Alumna Jonquel Jones, B.A. ’19, the 2021 WNBA most valuable player and reigning MVP of the WNBA Finals for the champion New York Liberty, will deliver the Commencement address at the George Washington University’s Commencement on the National Mall on May 18.
Before her stardom in the WNBA, the top women’s professional basketball league in the world, Jones put together a historic career in the buff and blue that earned her an eventual enshrinement in the GW Athletics Hall of Fame. During her time at GW, Jones earned both Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in 2015, just the fourth player in conference history to earn both accolades in a single season. She twice led GW to the NCAA Tournament.
Jones, who was drafted sixth overall in the 2016 WNBA draft as GW’s first-ever first-round selection, has since become a household name in professional and international basketball for her work both on and off the court.
She will also receive an honorary Doctor of Humanities from the university at Commencement.
Jones, who moved from her native Bahamas to Maryland at age 14, ranks third all-time at George Washington in career rebounds, fourth in scoring average (15.4) and fifth in blocked shots in just 76 games at GW from 2013-16 after transferring from Clemson. She is one of only three players ever in the storied tradition of GW women’s basketball with 1,000-plus points, 800-plus rebounds and 100-plus blocks in a career. After leading the nation as a senior in rebounding, Jones earned her second career WBCA All-American nod as well as her second-straight Associated Press All-American recognition.
After being drafted by the Los Angeles Sparks, her rights were traded to the Connecticut Sun, where she quickly established herself as one of the league's top players. In just her second season in 2017, Jones earned her first WNBA All-Star selection and was named the league's most improved player, finishing the season with a double-double average and setting a new single-season rebound record for the Sun.
Jones continued to excel in the following years. In 2018, she won the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year Award, and in 2019, she led the league in rebounds en route to earning a second All-Star selection. Her performance helped the Sun reach the WNBA finals for the first time in 14 years.
In 2021, she won the league’s most coveted individual award—MVP—while also earning All-Defensive First Team honors. She became the first player in WNBA history to win the MVP, Sixth Woman of the Year and Most Improved Player awards.
Jones joined the New York Liberty in 2023, where she helped the team win the Commissioner's Cup, earning MVP honors for the tournament. She also led the Liberty to the 2024 WNBA championship, where she was named finals MVP after an outstanding performance in the decisive Game 5.
Beyond the WNBA, Jones has made significant contributions on the international professional stage. She played for Asan Woori Bank in Korea, Shanxi Flame in China and UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia, where she won championships and earned accolades such as the WKBL defensive player of the year and foreign MVP. In 2022, she joined Çukurova Basketbol in Turkey and later led Inner Mongolia to the finals of the Chinese Women’s Basketball Association.
Internationally, Jones has represented Bosnia and Herzegovina, where she set EuroBasket Women records and earned a spot on the All-Tournament team in 2021.
Her accolades also include five All-Star selections, multiple All-WNBA first and second team honors and an WNBA blocks title in 2019.
Off the court, Jones serves as a role model for young athletes, particularly women. She has used her platform and her own story as a member of the LGBTIA+ community to advocate for equality and inclusion in sports, encouraging the empowerment of women and promoting diversity in athletics. Recently, she was named one of USA Today’s Women of the Year, a recognition of women who have made significant impact in their communities and across the country.
“Jonquel’s impressive and courageous journey exemplifies the spirit and values of George Washington University and offers an inspiring model to GW graduates in the commitment and passion she brings to her athletic endeavors as well as to her work as a voice for equity and inclusivity,” said Granberg.
She joins the ranks of previous GW Commencement speakers, including former First Lady Michelle Obama; Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.); chef, humanitarian and human rights advocate José Andrés; NBC News anchor Savannah Guthrie; and actor, director and producer Kerry Washington, B.A. ’98. She succeeds former White House Press Secretary and MSNBC host Jen Psaki, who delivered the 2024 Commencement address. These speakers have added to a long line of GW Commencement guests stretching back to the first graduation ceremony in 1824, which honored the Marquis de Lafayette and Henry Clay.
Visit GW’s Commencement website for additional information about the week’s schedule and events. Registration for Commencement is now open and will close on April 23.