Jones and King Invited to 2003 USA National Team Trials

Valerie King

Houston's Chandi Jones and Cincinnati's Valerie King will participate in the 2003 USA Basketball National Team Trials May 22-25 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., as announced by the USA Basketball office today.

Jones led the nation in scoring in 2002-03, averaging 27.5 points in addition to her 8.1 rebounds and 3.4 steals per game. The 5-10 junior guard/forward was also named the 2003 Conference USA Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. She is Houston's all-time leading female scorer and has totaled 1,965 points in 82 games as a Lady Cougar.

King, a native of Washington Court House, Ohio, is a two-time first team All-Conference USA pick and a three-time C-USA All-Tournament Team member. The junior is seventh on UC’s all-time scoring chart with 1,661 points and third all-time scoring average, netting 17.5 points per game. Her .394 three-point shooting percentage and her .874 free throw percentage are the best in school history, with the latter ranking fourth in NCAA history.

Jones and King will join other nationally-recognized athletes in Colorado Springs in May where a 12-member team and alternates will be selected to compete in the World Championship for Young Women July 25-Aug. 3 in Sibenik, Croatia and the Pan American Games in early August in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Ohio State head coach Jim Foster will serve as this year's coach.