Connecticut Sun superstar Jonquel Jones has burst onto the scene as one of the WNBA's best players and now is reaping the benefits that come with winning the league's Most Valuable Player award.
Jones, who signed a two-year extension to remain with Connecticut, received another welcomed opportunity when she was invited to take part in a rather comical State Farm commercial, which recently was showcased on television.
Jones joined NBA players, including Atlanta Hawks 6-foot-1 guard Trae Young and Dallas Mavericks 7-foot-4 big man Boban Marjanović for the commercial. (You'll realize why their heights matter when you watch the commercial here.)
"I learned about it from our marketing lady and she came to me with it I think, I want to say maybe a month-and-a-half or two months before. So it was very quick," Jones said during a video conference Wednesday in part of the organization's media day.
Jones explained how the commercial was shot late in the 2021 WNBA season, which meant not only asking head coach Curt Miller for permission, but also a hectic schedule that included her playing one night and flying from New York to Los Angeles at 3 a.m. ET the next morning. Jones flew back from LA to the East Coast on a red-eye flight later that night after shooting the commercial the entire day.
"That was basically the day right there," Jones said. "It was a lot of moving and when I think about the day I'm just like, 'Wow.' I was really excited about the opportunity because I think, like adrenaline just pushed me forward with everything that I did because I really didn't feel tired until I got home on the flight back to Connecticut and I just crashed."
The 6-foot-6 Jones, who helps Young reach a jar of pickles on the top shelf in the first half of the ad, hinted that some inside the Sun organization now joke with her about her big acting break.
"I think people from the front office joke more about it than my teammates. Any time I'm trying to reach for something they're like 'Oh, yeah, get the mustard," Jones said with a laugh. "But everybody is super excited."
Miller, along with number of Jones' teammates, spoke about how much they enjoyed watching the fifth-year pro get recognition outside the team, and hope she continues to ascend both on and off the court.
"She was tight-lipped. We knew it was with Trae Young but didn't know all the details of the commercial," Miller said. "But so happy for her and I just smile with pride when I see that commercial each time."
The Sun kick off their season Saturday against the New York Liberty. Connecticut then returns to action May 14 against the Los Angeles Sparks, a game you can watch on NESN+ starting at 7 p.m. ET.
