DeLisha Milton-Jones

DeLisha Lachell Milton-Jones (born September 11, 1974) is an American retired professional basketball player and head coach of Old Dominion. Milton-Jones played college basketball for the University of Florida. She was a first-team All-American and SEC Player of the Year her senior season.

Delisha Milton-Jones
Milton-Jones at the 2007 WNBA All-Star game.
Old Dominion Monarchs
PositionHead coach
LeagueSun Belt Conference
Personal information
Born (1974-09-11) September 11, 1974
Riceboro, Georgia, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High schoolBradwell Institute
(Hinesville, Georgia)
CollegeFlorida (1993–1997)
WNBA draft1999: Supplemental round, 4th overall pick
Selected by the Los Angeles Sparks
Playing career1999–2015
PositionSmall forward / power forward
Number8, 3, 1
Coaching career2016–present
Career history
As player:
1997–1998Portland Power
1999–2004Los Angeles Sparks
2002–2003UMMC Ekaterinburg
2005–2007Washington Mystics
2005–2006Gambrinus Brno
2006–2008Ros Casares Valencia
2008–2009Ros Casares Valencia
2008–2012Los Angeles Sparks
2013San Antonio Silver Stars
2013–2014New York Liberty
2014–2015Atlanta Dream
As coach:
2016–2017Pepperdine (assistant)
2017–2019Pepperdine
2019–2020Syracuse (assistant)
2020–presentOld Dominion
Career highlights and awards
As player:
Career statistics
Field goals completed.440
Free throws completed.790
Points scored5,571
Stats at WNBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Team competition
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing Team competition
FIBA World Championship
Gold medal – first place 1998 Germany Team competition
Gold medal – first place 2002 China Team competition
Bronze medal – third place 2006 Brazil Team competition
Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1997 Sicily Team competition

Milton-Jones began her professional career in 1997 with the Portland Power, who drafted her second overall in the American Basketball League (ABL). After the dissolution of the ABL in 1998, Milton-Jones entered into the 1999 WNBA draft and was selected fourth overall by the Los Angeles Sparks. In her seventeen-season WNBA career, she has played for the Los Angeles Sparks (1999–2004, 2008–2012), the Washington Mystics (2005–07), the San Antonio Stars (2013), and the New York Liberty (2013–14).

Milton-Jones is a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2000, 2008) and a two-time WNBA champion (2001, 2002) and has been selected to the WNBA All-Star Game three times (2000, 2004, 2007).

Early years

Milton-Jones was born DeLisha Lachell Milton in Riceboro, Georgia, in 1974. She attended Bradwell Institute in Hinesville, Georgia, where she played high school basketball for the Bradwell Tigers. Milton-Jones graduated from Bradwell in 1993.

College career

Milton-Jones accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where she played for coach Carol Ross's Florida Gators women's basketball team from 1993 to 1997. She was a four-year letterman, and led the Lady Gators to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. As a senior in 1996–97, she was recognized as an All-American by the Associated Press, Kodak and the Basketball Times; she was also the winner of the Wade Trophy and the Honda Sports Award for basketball, recognizing the best women's basketball player in NCAA Division I.[1]

Milton-Jones was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2007.[2][3]

Florida statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
YearTeamGPPointsFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
1993-94Florida2933948.7%0.0%61.2%11.51.12.40.411.7
1994-95Florida3344456.8%0.0%61.8%6.60.82.50.413.5
1995-96Florida3046247.9%0.0%69.0%8.71.61.50.515.4
1996-97Florida3361356.3%0.0%75.6%8.92.02.60.618.6
Career 125185852.7%0.0%67.9%8.91.42.20.114.9
Source[4]

USA Basketball

Milton-Jones represented the US at the 1997 World University Games held in Marsala, Sicily, Italy, in August 1997. The USA team won all six games, earning the gold medal at the event. Milton-Jones averaged 10.3 points per game and recorded 14 steals, second highest on the team.[5]

Milton-Jones was named to the U.S. national team in 1998. The national team traveled to Berlin, Germany, in July and August 1998 for the FIBA World Championships. The U.S. team won a close opening game against Japan 95–89, then won their next six games easily. In the semifinal game against Brazil, the U.S. team was behind as much as ten points in the first half, but the U.S. team went on to win 93–79. The gold medal game was a rematch against Russia. In the first game, the Americans dominated almost from the beginning, but in the rematch, the Russian team took the early lead and led much of the way. With under two minutes remaining, the U.S. team was down by two points but the Americans responded, then held on to win the gold medal 71–65. Milton-Jones averaged 7.1 points per game.[6]

Milton-Jones is well known for the unusual length of her arms, which give her an eighty-four inch wingspan—typical of that of a seven-foot person. She was a member of the U.S. national women's basketball teams that won the gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China,[7] as well as the U.S. women's teams that won world championships in 1998 and 2002.

Professional career

ABL

Milton-Jones was drafted second overall by the Portland Power in the 1997 American Basketball League (ABL) Draft.[8] During her rookie season, Milton-Jones played in all 44 games and started in 35 of them. She averaged 28.1 minutes per game, 8.5 points, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 4.9 rebounds.[9] The ABL folded in December 1998. The Power played 13 games, all of which Milton-Jones started. She averaged 29.2 minutes per game, 11.9 points, 2.0 assists, 2.4 steals and 9.8 rebounds.[10]

WNBA

In 1999, Milton-Jones was drafted 4th overall by the Los Angeles Sparks. She would play the first six years of her career with the Sparks from 1999 to 2004, playing alongside Lisa Leslie. During her six-year tenure with the Sparks, Milton-Jones won two WNBA championships in 2001 and 2002.

In 2005, she was traded to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Chamique Holdsclaw and a first-round draft pick in the 2004 off-season.

On April 22, 2008, Milton-Jones was reacquired by the Los Angeles Sparks in a trade for Taj McWilliams-Franklin.[11]

In 2013, she signed with the San Antonio Silver Stars before being released and then signed by the New York Liberty. On July 9, 2014, Milton-Jones was traded to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Swin Cash

In August 2015, Milton-Jones played in her 497th WNBA game, a then league-record for most WNBA games played (since been broken by Sue Bird).[12][13]

In 2016, Milton-Jones was released by the Dream.[14]

In September 2016, Miton-Jones officially announced her retirement.[15]

Overseas

In 2003, she won the Euroleague Championship with team Ekaterinburg in Russia. In the 2005–06 season, she won the Euroleague with Gambrinus Brno of the Czech Republic and for the season 2006–07 she signed a two-year contract with Ros Casares Valencia of Spain. During the 2008–2009 WNBA off-season, Milton-Jones played for Ros Casares Valencia in Spain.[16] for whom she also played during the 2007-08 off-season.[17]

Coaching career

She became the second woman (after Ashley McElhiney) to coach a men's professional basketball team when, in 2005, she took over the ABA's Los Angeles Stars.

On March 29, 2017, she was named the head coach of Pepperdine Waves women's basketball replacing Ryan Weisenberg. In 2019, Milton-Jones resigned from Pepperdine to become an assistant at Syracuse. On April 17, 2020, she was named head coach at Old Dominion University.

Head coaching record
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Pepperdine Waves (West Coast Conference) (2017–2019)
2017–18 Pepperdine 10–205–13T–8th
2018–19 Pepperdine 22–1212–6T–3rdWNIT Third Round
Pepperdine: 32–32 (.500)17–19 (.472)
Old Dominion Lady Monarchs (Conference USA) (2020–2022)
2020–21 Old Dominion 13–117–9T–5th (East)
2021–22 Old Dominion 24–1012–63rd (East)WNIT Second round
Old Dominion: 37–21 (.638)19–15 (.559)
Old Dominion Lady Monarchs (Sun Belt Conference) (2022–present)
2022–23 Old Dominion 22–1212–6T–4th
Old Dominion: 22–12 (.647)12–6 (.667)
Total:91–65 (.583)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Personal life

Milton-Jones appeared in the 2000 movie Love and Basketball as Delisha Milton. In 2003, Milton-Jones married Roland Jones.[18]

Europe
  • 2001-2002: Lavezzini Basket Parma (Italy)
  • 2002-2004: UMMC Ekaterinburg (Russia)
  • 2007-2009: Ros Casares Valencia (Spain)

Awards and honors

Milton-Jones has received numerous awards and honors, some of which are listed below.

WNBA

Gold Medals
  • 2000 & 2008 Olympic Games
  • 2007 Tournament of Americas
  • 1998 & 2002 FIBA World Championship
  • 2002 Opals World Challenge
  • 1999 U.S. Olympic Cup
  • 1997 World University Games
  • 1994 U.S. Olympic Festival

Bronze Medal
  • 2006 FIBA World Championship

Collegiate honors
  • 1997 SEC Player of the Year
  • 1997 State Farm Wade Trophy
  • 1997 First-team All-American
  • 1997 First-team All-Southeastern Conference
  • 1996 First-team All-Southeastern Conference
  • 1995 Second-team All-Southeastern Conference
  • 1994 Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team
  • SEC Player of the Week (February 27, 1995; December 15, 1996; January 5, 1997; January 26, 1997)

WNBA career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game  BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
 TO  Turnovers per game  FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 Bold  Career best ° League leader
† Denotes seasons in which Milton-Jones won a WNBA championship

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
1999 Los Angeles 323226.1.530.000.7915.51.61.50.52.29.9
2000 Los Angeles 323230.7.512.250.7456.12.11.40.92.011.8
2001† Los Angeles 322729.3.453.343.7945.32.11.50.91.810.3
2002† Los Angeles 322530.2.487.420.7406.61.41.61.12.911.3
2003 Los Angeles 313035.0.424.377.8047.12.11.61.32.513.4
2004 Los Angeles 191931.8.404.297.7264.71.61.20.52.59.8
2005 Washington 333032.4.417.328.7985.21.81.70.52.211.9
2006 Washington 232029.3.472.430.8104.92.11.50.72.914.6
2007 Washington 343433.6.349.235.8456.41.61.51.13.513.4
2008 Los Angeles 313132.8.480.358.7746.32.41.10.63.013.9
2009 Los Angeles 333331.6.401.293.7574.82.21.20.22.210.2
2010 Los Angeles 343432.2.470.317.8664.72.51.10.62.815.4
2011 Los Angeles 343426.2.462.352.8314.62.00.90.42.411.7
2012 Los Angeles 343427.2.417.326.8234.21.81.00.71.810.0
2013 San Antonio* 151527.3.421.214.6074.92.00.90.51.79.2
2013 New York* 11219.4.348.200.7883.31.70.50.31.56.7
2013 Total 261723.9.398.208.7054.21.90.70.31.68.2
2014 New York* 19216.8.404.200.7142.51.10.40.31.15.7
2014 Atlanta* 2011.5.286.5001.0001.00.00.51.51.54.5
2014 Total 21227.2.417.326.8234.21.81.00.71.82.1
2015 Atlanta 1818.9.340.100.5561.80.40.10.71.72.1
Career 17 years, 5 teams 49943528.8.440.325.7905.21.81.20.72.411.2

Postseason
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
1999 Los Angeles 4431.8.450.000.4295.32.51.81.51.29.8
2000 Los Angeles 4434.0.541.000.8335.53.01.50.52.512.5
2001† Los Angeles 7732.3.547.375.6846.32.91.01.41.512.3
2002† Los Angeles 6334.0.450.563.9386.81.31.71.51.813.0
2003 Los Angeles 9937.6.443.556.7716.32.81.91.42.214.6
2006 Washington 2234.5.379.4441.0009.02.51.50.53.014.0
2008 Los Angeles 6634.3.407.357.7336.01.81.30.72.110.7
2009 Los Angeles 6631.7.351.308.6255.82.51.70.22.19.0
2010 Los Angeles 2235.5.3601.000.5008.51.00.50.52.510.5
2012 Los Angeles 4425.3.375.500.7783.51.81.00.52.25.5
Career 10 years, 2 teams 504733.4.440.459.7416.12.31.51.02.111.5

See also

References
  1. "The Wade Trophy". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  2. F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
  3. "Nine Members Inducted Into University of Florida Athletics Hall of Fame Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine," GatorZone.com (April 13, 2007). Retrieved July 21, 2011.
  4. "Florida Media Guide" (PDF). Retrieved 2017-09-10.
  5. "Eighteenth World University Games -- 1993". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on 7 September 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  6. "Thirteenth World Championship For Women -- 1998". USA Basketball. June 10, 2010. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  7. Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, Athletes, DeLisha Milton-Jones. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
  8. "Portland makes Milton No. 2 overall pick in ABL draft". Tampa Bay Times. 1 October 2005. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  9. "1997-98 Portland Power Statistics". statscrew.com. Stats Crew. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  10. "1998-99 Portland Power Statistics". statscrew.com. Stats Crew. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  11. "MYSTICS: MYSTICS ACQUIRE TAJ MCWILLIAMS-FRANKLIN". www.wnba.com. Retrieved 2017-09-10.
  12. "DeLisha Milton-Jones plays in 497th WNBA game, setting record". ESPN. 29 August 2015. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  13. "Sue Bird sets WNBA record for games played". ESPN.com. July 22, 2018.
  14. "Atlanta cuts 41-year-old Milton-Jones, WNBA's oldest player". AP NEWS.
  15. "Milton-Jones ready for next phase". ESPN.com. September 27, 2016.
  16. "WNBA.com: Offseason 2008-09: Overseas Roster". wnba.com.
  17. "WNBA.com: Offseason 2007-08: Overseas Roster". wnba.com.
  18. "DeLisha Milton-Jones and Her Husband (And Moving On)".
  19. "Dream's Delisha Milton-Jones Wins 2015 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award". www.wnba.com/. October 1, 2015. Retrieved 1 Oct 2015.
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