SAN FRANCISCO – After stepping away from Friday’s postgame news conference at Chase Center, Dallas Wings forward Haley Jones disappeared from view.
No, the third-year pro did not hop on the team bus with superstar teammate Paige Bueckers to quickly leave the San Francisco arena after the Valkyries triumphed 86-76.
Jones simply walked back toward the court and then into a crowd of 150-plus friends and family, all ready to embrace the Santa Cruz native after she had played her first pro basketball game in NorCal.
“It’s really exciting. I got to go home last night, and I think I have like 100 people coming, from friends and family, so I’m really excited to be here,” Jones told the Bay Area News Group before the game, smiling from ear to ear.
Before mingling with the crowd for the better part of half an hour, Jones put up 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block off the bench.
Among those in attendance to watch was Archbishop Mitty coach Sue Phillips, who helped develop Jones into one of the greatest high school basketball players the Bay Area has ever seen.
Jones averaged 26.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.8 blocks per game as a senior and was named the Bay Area News Group player of the year in each of her final three high school seasons.
“(I feel) immense happiness and pride in her accomplishments, and the work she has put into being on this WNBA stage,” Phillips told this news organization.
Phillips’ 24-year-old protégé is still involved with the Monarchs program, and can often be seen working out with the current Mitty group whenever she is back in the Bay Area.
“It’s home, so I’m always going to come home to the Bay to do what I can,” Jones said. “It’s given me so much and really propelled my basketball career, from youth to high school, and then I went to college in the Bay. So the Bay is really my home, and I always want to give back in any way I can.”
After leading Stanford to the 2021 NCAA championship and being selected No. 6 overall in the 2023 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream, Jones certainly has had to work to carve out a niche among the pro ranks.
She averaged just 3.8 points and earned just 16.2 minutes per game in two seasons in Atlanta, before being cut from the team this preseason. Jones then was waived two more times, once by Phoenix and again by Dallas, before finding her groove in her second Texas stint.
Such determination does not surprise Phillips.
“Haley has always maintained a positive outlook and steady work ethic during times of adversity,” the Mitty coach said.
A poor long-range shooter (22.6% career average on 3-pointers) and an overall iffy scorer, Jones has found a second life in the WNBA as an undersized but skilled passing post.
She thrived when asked to make decisions at the elbow, giving the Valkyries fits with her ability to hit open cutters.
“I appreciate her level-headedness, and the pace she generates in our offense,” Wings coach Chris Koclanes said. “To be able to play-make and facilitate from the post position gives us another layer and dynamic to our offense.”
Placed in this new all-around role, Jones is playing the best ball of her pro career.
Even her scoring has seen an uptick: The Santa Cruz native has put up double-figure point totals in three straight games for the first time in her young career.
It could be just the start for Jones, who is still the fourth-youngest player on the team despite being in her third season.
“It was about keeping the faith in me and my journey, and having confidence in myself when it comes to what I do and what I can bring,” Jones said. “Here in Dallas, I’ve really found that.”
