Marion Jones hopes for basketball redemption

Disgraced Olympic sprinter Marion Jones is hoping to make a sporting comeback in women's professional basketball, the New York Times reported on Monday.

The 34-year-old was released from prison last year after serving most of a six-month sentence for lying about her use of steroids and has been working out on the basketball court since October.

Jones, who played basketball at the University of North Carolina and won a national championship, is hoping to pick up a deal in Europe and then sign for a WNBA team in time for the 2010, the paper said.

"Back in May, when I got a call from someone in the NBA asking if I would possibly be interested in the WNBA, my reaction was 'yeah, right'," Jones told the paper.

"But I got off the phone, thought about it a little bit and talked with my husband. I thought it would be an interesting journey if I decided to do this.

"It would give me an opportunity to share my message to young people on a bigger platform and give me an opportunity to get a second chance.

"I think I can be an asset to a franchise so it comes down to 'why not?' Really. Why not?"

Jones won gold in the 100 metres, 200 and 4x400 relay at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and took bronze in the long jump and 4x100 relay, to become the first woman to win five track and field medals at a single Olympics.

She was stripped of the medals by the International Olympic Committee in Dec. 2007 after she admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs.