Lauren Jackson

Biography

Australia’s greatest ever basketballer has won and done it all – for her country, in Europe, the WNBA and on home soil in the WNBL.

Born to parents Gary and Maree who both represented their country in basketball, Lauren Jackson might have been destined for huge things with her natural ability and height but her greatness, work ethic, resilience and winning pedigree was earned and learned.

Jackson was part of the iconic AIS team of teenagers which took the WNBL by storm in 1999 to win the championship. She would go on to win another 4 titles with the Canberra Capitals along with eight combined league and Grand Final MVP awards in a glittering WNBL career.

Selected by the Seattle Storm with the coveted No.1 Pick in the 2001 WNBA draft was just the beginning of a stunning era for player and club which would end with the Storm retiring her iconic No.15 jersey upon Jackson’s retirement.

In just over a decade, Jackson would win three league MVPs, two championships and earn All-Star selection seven times.

In 2021, she was recognised in the W25 as one of the 25 greatest players in league history.

She would also dominate and enjoy individual and team success during stints in Asia and Europe.

Internationally, Jackson shone for the Opals no more so than in 2006 when she guided Australia to gold at the World Cup in Brazil – Australia’s only gold medal in senior international competition. She was also named tournament MVP.

She was part of medal-winning teams at four Olympics, representing her country in Sydney 2000 (silver), Athens 2004 (silver), Beijing 2008 (silver) and London 2012 (Olympics). Jackson was bestowed with the honour of Australian flag bearer in London.

Sadly, constant and chronic injuries forced Jackson into retirement in 2016.

Seven years later, she produced one of world’s sports greatest comebacks when she returned to the floor in 2022, first with hometown Albury Wodonga in NBL1, before earning a call-up to the Opals squad.

In a sporting story fit for a fairy tale, she would again don the green and gold in Sydney and wind back the clock in the bronze-medal game against Canada with 30 points leading the Opals to the podium.

Her comeback extended into the 2022-23 WNBL with the Southside Flyers where fans around the country packed out stadiums and queued up every week to meet the GOAT.

Jackson is the head of women and girls at Basketball Australia and the brains trust behind She Hoops.