Haley Jones continuing to grow in second year with the Atlanta Dream

With her face drenched in sweat and brown braids swinging like a pendulum, Jones forcefully slammed a black medicine ball to the floor while her Atlanta Dream teammates laughed, chatted and posed for postgame photos with family and friends.

Normally, part of her pregame routine, Jones made sure to get in the crucial workout, despite missing it earlier.

This dedication is just one of the many adjustments Jones has embraced as she transitions from her rookie season to her second year in the WNBA. Even after earning a spot on the 2023 Associated Press All-Rookie Team, the 6’1 Stanford graduate knew there was plenty of growth ahead. Showcasing resilience and determination, Jones, the sixth overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, has welcomed the challenges of her second season.

“Coming into my rookie season, there’s a lot of adjustments, just in the pace of play,” said Jones while clutching a bottle of water outside of the Dream locker room at the Entertainment & Sports Arena before Atlanta’s hard-fought 76-73 overtime victory over Washington Sunday afternoon.

“Some of that included guarding better players and learning how not to premeditate what I’m going to do on the court, which I think led to a lot of turnovers. I also dealt with some of that at the beginning of the season. However, being able to play through more things and figure it out, I’ve done much better with those things and running the offense.”

Jones started Atlanta’s first 24 games of the season while Jordin Canada was recovering from a hand injury. During a tough stretch before the Olympic break where the Dream lost 11 of 12 games, Jones remained a steadying force, always positive. Jones was engaging and supportive with her teammates, thriving as the fulcrum in the swirl of activity, all while continuing to learn.

Despite those struggles, the Dream are now tied for the No. 8 seed in the WNBA playoffs, with key games against the Chicago Sky and New York Liberty to finish the season this week.

Jones had some standout performances, including a season-best 16 points against Dallas on July 5 and 14 against the Los Angeles Sparks on the opening night of the WNBA season. Jones scored in double figures six times and handed out at least five assists in a game three times.

Each game provided a learning experience for Jones, who acknowledged her biggest challenge was finding the right balance between aggressive shooting and setting up her teammates. With talented scorers like Allisha Gray, Tina Charles and Rhyne Howard around her, she has had the support to grow and grasps her role as the one of the keys to unlock the Dream’s offensive gifts. 

Although her stats are similar to her rookie year, her understanding of the game and the point guard position has deepened significantly. Jones is shooting better, as her field goal percentage has increased to 39%, up from 33% last season. She had more rebounds and assists last season in fewer minutes, but again, they don’t tell the entire story.

“Learning to understand the game flow and seeing the defense sagging off me and then making decisions based on that have been big for me,” Jones said. “I didn’t make them respect me, and now I try to get to the rim, get a foul and finish. Now they’re up on me. So, it’s easier for me to play, make and do what I like. So, I think it’s just all those little nuances we talk about a lot. And I think continuing to learn and have that translate into the game is really helpful for me.”

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She got better reading defenses through consistent film study with head coach Tanisha Wright.

“Coach T posts clips for me, and we talk about growth from those clips, but also what to tangibly focus on in the upcoming game,” Jones said. “A lot of the clips show, like me understanding the possession before, maybe (Alissha) hasn’t touched the ball in a few possessions, or Rye hasn’t gotten a touch, or, we haven’t scored in three possessions. I don’t need to push the pace. I need to get into a set.”

Learning from a legend

When the Dream signed Charles as a free agent at the start of the year, it was hard to tell who was more excited, Jones or her father, Patrick. Charles was one of the players that Jones watched growing up and daydreamed of becoming. To be a teammate of somebody she looked up to was a definite pinch-me moment for Jones.

“I love Tina,” Jones said. “When I saw that she signed with us, I was like, ‘Holy crap, that’s Tina Charles.’ Players of her generation were those icons for me. My dad called me immediately, saying, ‘Oh my God, Tina’s going to be on your team.’ And it was so cool.”

Jones has closely observed Charles’ disciplined preparation and work ethic, soaking in every lesson from the WNBA’s second-all-time leading scorer. She’s learned how Charles maintains her body, approaches professionalism and carries herself both on and off the court. This mentorship has been invaluable for Jones’ development during her second year.

Jones has developed a comfortable relationship with Charles, where she also accepts feedback without taking it personally. Charles has been impressed with Jones’s development. Jones played eight key minutes against the Mystics, scoring two points and handing out an assist.

Even those numbers don’t tell the full story of her impact in which she used her vision to create opportunities for her teammates, as well as her length and active hands to disrupt Mystic passing lanes. Her roundball telepathy translates into hardwood poetry.

Charles, impressed by Jones’ growth, praised her young teammate’s work ethic and confidence.

“She’s definitely grown,” Charles said during the Dream’s postgame press conference following her 192nd career double-double and victory over the Mystics. “She’s in the gym and working on her game. She’s able to see Jordin Canada come out and play a certain way, which helps, and I think it’s just been really encouraging for her. Even the time that she had on the court today, just getting to her spots, getting to the rim and trying to dominate a mismatch, she played with confidence, so I was just so proud of her. She has ways to go, but I always try to remind the young point guards that it’s the hardest position and transition to in our league.”

Another transition has been locking down on the floor’s defensive end, an area that Jones has significantly improved.

“I think one thing I’m proud of is my defense has gotten a lot better this year,” a smiling Jones said. “I think last year, I got blown by way too many times. And I think this year, it’s only happened once or twice, and that’s been because of a misstep on my part. So, I think just defensively, being able to execute our scout better has helped, and I’m flying around the court better, so I’m really proud about that.”

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Off-court impact

Jones takes great pride in her baking skills, which bring her joy and nourish the soul of her appreciative teammates.

Jones inherited her love for baking from her mom, Monique, and is known for bringing homemade treats to games for the Dream. She aspires to start a weekly newsletter to share her recipes. Her muffins, cookies, brownies and breads have been such a hit that Dream teammate Aerial Powers suggested she and her boyfriend open a pop-up shop on the concourse during game days.

During the interview, Naz Hillmon overheard Jones talking about her baking, immediately chimed in with agreement and gave her a hug. Jones honored a special request for Canada’s birthday last month by baking cinnamon coffee cake muffins.

“They were perfection,” Canada shared with a wide grin. “Haley is just a great human being, first and foremost, especially off the court. She really cares about her teammates, going above and beyond with the baking. If anybody asks something from Haley like, Haley always comes through.”

Jones has a special rapport with Canada, who was a guest on her popular “Sometimes I Hoop” podcast before the start of the season. While Canada loves Jones’ baking, she’s a bigger fan of Jones’ growth this season. Canada spends plenty of time speaking with Jones and pointing out various nuances she sees.

“She’s really picked up her pace and making sure the team is still flowing when she’s in the game, to make sure she’s calling the right plays for the right players during different moments of the game,” said Canada. “I could tell at the beginning of the season that she still was trying to learn and had a little bit of nerves in her. But now, when she comes out, she, you could tell, just walks and steps into who she is. Her confidence has just grown tremendously.”

Jones is a member of the VOICEINSPORT mentoring cohort, a program aligned with the WNBA Changemaker initiatives. Inspiring the next generation of girls is something Jones is passionate about, helping them develop leadership aspirations and boosting their self-confidence. Her eyes lit up as she discussed a recent session with around 15 mentees.

“Getting to share my story and create this safe space is special,” Jones said. “I think what’s cool is the girls share many similar experiences with me, and they can find things to resonate with me and apply to their lives. I think that one thing with women’s basketball is that we don’t always share stories about players off the court and who they are. I think that’s a big thing in terms of why I watch other sports. I hear a story about somebody, and I’m like, I want to watch them play. They’re amazing. So, part of what I do in my podcast is talking about what they’re interested in and what they do outside of the game.”

Jones takes pride in these opportunities to showcase who she is as a human being.

“What I want people to know about me is that I’m a genuine person,” Jones said. “I think that a lot of times they forget that as athletes who they see on TV, they only connect us to social media. I still have a life that I live, and I’m a daughter, a sister and a granddaughter. I have all these different identities that I carry. So, I just want people to remember to give athletes grace. I try to do the right things and be a good role model.”

Jones recently signed to play for Geelong United in Australia following the WNBA season. This will be the 2021 Final Four Most Outstanding Player and NCAA champion’s first stint in a league outside of the United States. Jones played in the Athletes Unlimited league last offseason.

This is an intentional decision for the 23-year-old Jones as she continues to develop her game. She’s excited about the opportunity and looking forward to learning a different style of basketball, which Jones will benefit from when she begins her third year in the WNBA.

“I’m hyped,” Jones said. “I’m so excited. I’ve always loved to travel and go to new places. I’ve never been to Australia. Beyond just being in a new place, it’s learning a different style of basketball. I feel like everywhere you go, Europe, they play differently. So, learning from different players and coaches and adapting to a new playing style will help me in the long run.”

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