CATHERINE JUN Only a freshman, Whitney
Jones shows she can hang as a starter for both the UCLA
soccer and basketball teams.
By Joshua Mason
Daily Bruin Reporter
Among the circle of Whitney Jones’ teammates and coaches,
there’s not much consensus as to what type of character the
freshman forward brings to the UCLA athletics scene.
“In terms of personality, you don’t know what to
expect from Whitney,” teammate Michelle Greco said.
“She has this dry sense of humor, and yet she’s very
upbeat all the time. She’s that type of person who seems to
always bring a smile to your face.”
“Whitney’s definitely different,” head coach
Kathy Olivier added. “She’s this quiet person who you
wonder sometimes if she’s even paying attention to you. But
she knows exactly what’s going on.”
Others, like teammate Kristee Porter, find Jones’
off-court persona to be quite a puzzle.
“She’s a nice person, but sometimes I think
she’s very weird,” Porter said jokingly.
Though her personality off the court is one of apparent
inconsistency, the newcomer from San Clemente, Calif. has worked
her way into becoming one of the new constants on the 3-15 Bruin
squad ““ a team that has witnessed a significant resurgence in
play since Jones and Porter joined the team partway into the
season.
Jones’ basketball presence was missed for a stretch of six
losses at the beginning of the hoops schedule as she played a vital
role as starting midfielder for the women’s soccer team in
its run to UCLA’s first-ever NCAA soccer championship
game.
Only days after the soccer team lost to North Carolina by a
final margin of 2-1, Jones was suited up to play a key role on the
court in the women’s basketball team’s first win of the
season against Long Beach State.
“It’s a hard transition coming in from soccer into
basketball, but Whit’s dealt with it quite well,” said
Porter, who is also aware of dealing with sports transitions, as
she earned All-America honors for the volleyball team earlier in
the season. “The fact that she adjusted so well and so
quickly says a lot about her athleticism.”
Since her introduction to the UCLA basketball scene, Jones has
seen nothing but a steady improvement in her game. She and Porter
have started the last six games together at the forward positions
and have added a defensive depth that the Bruins seemed to lack
earlier in the season.
Jones’ scoring and rebounding tallies have been improving
gradually as the season progresses. In UCLA’s loss to Oregon
on Saturday, she recorded seven points and seven rebounds, a total
that Olivier hopes will increase to double digits by the end of the
season.
“People have to remember that (Jones) is only a freshman
and she hasn’t worked out with us at all this year,”
Olivier said.
“We usually don’t see much improvement in our
players until after their freshman seasons, as it is. I think how
much she’s accomplished already is a testament to how well
Whitney has adapted to this level.”
The current role Whitney Jones plays for the basketball squad is
not one that garners much acclaim.
She doesn’t handle the ball very much, nor does she score
an exceptional amount of points. Her season average of 5.2 points
and 3.6 boards per game are not exactly mind-blowing statistics.
But what really makes Jones a special player are those numbers
outside the box scores.
“Whitney does the things that don’t show up in the
stats really, really well,” Olivier said.
And the respect she has garnered from her teammates is certainly
evident of that.
“She’s definitely another offensive threat for
us,” Greco noted. “And defensively, she’s a very
smart player, almost like a cat when she goes after the
ball.”
Among those nonstatistical attributes the team finds
praiseworthy in Jones is the aggressive demeanor she brings to the
court, and her ability to mix that toughness with a modest profile
that keeps her out of the spotlight.
“Whitney does so many things right,” Greco said,
“She crashes the boards well for someone her size, she opens
holes up for players like me, and she’s very effective in
tying up other teams on defense. Against Arizona, I remember her
forcing something like seven jump balls. And things like that which
she does so well, she usually doesn’t get any credit
for.”
Not that Jones wants any credit anyway. When asked what it is
exactly that makes her the player she is, Jones has little
self-promotion to offer.
“I just do what I can,” the freshman replied.
“I don’t play sports for any recognition really. I just
like to stay active and be part of a team.”
Jones’ role as a team player, whether it’s on the
basketball court or the soccer field, works for the time being.
Still just a freshman, she provides a valuable compliment to
offensive playmakers like Greco.
“Nothing really throws her off,” Olivier said.
“She doesn’t get too high, she definitely doesn’t
get too low, and she just goes with the flow.”
In light of her potential, however, Jones will likely be seeing
much more attention in the coming years than she may be ready
for.