Haley Jones brings standout Stanford resume, popular playlists and ‘wholesome excellence’ to 2023 WNBA Draft

If you’re wondering what’s going through Haley Jones’ mind ahead of the 2023 WNBA Draft on Monday evening, she’s happy to share it with you.

The 21-year-old soon-to-be-Stanford grad — known for her epic ability to make playlists for anyone, for any occasion – has been working on the perfect musical mix to listen to ahead of the draft festivities, where she’s expected to go high in the first round at Spring Studios New York in Manhattan. She’ll unveil that playlist live on the music streaming platform TIDAL, where fans can listen in real time to exactly what Jones is playing – and even what she skips.

“I have like 170 playlists, so I’m trying to figure out what my vibes are going to be so I feel like I might pull songs from different ones … but I’m sure it’ll be chill vibes,” Jones told On Her Turf ahead of Monday. “I’m not going to be getting too hyped up. I want to be cool, calm, collected, relaxed, so it’ll be probably along the vibes of like throwing in some Brent Faiyaz with some Miss Lauryn Hill with some SZA with some D’Angelo. Probably some throwbacks to Lenny Williams, Al Green, so we’ll be all over the place.”

Jones’ love of music was cultivated during long drives to basketball tournaments and practices with her dad, Patrick, who along with her mom, Monique, coached a high school varsity girls’ team. Jones remembers her and her father playing songs back and forth for each other and creating extensive musical libraries via digital streaming services.

That passion for discovering music has translated into a personal journal of sorts, documenting every game day with its own song and providing a window for connection with those around her.

“Music — it connects me to different people,” said Jones, a three-time