Jan. 22, 2004

LAS VEGAS - Former UNLV women's basketball standout Constance Jinks (1999-2003) signed a professional contract on Wednesday to play for Club Aris Thivas in the Galanis Division A1 in the Greek Basketball League.

Jinks, a 5-7 guard from Chicago, Ill., was drafted this past summer by the Houston Comets but was not picked up for the opening day roster. She will begin playing for Aris Thivas this Sunday, and finish out the last three months of the season with the team.

"I'm excited about being able to play again, and to get paid to do something that I love," said Jinks. "The role they want me to play is the same I did while playing for UNLV, to take charge of the team while out on the court. It'll be a challenge for me. I don't know what to expect since I'll be the only American on the team, but at the same time, it's an experience I'm looking forward to, and it's another opportunity to see the world. It's also another chance for me to show what I can do on the court, and help myself get another shot at reaching the WNBA for next season."

An All-Mountain West Conference first team honoree hey last two seasons (2001-02, 2002-03), Jinks ended her illustrious UNLV career ranked third all-time in scoring with 1,818 points, ninth all-time in assists (332) and 17th all-time in rebounding (460). In 2002-03, she consistently ranked in the top 20 nationally in scoring (20.2 ppg).