Former Australian Opal Erin Phillips was honoured with an OAM for services to Basketball and Australian Rules Football in the annual Queen’s Birthday Honours list.
Dual Olympian, Phillips has built an impressive playing resume that spans multiple continents and has collected accolades including an Olympic silver medal, a Commonwealth Games gold medal and a FIBA World Cup gold medal.
At only 21, Phillips had won a FIBA World Cup gold medal after an impressive run in the WNBL where she was an all star five winner and won the 2008 Championship with Adelaide Lightning. Phillips joined captain Lauren Jackson AO in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics where the Opals took home the silver medal.
Jackson on hearing of her former team-mates honour today said “I’m so thrilled for Erin this is such a deserved honour for someone who has proudly represented her country at the highest level. A gifted athlete and incredible team-oriented player, Erin was a champion on and off the court. To go on and achieve so much in AFLW is a testament to the competitor she is, this honour could not have been bestowed on anyone more deserving. I’m so pleased for Erin to be able to share this with her family it’s a fitting reward for all of her hard work and sacrifice over many years.”
Phillips’ impressive WNBA career included two championships playing for Indiana Fever then Phoenix Mercury.
Following a strong performance at the 2016 Olympics, Phillips decided to follow in her father’s footsteps pursuing a career in the AFL and joined the Adelaide Football Club where she has continued her successful sporting career.
Previous Clubs:
2002-2008 – Adelaide Lightning (WNBL)
2006-2009 – Connecticut Sun (WNBA)
2008-2009 – Ramat Hasharon Electra (Israel)
2009-2010 – Lotos Gdynia (Poland)
2010-2013 – Wilsa Krakow (Poland)
2011-2013 – Indiana Fever (WNBA)
2014-2015 – Phoenix Mercury (WNBA)
2015-2016 – Los Angeles Sparks (WNBA)
2016-Current – Adelaide Crows (AFLW)
Major Awards:
Olympic Games: 2008 (Silver)
FIBA World Championship: 2006 (Gold), 2010, 2014 (Bronze)
Commonwealth Games: 2006 (Gold)
WNBL Champion: 2008
WNBL All-Star Five: 2005, 2006, 2007
WNBA Champion: 2012, 2014
EuroLeague All-Star: 2010
Polish PLKK Champion: 2010, 2011, 2012
Polish PLKK All-Star: 2011, 2012
In the spirit of reconciliation Basketball Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.