July 20. Thats the date when the Team USA women’s basketball was tested by the WNBA All-Star Team in 2024. While Caitlin Clark topped fan votes, a majority of the selected athletes had already been recruited to ply their trade in the Paris Olympics. Among other athletes, one who made it to the All-Star team is Jonquel Jones. Though her game is astounding, not much is known about her ethnicity and birthplace. For starters, it would come as a surprise that Jones is Bahamian.

She had a life that was caught between doing what she wanted and listening to others, since she had grown up in a collective community. And Jones moved to the USA at a young age to prepare for the next chapter of her life, while her heart rested miles away in a land that was known for fun and merriment. Let’s take a look at Jones’s early life.

Where is Jonquel Jones from? What’s her nationality? 

Born in the Bahamas, ballin’ across the globe. That pretty much sums up Jonquel Jones.

Hailing from Freeport, Bahamas, Jonquel Orthea Jones was born on January 5, 1994, and her island roots run deep. She grew up dancing to the Bahamian groove and tearing up the asphalt on her bike—high energy from the jump. And while she may suit up for the New York Liberty now, her heart still beats to the rhythm of the Bahamas.

But here’s where it gets interesting—Jones holds dual nationality. In May, 2019, she officially became a Bosnian citizen, a move that allowed her to compete internationally for Bosnia and Herzegovina and broaden her professional career in European leagues.

So yes, Jonquel is proudly Bahamian by birth, Bosnian by strategy, and a global basketball force by nature.

What is Jonquel Jones’s Ethnicity and Religion?

Of Afro-Caribbean descent and raised in a devout Christian household in the Bahamas, Jones grew up balancing more than just basketball. She’s opened up about the deeply personal challenge of reconciling her Christian faith with her identity as a lesbian in a conservative, religious environment. “I do consider myself to be a Christian,” she once shared, “but it was extremely religious [in the Bahamas].” Even now, Jones continues to explore what faith means to her, on her own terms.

But don’t mistake her vulnerability for weakness. Her roots, her culture, and her strength run deep. You could feel that energy in 2023 when the New York Liberty blasted Destra Garcia’s “It’s Carnival” and Bunji Garlin’s “Differentology” through the arena speakers. For Jones, that wasn’t just a soundtrack—it was a homecoming.

“It’s felt amazing,” she told Her Hoop Stats. “I feel like everywhere I turn there’s been opportunities to embrace that [Caribbean culture].” With Bahamas Independence Day around the corner on July 10, Jones beamed with pride: “I’m going to the Empire State Building and getting to turn on the lights and have the Empire State Building lit up into the Bahamian flag colors. The level of inclusion here, it makes me proud.”

On July 10 of the same year, Jones took part in the lighting ceremony, where the Empire State Building was lit in the Bahamian flag’s gold, black, and aquamarine.

From Freeport to the Big Apple, Jonquel Jones is living her truth—and lighting it up, in more ways than one.

Which college did Jonquel Jones attend, Tabernacle Baptist Academy

Before she was swatting shots and grabbing boards in the WNBA, Jonquel Jones was already turning heads at Tabernacle Baptist Academy in The Bahamas. Nicknamed “Big Slim” for her tall frame and smooth moves, she took her talents stateside at just 14, landing at Riverdale Baptist School in Maryland. It was there that Temple head coach Diane Richardson took her under her wing—literally—becoming her legal guardian.

But the real collegiate climb started at Clemson University, where Jones played her freshman season (2012–13). Still, something bigger was calling. She transferred to George Washington University, and that’s where she truly made her mark.

At GW, Jones didn’t just play—she dominated. Over just 76 games, she racked up stats that still echo in the program’s history books:

• 3rd all-time in rebounds (961)

• 4th in scoring average (15.4)

• 5th in blocked shots (177)

Her senior year? Pure takeover mode. She led the entire nation in rebounding and collected a string of All-American honors. Jones helped GW make two NCAA Tournament runs and, in 2024, got the ultimate nod: induction into the GW Athletics Hall of Fame.

In 2016, she was selected sixth overall in the WNBA Draft by the LA Sparks—before being traded to the Connecticut Sun, where her pro journey truly began.

From “Big Slim” in high school to a college legend—Jonquel Jones has always known how to leave a legacy.