Part of Asjha Jones wanted nothing more than to be going full speed ahead for the start of the U.S. national team training camp.

But before she headed down to Washington, D.C., Connecticut Sun trainer Jeremy Norman cautioned Jones not to push it or she could find herself on the sidelines once again. With a bitter taste in her mouth after a sore Achilles' tendon forced her to miss the final 11 games of the WNBA season, forcing the all-star forward to watch the Sun flounder without her.

So Jones heeded Norman's advice.

"I had to start slow. I was in a boot for seven weeks, hadn’t played in five or so it has been kind of a slow process for me," Jones said. "Jeremy cautioned me to make sure I start slow and not overdo it. It is like waking up the ankle, waking up everything that goes into the foot. It is not just the Achilles. I was just trying to take it slow, jogging a little bit and started to do some sprints, shooting. I was just out of shape, there is nothing like simulating going to a real practice. I am getting there, every day is a little bit better.

"It is hard but I have gotten a little older now and know that if I don’t go slow, if I hurt myself I will have to sit out a little longer so I really have tried to stay patient. If I feel a little pain, not overreacting and knowing that it is part of the process of waking everything back up. Right now I understand what I am feeling and it is a pain that is Ok and there is a pain that is bad. Right now, any time you don’t do something for a while, you have to wake your muscles back up.
I think day to day we add a little more, every day is pretty much a different drill. The offensive drills are usually the same. "

U.S. national team coach Geno Auriemma coached Jones for four seasons at UConn and knew she would not be 100 percent during training camp. But he also felt that 80 percent of Asjha Jones is better than 100 percent a lesser player.

"Asjha's kind of getting back into shape, not playing for the longest time," Auriemma said. "She is not 100 percent but Asjha is Asjha. She knows how to play, she is a good basketball player, she is smart and skilled and she gets things done that other people can't get done because she is just a pro. She has a tremendous knowledge of the game, it helps her even when she isn't 100 percent to know what to do and when to do it."