By: Shakara Mott/BIS
Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) All-Star and New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones returned home on Friday, November 14, 2025 to host her first-ever one-day basketball skills clinic, designed to inspire the next generation of female athletes across the island.
The Grand Bahama native welcomed dozens of primary, junior and senior high school girls to the Eight Mile Rock High School Gymnasium for a day of hands-on training, mentorship, and motivation. The clinic featured four fundamental stations — dribbling, ball-handling, passing, and shooting along with friendly competitions, including a spirited game of “knockout.”
The Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture (MOYSC) supported the event by providing lunch for all participants. Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey and Kingsley Smith, MP for West Grand Bahama and Bimini and Parliamentary Secretary were also on hand to cheer on the young athletes and celebrate Jones’ continued investment in her community.
Minister Moxey praised Jones for her ongoing commitment to Grand Bahama.
“Jonquel Jones is a hero to this community, to Grand Bahama, and to The Bahamas,” Moxey said. “We’re thrilled to see her pouring into our young future WNBA stars. She has dreamed about launching this clinic for a long time, and we’re delighted to see it become a reality.”
She added that Jones’ work aligns with the government’s broader vision for youth and sports development.
“The government is committed to advancing sports and youth development, and this initiative fits perfectly within that mission,” Moxey said. “It’s amazing to watch these girls learn, grow, and enjoy every moment.”
MP Kingsley Smith also commended Jones’ leadership and used the opportunity to highlight recent upgrades to the EMR gymnasium.
“I’m proud to support Jonquel Jones as she gives back,” Smith said. “This also showcases the government’s investment in this newly renovated gymnasium. I want to again thank Skye’s Construction for a job well done. I’m proud to say we now have the best gym on Grand Bahama and having a WNBA star use it to inspire our youth is truly amazing.”
The pro-basketball Star said the clinic represents the beginning of a long-term commitment to sports development in Grand Bahama.
“We just wanted to come back and give back to the community,” Jones said. “This is our first clinic this year, but we want to continue growing more clinics, more camps, more opportunities for girls. This is where I started, this is where my roots are, and I want to grow this sport on this island as a whole.”
Jones noted that the girls quickly embraced the training.
“They’re learning a lot of dribbling, ball-handling, passing and shooting,” she said. “The skill set will grow over time, but we’ve got to start somewhere. I’m grateful MOYSC partnered with us to provide lunch, because it takes a village to do this.”
She added that returning to the same gym where she spent many of her youth summers made the moment especially meaningful.
“It’s been great. The kids are ecstatic. Some even came up to me saying they’re fans. To hear that here, in the community where I grew up and where I spent so much time in this gym, it means a lot,” she said.
Jones hopes to expand the clinic into an annual program with broader reach and deeper community partnerships.
(BIS Photos/Andrew Miller and Jamika Culmer)
