If you have looked closely at the women’s basketball team, you may be confused by the numbers 15 and 23, thinking your eyes are deceiving you. They aren’t. There are, in fact, twins on the team.
Jessica and Jazmine Jones are freshmen in communication and journalism, and forwards on the women’s basketball team. Jessica said she and her sister have been playing basketball since they were 10 years old, but it wasn’t until high school when they knew they wanted to play in the big leagues.
“Growing up, we didn’t really know what sport we wanted to play,” Jazmine said. “We rode horses and unicycles and played YMCA ball, but didn’t take basketball seriously until high school.”
Coming from an athletic family with a father who played basketball at UNC-Asheville and Brevard College, it’s no surprise the Jones twins’ other siblings are also tall.
The twins have two older brothers and two older sisters.
“Everyone in our family is 6 feet or over except our sister… she’s only 5’8,” Jazmine said.
Between basketball practice and majoring in the same field, the sisters spend almost all of their time together. Luckily for the pair, they get along well most of the time.
“We will sometimes argue, but then we’ll be over it in the next second,” Jessica said.
The twins mostly finish each others’ sentences.
“Because we think of something funny that we both remember, and then we start laughing,” Jazmine said.
During basketball season, practice can be a maximum of 20 hours a week. Off the court, the sisters also share an English and communications class, but the excessive amount of time they spend together doesn’t seem to bother either of them.
“It’s kind of cool to have someone there who knows your strengths and weaknesses,” Jazmine said. “Although sometimes I do wish I could do more things on my own.”
A common theme with twins is difficulty in telling them apart, especially with twins such as these who are so close they complete each other’s sentences. During games, announcers sometimes mistake the pair. Wesley Todd, assistant communications director for women’s basketball and women’s golf, said an announcer once miscalled a foul during a game.
“I think it was during the LSU game when they called a foul on Jessica when it was supposed to be on Jazmine,” Todd said.
Both sisters are supportive of each other’s successes and feel happiest when they succeed together. Signing with Auburn was one of their proudest shared moments.
“The happiest moment we’ve had together might have been when we both signed with Auburn,” Jazmine said.
On or off the field, the twins strive to make each other better in everything they do.
“We aren’t really upset if one of us does better,” Jessica said. “Sometimes she’ll have her good days, and sometimes I’ll have mine.”
In the future, the Jones twins’ career goals primarily include ones for their entire team.
“I’d like us to go to the NCAA Tournament — not just being in it, but to actually make it far,” Jazmine said. “Also to upgrade the women’s basketball program in general and get it back to where it was.”
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