Marion Jones Returning to Basketball With WNBA's Tulsa Shock

Former sprinter Marion Jones, who lost her freedom and her Olympic medals over her use of steroids, is returning to the sport that introduced her to the public, basketball.

Jones, 34, who has not played organized basketball in 13 years, signed a free agent contract with the Tulsa Shock of the WNBA after trying out over the weekend for Nolan Richardson, Tulsa's coach/general manager.

"I'm extremely excited to join the team and the WNBA," Jones said. "After a lot of thought, I realized this is a great fit for me because of Coach Richardson's up-tempo style of play. I can't wait to start training camp and learn more about the city and team I'll be representing."

Jones served a six-month jail term after she admitted that she lied to federal grand juries convened to probe the use of performance-enhancing drugs in conjunction with an investigation of BALCO, a San Francisco-area lab from which the drugs were allegedly distributed.



Share Jones strongly denied that she had taken steroids after she won five medals -- three gold -- in Sydney during the 2000 Summer Olympics. However, in Oct. 2007, Jones admitted that she had taken a substance known as "The Clear," though she continued to maintain that she had not knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs.

In November, FanHouse reported that Jones, who gave birth to her third child eight months ago, was working out in San Antonio with a goal of getting in basketball shape to attempt to play professionally.

By then, Jones had already met with WNBA President Donna Orender and Renee Brown, the league's chief of basketball operations and player relations to ensure that she was, in fact, eligible to play in the league.

"I may not be your typical rookie in this league, but I'll still bring that rookie energy. I'm looking forward to competing against the best female athletes in the world."
- Marion Jones WNBA rules require that a player who has been suspended or expelled by another athletic organization has to be certified by the league to be eligible.

Jones worked out with San Antonio general manager Dan Hughes and with Silver Stars associate head coach Olaf Lange, though she elected to try out over the weekend for Richardson, the former Arkansas men's coach, whose Razorbacks teams played an up-tempo style.

"Watching her go through drills, I saw a player who's perfect for our system," Richardson said. "The one thing I do know is she can run, and any player on my team who wants to be successful needs to be able to run."

The Shock relocated from Detroit, where the franchise won three WNBA titles. However, Richardson, who cleared Jones' participation with the league, has only seven players under contract on the roster less than a month before the league's April 8 draft.

In addition, Katie Smith, the team's leading scorer, is widely rumored to be heading to Washington, which has scheduled a major free agent signing announcement for next week, presumed to be Smith.

In other words, while her signing may gain Tulsa some badly needed publicity, Jones will have a chance to make the case that she can play.

"I may not be your typical rookie in this league, but I'll still bring that rookie energy," Jones said. "I'm looking forward to competing against the best female athletes in the world."

Whatever her troubles in track, Jones has basketball bonafides.

Despite only playing three years at North Carolina (she missed the 1996 season to prepare for the Olympics), Jones was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference's 50th Anniversary women's basketball team.
Jones was the starting point guard, as a freshman, on the Tar Heels team that won the national championship in 1994. Her career scoring average of 16.8 points per game is third in North Carolina history, and she remains in the top seven all-time in program history in steals, assists and blocks.

Jones is subject to the WNBA's performance-enhancing drug policy, which includes up to three random tests per season.