INQUIRER Sports

TULSA?Disgraced athletics star Marion Jones, stripped of five medals from the 2000 Sydney Olympics, has signed to play for the Tulsa Shock of the Women's NBA, the club announced Wednesday.

Jones admitted in 2007 that she took the once-undetectable designer steroid THG that was at the heart of the BALCO steroid scandal, using it to help her win three gold medals and two bronze medals she was later forced to return.

Jones was released from a federal prison 18 months ago after serving a six-month sentence for lying about taking performance-enhancing drugs as well as her role in a check fraud plot in 2003.

Joining the WNBA at age 34 is not a bid for redemption, Jones said at a news conference.

"The word redemption is not in my vocabulary," she said. "I'm a competitor. I want to play against the best in the world and I know that I will be doing that."

Jones hopes to launch a new sports career as a rookie free agent, hoping to provide Shock value for a team that moved from Detroit after last season.

"I'm extremely excited. 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."

Jones began working toward this goal 10 months ago, realizing that she needed to prepare for a game that has evolved since her collegiate years.

"I know how much the game has grown from the time that I played and that became even more of a challenge for me, because I know that although I know certain things and played a certain way, that it's 10 times faster, that the athletes are 10 times more skilled," Jones said.

She worked out for the team on Saturday and will make the league minimum, about $35,000 for the 2010 season.

"We?re thrilled to have her," Shock coach Nolan Richardson said. "In the workouts last week I saw how hard she works. She has things you can?t teach, like speed and great hand and eye coordination.

"She looks chiseled. Her age might be saying one thing but everything about her is saying she's young."

Shock president Steve Swetoha said Jones deserves another chance at a sports career despite her dope cheat admission and previous fall from grace.

"People make mistakes. When they do, they are held accountable," Swetoha said. "She has paid the price for that. I truly believe she's looking to move forward and be productive, not only off the court but on the court."

Jones figures to be a drawing card for a team in the second-smallest home area in the league.

"She made some ill-advised decisions in the past, but everyone deserves a second chance to excel at something they love," Swetoha said.

"Tulsa gave a struggling franchise from Detroit a second chance. I'm confident it will do the same for Marion. We couldn't be happier to have her on board."

Jones was a starting point guard for the 1994 University of North Carolina women's basketball national champions the same year Richardson guided Arkansas to the US men's college crown.

The WNBA Phoenix Mercury drafted Jones in 2003 but she has never played a game in the league.

"After a lot of thought, I realized this is a great fit for me because of coach Richardson's up-tempo style of play," Jones said.

Richardson has no problem with Jones' troubled sporting past.

"I talked with the WNBA and they told me there was no stipulation whatsoever about her joining," Richardson said. "She is stepping out, changing careers. I am too. She needed a place that fits and what better fit than here?

"I?m a no-nonsense coach. She understands that. I?m glad she came to me."

The WNBA season opens May 15, when the Shock play host to Minnesota.