Stanford’s Haley Jones was lock for lottery. What changed?
Haley Jones entered her senior season as a near-consensus No. 2 pick in the WNBA draft, but now some analysts project her to fall out of the lottery.
The Stanford guard’s stock had dropped before the top-seeded Cardinal’s second-round exit in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, despite her highest-scoring season. Some mock drafts have her lower than seventh overall.
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Though Jones’ points, rebounds, assists and steals per game have gone up, the accuracy of her shot raised questions. She was unable to rediscover the reliability from two years ago, when she hit 54.6% from the field. Her free-throw percentage in 2022-23 dropped 10 points from the previous season, to 72, and she made just three 3-pointers all season.
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A 6-foot-1 guard who fails to present a perimeter threat would face a tall task in the WNBA. She’s versatile, but without the ability to stretch the floor at the next level, her WNBA fate might not be as cemented as it once seemed.
“My time at Stanford has been interesting,” Jones said following Sunday’s 54-49 loss to Mississippi at Maples Pavilion. “I guess, you know, COVID, freshman year, that played into a lot of different things, and then the COVID season that’s unheard of. I never expected that to be part of my college experience.”
Santa Clara County regulations forced Stanford away from Maples Pavilion during Jones’ sophomore season, when the Cardinal played only six home games and endured nine weeks on the road. They still won the national title, and Jones was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
Her stock was at its highest then. More recently, WNBA execs have been left wondering where Jones fits at the pro level. The Athletic spoke with anonymous WNBA front-office executives about draft prospects, and they raised concerns about Jones’ lack of a singular elite skill.
She has been eclipsed by players such as Maryland’s Diamond Miller, a 6-3 guard who can score and defend, Tennessee guard Jordan Horston (7.1 rebounds per game), and Villanova forward Maddy Siegrist, who averages more than 29 points per game.
Jones played point guard at times for Stanford, but her skills likely would not translate in that role in the WNBA.
According to Swish Appeal, 27.8% of Jones’ offensive possessions came as a pick-and-roll ball handler. As a pro, she can expect to be asked to be more of an off-ball threat. Her rebounding and passing ability could make her strong in transition, and her physicality is pro-ready; it really is the shooting that leaves question marks.
Jones’ shooting percentages dropped from 54.6 overall and 35.3 from 3-point range (on 17 attempts) as a sophomore to 43.2 from the field and 9.4from 3-point (32 attempts) as a senior.
She has been projected to be a pro player since high school. A McDonald’s All-American out…
Read More: Stanford’s Haley Jones was lock for lottery. What changed? 2023-03-22 22:16:16