University of Houston Athletics
Chandi Jones Selected In First Round Of WNBA Draft
4/17/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
April 17, 2004
HOUSTON - University of Houston star and three-time Conference USA Player of the Year Chandi Jones was selected in the first round in Saturday's WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury as the eighth overall selection. However, she was traded to the defending WNBA champion Detroit Shock in a multi-player deal that includes the draft rights to Purdue's Shereka Wright.
Jones, a consensus All-American this season, who became the first player in University of Houston and Conference USA history to be named a Kodak All-American, was not surprised by the news of being traded to Detroit.
"I talked to coach (Bill) Laimbeer before the draft and he said he was going to do whatever it took to get me in Detroit," Jones said Saturday evening. "When I heard the news about being traded there it didn't really come as a huge surprise."
Jones said she is excited to get the opportunity to play for the defending WNBA champion Shock, and is ready for the chance to help them repeat.
"I think it's a great opportunity to play for the defending world champions," Jones said. "I'll do whatever I have to do to get them back to that point this next season."
In her senior year, Jones led the Cougars to a school-record 28 wins, their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1992 and the first NCAA victory in school history. With her leading the way, Houston won the regular season Conference USA title and the tournament title. Jones earned individual recognition as the C-USA Player of the Year for a record third consecutive season, was named Tournament MVP and earned first team All-Conference honors for the fourth straight season.
Jones led the league in scoring (22.7 ppg) and steals (3.10 spg) and scored 30 or more points on four occasions, including a career-high-tying 39 vs. Tulane on Feb. 8. She also ranked among the league's leaders in rebounding, three-point field goals made and three-point field goal percentage. Jones reached double figure scoring in all 114 games of her UH career. On Feb. 15, she became the all-time leading scorer in Conference USA history and closed out her career with 2,684 points.
Jones is the third Conference USA player to be selected in the first round of the WNBA Draft. Tulane's Grace Daley was the league's initial first round pick in 2000 and UAB's Deanna Jackson was a first rounder in 2002. Jones is the first University of Houston player to be chosen in the WNBA Draft.
The WNBA's eighth season gets underway on May 20. Jones would be scheduled to make her professional debut back in Texas when the Shock play at San Antonio on May 22. The Shock are scheduled to play the Houston Comets in Houston on Thursday July 15 at Toyota Center.
