‘The future of our game:’ Stanford’s Haley Jones and the rise of positionless players in women’s basketball

When she goes back to work kid camps at her high school in the Bay Area, Stanford women’s basketball star Haley Jones has a tendency to confuse all the little girls who want to be like her. 

“What position do you play?” they’ll ask Jones. 

“I play everything!” She tells them. “I’m just a basketball player.”

The next generation of ballers is hardly impressed. 

“But why don’t you pick a position?” They’ll press. “Don’t you have a favorite?”

Nah, she’ll tell them. She likes being able to do it all. 

Not a true point guard, true wing or true post player, the 6-foot-1 Jones does a little bit of everything — or rather, a lot of everything — for the top-seeded Cardinal, which meets fellow No. 1 seed South Carolina on Friday in the first national semifinal of the women’s NCAA Tournament. On a team loaded with depth and talent, Jones stands out. 

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