JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jazz Bond made UNF history by becoming the first Ospreys basketball player to be selected in the WNBA draft.
The 6-4 forward was selected in the third round by the Dallas Wings with the 31st overall pick late Monday night. The recipe for turning that dream into reality — dedication and hard work.
In an interview with UNF’s Talon Talk, Bond said her mission was simple. Hard work will get players noticed.
“Throughout my whole process it didn’t matter to me what school I was at. At the end of the day, I was going to put in the work that needed to be done,” she said. “This goes for anybody, it doesn’t matter what school, if it’s Power 5 or mid-major, as long you work hard and are dedicated to the game you can be successful in whatever you do.”
Bond, a native of Murfreesboro, Tenn., started her college career at USF before transferring to UNF. In four seasons with the Ospreys, Bond averaged 15.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocked shots per game.
Bond has already started her preparations for the WNBA by extending her workouts to prepare for life as a professional.
“I’m going to do whatever it takes to be successful no matter where I’m from what I look like or how I’m built,” she said. “At the end of the day, I am going to do whatever it takes to be successful.”
Bond becomes the fifth player with local ties to get drafted into the WNBA.
She joins Courtney Williams (Charlton County, USF, 8th to the Mercury in 2016), Rennia Davis (Ribault, Tennessee, 9th in 2021 to the Lynx), Erica White (Ribault, LSU, 17th to the Comets in 2008) and Monique Cardenas (Keystone Heights, Florida, 53rd by the Fire in 2002) to be selected in the draft.