Chandi Jones is the greatest player in Lady Cougar Basketball history. A great case can be made that she’s the greatest female athlete in UH history, too.
With all respect to UH’s first female scholarship athlete, Flo Hyman, what Chandi achieved at UH is unmatched. Flo definitely accomplished more after leaving the Cougars, but Chandi elevated the Lady Coogs to new heights while on campus. A rundown of her career here:
Career Accomplishments
- C-USA Female Athlete of the Decade
- C-USA Women’s Basketball Player of the Decade
- C-USA Women’s Basketball All-Decade Team
- Houston Athletics Hall of Honor member (2010)
- Kodak All-American
- NCAA National Scoring Champion (2003)
- Three-time C-USA Player of the Year
- Four-time First Team All-C-USA
- C-USA Tournament MVP (2004)
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”#c8102e” class=”” size=””]Chandi was named C-USA’s all-sports Female Athlete of the Decade.[/perfectpullquote]
2003-04: C-USA Champs
- Kodak All-American
- Associated Press Second Team All-American
- John R. Wooden Award finalist
- Naismith Award Finalist
- C-USA Female Athlete of the Year
- C-USA Player of the Year
- First Team All-C-USA
- C-USA Tournament MVP
2002-03: National Scoring Champion
- NCAA National Scoring Champion (27.5 ppg)
- Associated PressHonorable Mention All-American
- WomensCollegeHoops.com Third Team All-American
- C-USA Player of the Year
- First Team All-C-USA selection
2001-02: WNIT Runner-Up
- National Comeback Player of the Year (WBB News Service)
- Associated PressHonorable Mention All-American
- WBB News Service Second Team All-American
- C-USA Player of the Year
- First Team All-C-USA
- WNIT All-Tournament Team
- C-USA All-Tournament Team
2000-01: Season Ended Due to Injury
- Women’s Basketball Journal Second Team Freshman All-American
- C-USA Freshman of the Year
- First Team All-C-USA
- C-USA Player of the Year
- First Team All-C-USA
- WNIT All-Tournament Team
- C-USA All-Tournament Team
- Mississippi State Classic All-Tournament Team
- Coors Classic All-Tournament Team
- Ala Moana Paradise Classic All-Tournament Team
Along with teammates Nicole Oliver and Sancho Little, Chandi led the Lady Coogs to their first-ever conference title, their first ever tournament title, their highest seed in NCAA history, the first-ever NCAA Tournament win, and a final 28-4 record.
Chandi finished her career as the Lady Coogs’ all-time leading scorer with 2,692 points and ranks behind only Elvin Hayes (2,884) and Otis Birdsong (2,832) for most points in school history. She scored the bulk of those points after tearing her ACL during her freshman season.
On Feb. 5, 2005, Jones had her number 13 retired, another first for a Houston women’s basketball player. She was inducted into the Houston Athletics Hall of Honor on Nov. 4, 2010.
