Will wireless usb adapter work in place of PCMCIA wireless card?

Will a wireless-g usb adapter work with my 5 year old Inspiron 1000 laptop, XP, that came with an "integrated network card" but "no wireless (PCMCIA) card?" I already have a cable modem & a wireless broadband router reading to go with high speed internet (Cox) that is to come in two days. A Dell 3000 desktop will be in vicinity of the high speed internet line. The laptop will be used within a radius of 25 feet of the cable modem & router.