STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford bolstered its talented recruiting class on Wednesday as Setsuko Ishiyama Director of Women's Basketball Tara VanDerveer announced the signing of the nation's consensus No. 1 recruit, Haley Jones (Santa Cruz, Calif./Archbishop Mitty), to a National Letter of Intent.
"We're very excited and happy for Haley," VanDerveer said. "She's an incredibly versatile player and an all-around talent that can play a multitude of positions on the floor. She rebounds, scores and defends, but what I like most about her game is her passing and vision. She is a fantastic addition to our team."
Jones joins the earlier signings of top-50 talents Fran Belibi (Aurora, Colo./Regis Jesuit), Hannah Jump (Los Altos Hills, Calif./Pinewood School) and Ashten Prechtel (Colorado Springs, Colo./Discovery Canyon) in Stanford's class and will debut with the team in the 2019-20 season. The Cardinal's four-woman group is ranked second nationally by espnW HoopGurlz.
Jones is the first No. 1 prospect to sign with Stanford since Chiney Ogwumike came to The Farm as the top player in the country in Nov. 2009.
"I am extremely excited to be coming to Stanford, to join a program with such a rich tradition and to play for a Hall of Fame coach in Tara," Jones said of her choice. "But this decision was about more than just basketball. The education I'll receive, the larger university community I'll be a part of and everything Stanford offers off the court were opportunities I couldn't pass up."
The 6-foot-1 Jones averaged 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists as a junior at Mitty, which was one of the best teams in the country. Among numerous national awards, she was named the 2017-18 California Gatorade Player of the Year and earned All-America honors from USA TODAY and Max Preps.
"I also think Haley's decision is a great compliment to our current team," VanDerveer added. "Haley could have played anywhere, but I think our team really welcomed her and will help her adjust to college life at Stanford. She came to basketball camp here when she was 10 years old and it will be fun for her family to come watch her play. Haley is going to love her four years here and we're going to love having her here. We're absolutely thrilled."
This past summer, she won a gold medal with the United States at the FIBA U17 World Cup in Minsk, Belarus, alongside her future Cardinal teammate in Belibi. Jones was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 10.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists in seven starts for Team USA.