WNBA DRAFT

April 15, 2021

N'dea Jones

Q. Who would you say you have modeled your game after, and what do you expect your impact to be playing at the pro level?

N'DEA JONES: Growing up I really paid attention to the Spurs and Tony Parker is just somebody I've always looked up to, just how the game was slowed down to him, how patient he was on the offense and how he was always a great teammate and leader. He didn't say much, but his actions were very vocal. So that's somebody who I tried my best to really just take access of their game and put it literally into mine.

Q. What was your reaction when you heard your name called? And what will you take with you from A&M that maybe you can take with you to the WNBA?

N'DEA JONES: Well, my reaction when I saw my name, it was kind of surprising. I didn't really move. Everybody was just kind of jumping up around me, and it was an unreal experience. A lot of people aren't blessed to see or hear their names, so it was -- it felt really good. Like I said, I was surprised.

And what I think I'll take to Seattle with me from A&M is just my hard-working and effort of my game. I think I don't quit on plays. I play hard. That's something that A&M always loved about me, and I'm going to try to continue that.

Q. One of your attributes that I've seen definitely during the NCAA Tournament, rebounding. How do you think your rebounding ability is going to be able to translate for the Seattle Storm and help those ladies bring home a championship trophy there in Seattle?

N'DEA JONES: Yeah, a really big part of my game is rebounding, and it's really all effort and energy, and I hope I can bring that to Seattle and I hope that the coaches see that I'm a hard worker, I don't like to quit on plays, I go hard to the boards. If they need me on defense, I'll play that. I'm a role player, and I think that's something that's gotten me far in life, so I hope that I'm able to continue that.

Q. It seems to me as if there's a lot of overlap between what you do and what we saw Morgan Tuck do for that team in Seattle and even what you saw Alysha Clark doing in Seattle. Two parts to this: The first is just your defensive versatility seems to me to be able to put you in a position where you can guard threes, fours, even some twos at the next level. Is that where you see yourself fitting in defensively with Seattle's scheme?

N'DEA JONES: Most definitely. Coming from A&M the four players are supposed to guard one through five, and I credit Coach [Gary] Blair and my coaches for allowing me to just show my defensive skill. So that's something that I can see continuing over when I do get to Seattle and maybe guarding the two or three and maybe possibly the four.

Q. Obviously the thing they both did and Morgan did it coming right out of school and AC was a little later on was shoot the three. I know that wasn't a big part of what you were doing at A&M. That doesn't mean it's not part of your skill set. What can you share with us about where that is and where you want that to be?

N'DEA JONES: I can shoot the three and I like how you said that. I didn't really do it at A&M, but it wasn't really my role on the team, but I can shoot the three, and that's something that I hope I'm able to show when I do get to training camp and just show my consistency with shooting. I know I didn't show it a lot in games, but I can do it, and I have faith that I'm able to show people that I'm able to do it on the court when I get to Seattle.

Q. You mentioned Coach Blair, what is something you got from your college coach that you think will translate over into the WNBA and help you make an impact as a rookie?

N'DEA JONES: Really basketball IQ. I've always had a pretty high basketball IQ, but I just think playing for such a great coaching staff where literally all the assistants could be head coaches at different schools, really helped out a lot. I got to pick each and every one of their brains, even sometimes help with plays. And Coach Blair runs a lot of offensive sets, so I think that will help me, especially transitioning into the league. They do run a lot of sets, and I think Coach Blair does a really good job of incorporating some WNBA sets. He'll even watch some sets on TV and then come in the next day and try running them in practice, so I think that's helped us a lot, or helped me a lot.

Q. I'm asking this out of San Antonio; your freshman year at A&M was 2017-2018.

N'DEA JONES: Yes.

Q. Tony Parker, that was his last year here in San Antonio and you mentioned the influence his game had on you. Did you have a chance to make it to San Antonio to watch him play that year?

N'DEA JONES: No, unfortunately I did not. It was kind of heartbreaking when he left and just seeing the whole team kind of separate. But I'm glad I was just able to watch him growing up. Hopefully I do get to meet him one day, that would be really cool, and just get to pick his brain.

Q. One of my questions is you mentioned the Spurs and Tony Parker. You were a leader on the Texas A&M Aggies team. Do you think you'll be able to translate that leadership quality as a rookie in the W?

N'DEA JONES: Most definitely. To be a good leader, you have to listen. You have to hear comments, negative comments, whether that be negative, positive. You have to take advice. You have to be able to understand the game. You've got to be able to understand your teammates. So I think being able to go in an atmosphere with a bunch of that and just being able to be a follower before I'm a leader and really try to pick their brains, and see how what they did got them to where they are, so I think I could do that.