Basketball Association for the 2017–18 off-season.[21]
In August 2018, Jones signed withUMMC Ekaterinburg of the Russian League.[22] After the February2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, she left the Russian team.[3][4][5]
In 2022, Jones joined the Turkish teamÇukurova Basketbol of theWomen's Basketball Super League.[6]
Jones played for Inner Mongolia of the WCBA in the 2023–2024 season and led them to the finals.[23]
For the 2024–2025 season, Jones joined Sichuan Yuanda in the WCBA.[24]
She made her debut for thenational team of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the first round ofEuroBasket Women 2021 qualification on 14 November 2019 againstRussia.[25] She claimed a double-double of 29 points and 16 rebounds on what proved to be an agonizing night for Russia coach Alexander Kovalev as he lost his first game at the helm in his hometown ofOrenburg.[26]
In a quarter-final loss against France in theEuroBasket Women 2021, she set an all-time record for most rebounds in a single EuroBasket game. She finished the game with 29 points and 24 rebounds, beating the previous record of 21 rebounds shared by three players.[27] She was named to theFIBA EuroBasket Women All-Tournament Team.[28]
In October 2022,Goran Lojo, the coach of the team, announced that Jones would no longer be playing for the national team, and that her spot as a naturalized player would in the future be filled byCourtney Hurt.[29]
In 2019, Jones got a goldendoodle puppy.
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game | RPG | Rebounds per game |
| APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game | BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| TO | Turnovers per game | FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| Bold | Career best | ° | League leader |
| † | Denotes seasons in which Jones won aWNBA championship |
Stats current through end of 2025 season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Connecticut | 34 | 6 | 14.1 | .531 | .333 | .739 | 3.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 6.8 |
| 2017 | Connecticut | 34 | 34 | 28.5 | .534 | .446 | .818 | 11.9° | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 15.4 |
| 2018 | Connecticut | 34 | 16 | 20.5 | .550 | .467 | .671 | 5.5 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 11.8 |
| 2019 | Connecticut | 34 | 34 | 28.8 | .448 | .309 | .818 | 9.7° | 1.5 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 14.6 |
| 2020 | Did not play (opted out) | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | Connecticut | 27 | 27 | 31.7 | .515 | .362 | .802 | 11.2° | 2.8 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 19.4 |
| 2022 | Connecticut | 33 | 32 | 26.4 | .513 | .369 | .802 | 8.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 14.6 |
| 2023 | New York | 40 | 40 | 25.0 | .527 | .352 | .863 | 8.4 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 11.3 |
| 2024† | New York | 39 | 39 | 29.8 | .539 | .391 | .788 | 9.0 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 14.2 |
| 2025 | New York | 31 | 31 | 26.8 | .490 | .424 | .769 | 8.1 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 13.6 |
| Career | 9 years, 2 teams | 306 | 259 | 25.6 | .514 | .383 | .792 | 8.4 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 13.4 |
| All-Star | 5 | 5 | 22.5 | .545 | .417 | .750 | 11.2 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 18.0 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Connecticut | 1 | 1 | 39.2 | .385 | .400 | .875 | 15.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 19.0 |
| 2018 | Connecticut | 1 | 1 | 26.2 | .667 | .000 | 1.000 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 13.0 |
| 2019 | Connecticut | 8 | 8 | 32.5 | .528 | .267 | .767 | 10.4 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 17.9 |
| 2021 | Connecticut | 4 | 4 | 35.0 | .458 | .444 | .778 | 9.8 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 16.3 |
| 2022 | Connecticut | 12 | 12 | 27.0 | .507 | .414 | .829 | 8.4 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 14.9 |
| 2023 | New York | 10 | 10 | 34.7 | .559 | .321 | .787 | 11.6 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 2.4° | 2.0 | 17.0 |
| 2024† | New York | 11 | 11 | 32.5 | .550 | .448 | .946 | 8.2 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 15.5 |
| 2025 | New York | 3 | 3 | 30.0 | .269 | .182 | .500 | 11.0 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 5.7 |
| Career | 8 years, 2 teams | 50 | 50 | 31.7 | .513 | .350 | .828 | 9.7 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 15.5 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012–13 | Clemson | 8 | 4 | 29.8 | .483 | .300 | .792 | 10.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 9.8 |
| 2013–14 | George Washington | 23 | 23 | 26.3 | .488 | .293 | .639 | 10.9 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 4.1 | 14.7 |
| 2014–15 | George Washington | 30 | 30 | 26.8 | .478 | .306 | .664 | 12.5 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 15.3 |
| 2015–16 | George Washington | 23 | 20 | 29.8 | .417 | .311 | .745 | 14.6 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 16.2 |
| Career | 84 | 77 | 27.8 | .462 | .304 | .695 | 12.4 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 14.9 | |
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