Lauren Jackson
Debut:1998 FIBA World Cup
Height: 195cm
Major Tournaments: : FIBA World Cup: 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2022. Olympic Games: 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012.Commonwealth Games: 2006
Current team: Southside Flyers, WNBL
Having won and done it all in the first chapter of her storied career, Australia’s greatest ever basketballer Lauren Jackson is inspiring a new generation as her incredible comeback continues.
After injuries forced Jackson into retirement in 2016, it was a season with her home-town team Albury Wodonga in 2022 that would draw Jackson back to the game. She was selected in the Opals team, at age 41, for a once-in-a-generation home World Cup in Sydney where her 30 points against Canada on the final day of the tournament led Australia to a bronze medal.
She has spent the past two seasons in the WNBL with the Southside Flyers and in January 2024 reached her 250th league game.
A four-time Olympic medallist and five-time World Cup medallist, Jackson stacked her basketball CV in the first instalment of her career with 3 WNBA MVPS, 2 WNBA championships and 7-All-Star selections.
At the height of her career, she also dominated Europe enjoying individual and team success in Russia.
Representing the Opals, she played an influential part in Olympic medals in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012, where she was Australian flag bearer at the opening ceremony in London. She made history in 2006 when the Australian women claimed the World Cup, collecting the nation’s first senior gold medal.
Back home in Australia, she headlined the iconic AIS team of teenagers who won the 1998-99 WNBL championship and went on to play in another four titles with Canberra during the Capitals dominant era.
Jackson is also a four-time league MVP (1999, 2000, 2003, 2004) and four-time Grand Final MVP (2002, 2003, 2006, 2010).
Did You Know?
In 2022, Jackson made her return to basketball winning an NBL1 East championship for her home club Albury Wodonga in the stadium named after her.
