Jae Monique Kingi-Cross ( Kingi; 20 January 1976) is a New Zealand-born Australian former basketball player and coach. She played for the Detroit Shock, Houston Comets, Phoenix Mercury, and San Antonio Silver Stars of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Kingi-Cross was the first player of Māori descent to be selected in the WNBA draft.
Professional career In the domestic Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), Kingi-Cross played 192 games for the Australian Institute of Sport and the Adelaide Lightning.Women's National Basketball League. All-time Playing Roster . Retrieved 2012-09-11.Players with 100 or more career games . Women's National Basketball League. Retrieved 2012-09-11. Kingi-Cross was also twice named to the WNBL All-Star Five, in seasons 2000/01 and 2001/02.All Star Five . Women's National Basketball League. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
In 2001, Kingi-Cross moved to the United States to play in the Women's National Basketball Association where she was selected in the second round (pick 22 overall) of the 2001 WNBA draft by the Detroit Shock.All-Time WNBA Draft List . Women's National Basketball Association. Retrieved 2012-09-11. Kingi-Cross also played with the Phoenix Mercury (2004), the San Antonio Silver Stars (2006) and the Houston Comets (2007).Silver Stars Sign Jae Kingi-Cross. San Antonio Silver Stars. News (13 March 2006). Retrieved 2012-09-12.Opals suit up for WNBA with Beijing on their minds. The Sydney Morning Herald (17 May 2007). Retrieved 2012-09-12.Women's National Basketball Association. Player Profile: Jae Kingi-Cross . Retrieved 2012-09-12. Entering the 2006 World Championship held in Brazil, Kingi-Cross was the only Australian playing in the WNBA who was not selected in the Opals team.Howell, Stephen (9 August 2006). Opals strengthen bid to topple US giants. The Age. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
National team career Kingi-Cross was a member of the Australia women's national basketball team for 12 years, from 1995-2006 and was in the squad that won a bronze medal at the 2002 World Championships held in China.Jae Cross (2008) Basketball . University of the Sunshine Coast: Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2012-09-10.FIBA Archive. 2002 World Championship for Women. . Retrieved 2012-09-10. Pregnancy kept Kingi-Cross out of the 2004 Olympic squad that went to Athens.Howell, Stephen (16 March 2006). Opal a gem of an import. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2012-09-11.
Coaching career Kingi-Cross spent five seasons as an assistant coach and two seasons as associate head coach with the Rice Owls women's basketball team. She served as head coach of the St. Thomas Celts women's basketball team from 2015-2023.
Career statistics
WNBA
| align=left | | align=left | Detroit |29||17||21.6||.387||.375||.722||2.2||2.6||1.1||0.3||1.8||5.8 |- class="sortbottom" | align=left | 2002 | align=center colspan=13| Did not appear in league |- class="sortbottom" | align=left | 2003 | align=center colspan=13| Did not play (maternity leave) |- | align=left rowspan=2 | | align=left | Detroit |5||0||3.0||—||—||.750||0.2||0.2||0.0||0.0||0.4||0.6 |- | align=left | Phoenix |13||0||9.8||.333||.429||.714||1.0||0.9||0.4||0.2||0.5||1.5 |- class="sortbottom" | align=left | 2005 | align=center colspan=13| Did not play (waived) |- | align=left | | align=left | San Antonio |18||1||6.4||.444||.333||.778||0.6||0.6||0.3||0.0||0.3||1.4 |- class="sortbottom" | align=left | Career | align=left | 3 years, 3 teams |65||18||13.6||.388||.376||.732||1.3||1.5||0.6||0.2||1.0||3.3
Personal life In 2008, she was inducted into her home town of Canberra's Sports Hall of Fame.Rice Owls: Women's Basketball. Biography: Jae Cross . Retrieved 2012-09-12. Kingi-Cross and her husband, Tom Cross, live in Texas with their four daughters.
See also List of Australian WNBA players
References