• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 5, 2025

Top WNBA Prospect Haley Jones Is Using NIL to Elevate Women’s Hoops

  • Stanford guard Haley Jones has built an impressive NIL portfolio over the past 18 months.
  • Jones is the first college athlete to launch a women’s basketball podcast with The Players’ Tribune.
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

When the name, image, and likeness era began, Stanford senior guard Haley Jones was already arguably one of the most marketable female athletes — she was an NCAA champion in the most popular women’s sport at a major-market Power 5 team.

But Jones took her time building an NIL portfolio. 

“I didn’t want to do any quick cash-grab deals,” she told Front Office Sports. “I was looking to treat this like being a professional, while still having the safety net of being in college.” When considering brands, she asked herself: “Does this work with my values? Is it something that I believe in?”

An Old Letter May Provide Clues to Gender Equity Enforcement in NIL

Schools could be on the hook for the actions of NIL collectives.
January 20, 2023

The 2021 Final Four Most Outstanding Player came into this season with a NIL valuation of $75,000 at minimum — and has inked deals with some of the biggest brands, like Nike and Beats by Dre. But she also has partnerships with companies like natural hair care brand Uncle Funky’s Daughter. 

On Wednesday, she launched her latest venture. She’s the first college athlete to host a podcast produced by The Players’ Tribune. 

“Sometimes I Hoop” will feature guests from the women’s basketball community, from South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston to Flau’jae Johnson, and cover topics ranging from performance to mental health to off-court interests. 

“It’s always been really important to me to speak to my audience and use the platform that I do to kind of spread a different message and be a role model for those who look like me, and be a leader for other black women to look up to,” she said. “Being on this podcast, it provides me another platform to be vocal about how my experience has been different from others.”

It’s a win-win for The Players’ Tribune, which reached out to Jones asking if she wanted to host a podcast. 

“We at The Players’ Tribune understand the importance of having more women with a strong presence in this space,” Ashly Robinson, Head of Original Content and Development, said in a statement to FOS.

The top-three WNBA draft prospect has high hopes for the future of NIL — both for herself and for the next generation of athletes. 

Like some other basketball players, including Gonzaga’s Drew Timme, Jones is hoping a podcast can help springboard her post-playing career. She’s considering dipping her toe into broadcasting after basketball, and felt a podcast would help complement her Communications major and a previous internship she did with women’s sports media company Togethxr. 

Jones hopes NIL can help athletes learn another valuable future skill: financial literacy. She wants schools to provide more classes, reading material, and overall education around “really understanding how to use your money — make it work for you.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”
opinion

Caitlin Clark’s Media Supporters Pushing Harder Against Slights

Dick Vitale, Colin Cowherd, and others are accusing other WNBA players of jealousy.

Featured Today

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Seattle Rough & Tumble
June 28, 2025

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena
June 26, 2025

Stanley Cup’s International Summer Tour: Rules, Repairs, and Raucousness

No pro trophy tour compares to the NHL’s three-month global victory lap.

Everything You Need to Know About EA’s Return to College Basketball Video..

There hasn’t been a college basketball game in more than 15 years.
July 1, 2025

Big Ten Commish Still Pushes for 4 Auto CFP Bids in 16-Team..

The conference wants four guaranteed spots in the Playoff.
Ohio State
July 1, 2025

Collectives Funnel $20 Million to College Athletes on Last Day Before Revenue..

Collectives frontloaded payments just before the revenue sharing era begins July 1.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
June 30, 2025

College Sports Revenue-Sharing Underway As More Changes Loom

July 1 marks the first day schools can directly pay players.
June 30, 2025

Pac-12 Hits Football Membership Threshold With Texas State Entry

The school is paying $5 million to leave the Sun Belt Conference.
Mar 23, 2025; Raleigh, NC, USA; Baylor Bears guard Jeremy Roach (3) reacts after a play during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center.
June 26, 2025

Power Four Put Finishing Touches on How Revenue Sharing Era Will Work

The agreement stipulates that schools can’t sue to challenge any terms of the settlement.
June 26, 2025

Pac-12 Rebuild Nears Completion With 2026 Texas State Addition

The Sun Belt school is likely joining the Pac-12 in 2026.