When Jonquel Jones dons a cap and gown this weekend to deliver the University’s annual Commencement address, it won’t be the first time she’s taken center stage at GW.
Playing three years for women’s basketball from 2013 through 2016, Jones is one of the most decorated Revolutionaries in history, winning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in 2015 and being selected sixth overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft. On Sunday, she’ll also join GW’s esteemed list of commencement speakers which includes former First Lady Michelle Obama and then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell who delivered their capstone addresses in 2010 and 1990, respectively.
After transferring to GW midway through her first year at Clemson University in December 2012, former GW Head Coach Jonathan Tsipis said in an email this week he immediately recognized her potential. She had what it took to become a star.
“She had two traits that great players have in common,” Tsipis said. “She has a genuine love of the game of basketball and she has a great work ethic.”
Beyond these intangibles, Jones’ 6’4” height combined with her shooting ability immediately made her one of the most talented players in the conference. In her two months with the Tigers, she shot 55.8% from the field, including 28.6% from 3-point territory.
Guard Lauren Chase played high school basketball with Jones at Riverdale Baptist School and transferred to GW at the same time after playing at University of Maryland Baltimore County. Lauren, now Lauren Cooper, said in an email this week she knew there was something “undeniably different” about Jones immediately when they first started playing junior varsity.
“Once she got a feel of the speed of the game in the U.S. compared to the Bahamas, she was an instant problem and nightmare to guard because of her versatility,” Cooper said. “She made everything look effortless, yet you could tell how much work she put in behind the scenes.”
But then-standard eligibility rules forced Jones, originally from Freeport, Bahamas, to sit out the team’s first 10 games following her transfer. Tsipis said this time allowed her to “deepen her work ethic,” as she spent extra time practicing with the team and working on her individual game.
She was able to join the Revs midway through the season in December 2013 and told The Hatchet at the time she was more than ready for her anticipated debut.
“I just want to come out there and work hard and just play hard, and I just want us to come out with the ‘W.’ That’s basically all I’m looking for,” Jones said before her first game. “I’m just extremely excited. I just can’t wait honestly.”
Jones averaged 14.7 points and 10.9 rebounds per game in her truncated first year at GW, earning her Second-Team All-Conference recognition.
In her first full season in 2014-15, Jones continued her strong performance and helped to elevate the team, translating strong individual play into wins. By November, the Revs were rolling full steam ahead, beating Purdue University for the Junkanoo Jam Freeport Division title in Jones’ hometown in the Bahamas. Jones brought down 14 rebounds during the title game and earned tournament MVP.
In a December 2014 win against Georgetown University, she scored 15 points in the second half alone to help keep the Hoyas at an arm’s length. Her paint prowess helped GW to out-rebound Georgetown 54-38.
“We take a lot of pride in our rebounding,” Jones said postgame. “We like that is one of our strong points, having big players inside and aggressive players coming in.”
As the season continued, GW kept on winning, notching 19 wins in a row and ranking 20th in the country. Although their streak snapped against Saint Louis in February of 2015, Jones and her team continued strong play into March, winning the Atlantic 10 and earning a bid into the NCAA Tournament — the team’s first in seven years. In the clinching game against Dayton, Jones led the pack with 21 points.
After a program-record 29 wins, the Revs earned a No. 6 seed and a matchup against Gonzaga University. Despite a first-round loss, Jones notched another double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds. Postgame, she told The Hatchet she’d be ready for more postseason play in her future.
“This season felt great,” Jones said. “This is our first time playing in the NCAA Tournament, so everyone got a taste of it, and we need to build on it for next year.”
Jones’ play that season earned her both the A-10 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards. She also earned attention on the national radar, being named a finalist for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-America Team as well as being one of 30 mid-season candidates for the Naismith Trophy, awarded to the top college player of the year.
Entering her third and final season at GW, expectations in Foggy Bottom were high for Jones and the Revs.
Picked as a preseason All-American and widely seen as a potential top-five pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft, Jones would walk around campus handing out fliers for the upcoming season’s kickoff event and play pickup with students on a Nerf hoop in Kogan Plaza, entrenching herself as a friendly face on campus for everybody.
Jada Matthews, who was teammates with Jones in her freshman and sophomore years, said in an email this week that Jones, more commonly known on campus as “JJ,” is the “kindest, most thoughtful” person she knows.
“JJ is the same person on and off the court,” Matthews said. “No matter the time spent apart, whenever we connect, it feels like no time was lost.”
Ranked No. 21 in the Associated Press preseason poll, the team got off to a bit of a rocky start, opening the season with a 5-3 record. They quickly caught fire, winning 14 in a row. Ten games into the streak, injuries forced Jones to the sideline, leaving the Revs without their top rebounder and scorer. While she was out, the team lost three games but still managed to pick up the A-10 regular season title.
She returned in time for the A-10 Championship, helping deliver the Revs their second title in as many years, earning another trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Mia Farmer, who was a freshman on the 2016 championship team, said Jones’ dominance was clear in the team’s finals win over Duquesne. She said Jones embodies greatness in every way with her hard work and success on and off the court.
“The moment that truly stands out was the A-10 championship game,” Farmer said. “She completely took over, talking about unstoppable in every sense. It was one of those performances you never forget.”
Farmer said that Jones was not just a teammate or friend, but a sister more than anything. She said her tenacity on the road to success makes her the perfect choice to help guide graduates to their next stages of life.
“GW couldn’t have chosen a better person,” Farmer said. “JJ embodies hard work, determination and sacrifice. She’s the perfect example of what it means to give your all, and she’ll undoubtedly inspire recent graduates with the motivation they need to take on the world.”
Matched up as a No. 8 seed against Kansas State in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, the Revs were knocked out in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament, ending Jones’ college career in a heartbreak as her attempted game-winning 3-pointer rattled off the rim.
With her college career in the rear view mirror, Jones was drafted in April 2016 sixth overall in the WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks before being traded that night to the Connecticut Sun.
“When I was walking up [onto the draft stage,] I was just happy because GW isn’t a school that is really known for basketball,” Jones told The Hatchet on draft night. “To be able to be amongst these players shows that you can do anything you want to do. You can go anywhere that you want to go and you can be successful.”
Nine years later, Jones has continued to rack up accolades in her professional career.
In just her second season in the WNBA, she led the league in rebounds, won Most Improved Player and was named to an all-star team. In 2021, she won league MVP after finishing fourth in points per game and first in rebounds per game. She was traded to the New York Liberty in 2023 to help form a “superteam” alongside another former MVP Breanna Stewart and three-time all-star Sabrina Ionescu
Jones graduated GW with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 2019, punctuating her academic journey while well into her WNBA stardom.
In October 2024, the Liberty won the WNBA Championship, and she was named Finals MVP.
Tsipis, who left GW in spring of 2016 to coach at University of Wisconsin-Madison, said he’s not surprised at what Jones has accomplished. He said her versatility and athleticism allowed her to continuously improve on the court while her positivity and unselfishness have also led her to shine off the court.
“Nothing that Jonquel Jones accomplishes ever truly surprises me because she is so genuine,” Tsipis said. “She treats people with a smile, a hug and respect. She’s never shied away from the spotlight, and I’m so proud of the person has been and continues to be.”
