Lauren Jackson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lauren Jackson

Jackson in 2012 following the London Olympics
Power forward / center
Personal information
Born	(1981-05-11) 11 May 1981 (age 44) Albury, New South Wales, Australia
High school	Murray (Albury, New South Wales)
Listed weight	85 kg (187 lb)
Career information
NBA Draft	2001 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Seattle Storm
Pro career	1997–2016, 2022–2024
Coaching career	2019–2019
Career history
As player:
1997–1999	Australian Institute of Sport
1999–2006	Canberra Capitals
2001–2012	Seattle Storm
2006–2007	Samsung Bichumi
2007–2009	Spartak Moscow Region
2009–2010	Canberra Capitals
2010	Spartak Moscow Region
2011–2012	Ros Casares Valencia
2013–2014	Heilongjiang Shenda
2014–2016	Canberra Capitals
2022	Albury Wodonga Bandits
2022–2024	Southside Flyers
2024	Albury Wodonga Bandits
As coach:
2019	Albury Wodonga Bandits
Career highlights and awards
WNBL: 7× WNBL champion (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2010, 2024) 4× WNBL MVP (1999, 2000, 2003, 2004) 4× WNBL Grand Final MVP (2002, 2003, 2006, 2010) 6× WNBL All-Star Five (1999–2004) WNBA: 2× WNBA champion (2004, 2010) 3× WNBA MVP (2003, 2007, 2010) WNBA Finals MVP (2010) WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (2007) 7× All-WNBA First Team (2003–2007, 2009, 2010) All-WNBA Second Team (2008) 7× WNBA All-Star (2001–2003, 2005–2007, 2009) 3× WNBA scoring champion (2003, 2004, 2007) WNBA rebounding champion (2007) 2× All-Defensive First Team (2007, 2009) 3× All-Defensive Second Team (2005, 2008, 2010) 3× WNBA Peak Performer (2003, 2004, 2007) WNBA 10th Anniversary Team (2006) WNBA 15th Anniversary Team (2011) WNBA 20th Anniversary Team (2016) WNBA 25th Anniversary Team (2021) No. 15 retired by Seattle Storm Other: NBL1 East champion (2022) NBL1 East MVP (2022) 3× EuroLeague champion (2008, 2009, 2012) Spanish League champion (2012) 2× Russian League champion (2007, 2008) Korean League MVP (2007) Australian Basketball Hall of Fame (2019)
Medals Women's basketball Representing  Australia Olympic Games Silver 2000 Sydney Team Silver 2004 Athens Team Silver 2008 Beijing Team Bronze 2012 London Team Bronze 2024 Paris Team World Cup Bronze 1998 Germany Bronze 2002 China Gold 2006 Brazil Bronze 2022 Australia World Junior Championships Silver 1997 Brazil Commonwealth Games Gold 2006 Melbourne Team

Lauren Elizabeth Jackson AO (born 11 May 1981) is an Australian former professional basketball player. Many consider her the most famous Australian women's basketball player ever. Jackson had an amazing career with the Australia women's national basketball team (the Opals). She also played many seasons in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) from 1997 to 2024. From 2001 to 2012, she played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

With the Australian Opals, Jackson played in five Summer Olympics: 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2024. She won three silver medals and two bronze medals. In the WNBL, she won seven championships (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2010, 2024). She was also named the league MVP four times (1999, 2000, 2003, 2004). In the WNBA, she won two championships (2004, 2010). She also earned three league MVPs (2003, 2007, 2010).

Lauren's parents were both national basketball players. She received a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in 1997. She started playing in the WNBL at just 16 years old. She helped the AIS win the WNBL championship in 1999. Then she joined the Canberra Capitals, where she won more championships in 2000, 2002, 2003, and 2006. She won her sixth championship in 2010 with Canberra. Her seventh came in 2024 with the Southside Flyers. She was also named WNBL Grand Final MVP four times (2002, 2003, 2006, 2010).

In 2001, Jackson was the first pick in the 2001 WNBA draft by the Seattle Storm. She played 12 seasons for the Storm, with her last WNBA season in 2012. She helped the team win championships in 2004 and 2010. She also earned Finals MVP in 2010. Jackson is among the top WNBA players in many stats. She received many individual awards and was named to several WNBA Anniversary Teams.

Jackson also played basketball in Korea, Russia, Spain, and China.

She first retired from basketball in 2016. She returned in 2022 to play in the WNBL and for the Opals. She retired again in 2024 after the Paris Olympics.

Jackson was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. She also joined the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

Early Life and Basketball Beginnings

Lauren Elizabeth Jackson was born in Albury, New South Wales, on May 11, 1981. Her nicknames include "Loz", "Jacko", and "LJ". She is the older of two children of Gary Jackson and Maree Bennie. Both her parents played for Australia's national basketball teams. Lauren got her height from both of them. By age 16, she was 196 cm tall. She had grown 15 cm when she was 15 years old.

Her father, Gary, played for the Boomers in 1975. Her mother, Maree, played for the Opals from 1974 to 1982. Maree played in two World Championships. She also played for Louisiana State in the late 1980s. Maree wore the number 15, which Lauren wears to honor her mother. Maree was one of the first Australians to play college basketball in America. She was known for her strong playing style. Lauren's parents continued to play basketball locally. Her family even had a basketball court in their backyard.

Jackson grew up in Albury. She went to Murray High School.

Starting Young in Basketball

Jackson began playing basketball at the Albury Sports Centre when she was four years old. At six, she told everyone she would play for the Australian national team. Her mother taught her how to play. She first played competitive basketball at six. She was on a local under-10 team. Her mother coached her for two years. This was sometimes hard for them.

When she was 11, Jackson was not the best player in Albury. But she played in the under-14 Australian Country Championships. Her team reached the Grand Final one year. She played despite hurting her knee. After the game, she was very upset. Her parents talked to her and said she didn't have to play if she didn't want to. After this, she typed a message on her computer: "from this day on, nothing will stand in my way..."

At 14, Jackson led her New South Wales team to a national championship gold. Her play caught the eye of national team selectors. Coach Tom Maher said it was "unbelievable." As a player at the 1999 Australian Under-20 national championships, she won the Bob Staunton Award for the tournament's MVP. By 17, she was called a basketball prodigy.

Jackson also played other sports like athletics, tennis, and netball. At 14, she stopped other sports to focus on basketball.

Professional Basketball Career

By the time she was 21, Jackson was seen as one of the world's best basketball players. Many called her Australia's best female player. She played two positions: power forward and center. She was good at jump shots and spinning bank shots.

Jackson had a famous rivalry with American player Lisa Leslie. It started when Jackson was 16 on tour in the United States. It grew stronger at the 2000 Olympics. During the gold medal game, Jackson pulled off Leslie's hair extension. Jackson joked about it, but Leslie did not. The rivalry continued in the WNBA when Seattle Storm played Leslie's Los Angeles Sparks. Their coaches sometimes kept them off the court at the same time. They worried their players would foul out trying to outplay the other. Leslie and Jackson later played together in the WNBA All-Star game. Their rivalry became less intense by 2007.

Playing in Australia: WNBL

Early Success with AIS and Capitals (1997–2016)

Jackson was offered a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in 1996 at age 15. Her parents first said no because it meant moving. The next year, she accepted and joined the AIS basketball team in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) for the 1997 season. The AIS program sees her as a great success story. With Jackson leading, the AIS team, made of top 16- to 17-year-olds, won the WNBL championship in the 1998–99 season.

Jackson then joined the Canberra Capitals for the 1999–2000 season. She helped them win the championship. She scored 15 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks in the final game. The Capitals reached the final again in 2000–01 but lost. She won her third championship in 2001–02 with Canberra. She was named Grand Final MVP for the first time.

In December 2002, a Capitals game was moved to a larger stadium. This was because people expected Jackson to draw a huge crowd. Over 4,000 people came, setting a record. Jackson led the Capitals to the 2002–03 championship. She was named Grand Final MVP again. In October 2003, Jackson scored 48 points in a game. This was her highest WNBL score ever. By the end of the 2005–06 season, Jackson had played 154 WNBL games and won five championships.

In November 2006, Jackson said she might want to play in the men's NBL. The NBL said their rules would allow it.

Jackson returned to the Capitals for the second half of the 2009–10 WNBL season. She helped them win another championship.

Jackson with the Capitals in 2012

In 2011, Jackson signed a big $1 million deal with the Capitals. This was the most an Australian woman had been offered to play for a local team. Injuries kept her from playing in the 2012–13 WNBL season. For the 2013–14 season, the Capitals missed the deadline to sign her, so she played in China.

Jackson rejoined the Capitals for the 2014–15 WNBL season. She started playing in December 2014 after hip surgery. She played six games, averaging 13 points and seven rebounds. She had knee problems that needed surgery. This forced her to miss the rest of the season. She did not play for the Capitals in 2015–16. The team released her from her contract in January 2016.

Return to the WNBL (2022–2024)

Jackson came out of retirement at age 40. She played for the Albury Wodonga Bandits in the NBL1 East in the 2022 NBL1 season. She was named league MVP. She helped the Bandits win the NBL1 East championship.

In August 2022, Jackson signed with the Southside Flyers for the 2022–23 WNBL season. A game in February 2023 set a WNBL record crowd of 7,681 fans. This was because of the interest in Jackson. However, during the game, an Achilles injury sidelined her for the rest of the season.

With the Flyers in the 2023–24 season, Jackson helped the team win the grand final series. This was her seventh WNBL championship.

Jackson joined the Albury Wodonga Bandits for the 2024 NBL1 East season. In May 2024, she had games with 43 points and 22 rebounds, and another with 50 points and 19 rebounds. She had another 50-point game in June.

After the 2024 Paris Olympics, Jackson had knee replacement surgery. She then retired from basketball again.

Playing in America: WNBA

The Seattle Storm saw Jackson as a key player for their team. In the WNBA, she was known for her strong comments to other players. Opposing players knew they could bother her with small fouls and trash talk. She dyed her hair different colors many times while playing in the WNBA. She ranks high in the league for games played, minutes played, and field goals.

Drafted by Seattle Storm (2001)

In 2001, Jackson was the first pick in the WNBA draft. The Seattle Storm chose her. Her parents stayed with her in Seattle for her first month. Jackson's first season had 32 games in 11 weeks. This was much tougher than Australia's league. She played in 21 games. In her first game, she scored 21 points. On July 3, 2001, Jackson set a WNBA record. She played 55 minutes in a game that went into four overtime periods. That season, she averaged 15.2 points per game. She came in second for the WNBA's Rookie of the Year award. After her first season, Jackson needed surgery on her right shoulder. She was also a WNBA All-Star.

Becoming a Star (2002–2004)

Jackson was a WNBA All-Star again in 2002. She averaged 17.2 points per game. She was the team's captain, the youngest in the WNBA at the time. Fans chanted her name loudly during games. In 2002, Carrie Graf, an Australian coach, moved to Seattle to help Jackson feel more comfortable. Jackson and Sue Bird started playing together this season. They would play together for many years.

In 2003, Jackson was a WNBA All-Star and named to the All-WNBA First Team. She averaged 21.2 points per game. She became the youngest player to score 1,000 points in the league. She was named the league's MVP. She was the first non-American and youngest player to win this award. She was also one of the top five players for rebounds and blocks.

In 2004, her Seattle Storm team won the WNBA Championship. She was again named to the All-WNBA First Team. She averaged 20.5 points per game. She led the league in total points and points per game.

Continued Dominance (2005–2010)

Jackson was a WNBA All-Star in 2005 and named to the All-WNBA First Team. She averaged 17.6 points and 2.0 blocks per game. She led the league in defensive rebounds.

Jackson (#15) with the Storm in July 2006

In 2006, Jackson was still with the Seattle Storm. She was a WNBA All-Star and named to the All-WNBA First Team. She was also named to the WNBA All-Decade Team. She averaged 19.5 points per game. At the end of the season, she had stress fractures in both shins.

Jackson was a WNBA All-Star for the sixth time in 2007. On July 24, 2007, she scored 47 points in a game. This is still a league record for single-game scoring. In 2007, she was named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She was also named the league's Most Valuable Player again. She averaged 23.8 points per game, her highest WNBA average. She became the first WNBA player to score 4,000 total points. She was the youngest and fastest to reach this.

In 2008, Jackson averaged 20.2 points per game. She played 21 games.

In 2009, Jackson became a WNBA All-Star for the seventh time. She was named to the All-WNBA First Team. She averaged 19.4 points per game.

In 2010, Jackson played for the WNBA All-Stars. Her Seattle Storm team won the WNBA Championship again. She was named to the All-WNBA First Team. On September 2, 2010, Jackson received her third MVP Award. On September 17, 2010, the Storm won the championship. Jackson was named the Finals MVP. In 2011, fans voted her one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history.

Injuries and Retirement (2011–2012)

In 2011, Jackson dealt with many injuries. She injured her hip and had surgery in June. She played only 13 games that season. After her surgery, her team won eight of her first nine games. In June 2011, she signed a new three-year contract.

Jackson chose to miss the start of the 2012 season to focus on the Olympics. She returned in September. She helped the Storm win two games. But another injury from Olympic training sidelined her. When she returned on September 21, Jackson became the fourth WNBA player to reach 6,000 points. The Storm lost in the playoffs. This turned out to be Jackson's final WNBA game.

A hamstring surgery kept Jackson out of the 2013 season. She also missed the 2014 season after knee and Achilles surgeries. Her contract with the Storm ended. She hoped to return in 2015, but more knee surgery stopped her. She then focused on the 2016 Summer Olympics. However, in March 2016, Jackson announced her retirement. Her injuries had not improved enough.

Playing Overseas

Korea

In December 2006, Jackson moved to South Korea. She played for Samsung Bichumi. In February 2007, she was named MVP of the league's All-Star game. In March, she set a league record with 56 points in a game. She was named the league's Most Valuable Player. She averaged 30.2 points per game.

Russia

After Korea, Jackson moved to Russia. She played for WBC Spartak Moscow Region. Her teammates included Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi. Jackson helped Spartak win the 2006–07 Russian Superleague title.

Jackson continued with Spartak in 2007–08 and 2008–09. The team won the 2007–08 Russian Superleague title. They also won the 2007–08 EuroLeague and 2008–09 EuroLeague. She scored 35 points in a EuroLeague game in April 2008. This was her highest EuroLeague score.

In 2009, Jackson could have extended her contract. But after the team owner passed away, she decided not to. She later returned to Spartak for the 2010–11 season. She left the team in early 2011 due to an injury. She returned to Australia for recovery.

Spain

Jackson with Ros Casares Valencia in April 2012

For the 2011–12 season, Jackson joined Ros Casares Valencia in Spain. She played in the Liga Femenina and the EuroLeague. She helped the team win the 2011–12 EuroLeague championship.

China

For the 2013–14 season, Jackson played for Heilongjiang Shenda in China. She helped her team reach the playoffs. She averaged 22 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game. However, a heel injury kept her out of the post-season. She also injured her meniscus during the season.

National Team Career: The Opals

Jackson made the Australian under-20 team at just 14. She was first called to the senior national team (the Opals) at 16. Her coaches, Tom Maher and Carrie Graf, praised her to the media. They often used this to motivate her. Tom Maher said she could be "the greatest sportswoman in the world." Graf called her a "superstar."

Jackson was part of the 1997 Australian Junior Women's Team. They won a silver medal at the World Championships in Brazil. She was 16. She averaged 14.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. She was also on the 1998 Australian Senior Women's Team. They won a bronze medal at the World Championships in Germany. At 16, she was the youngest Australian woman ever on the team. She averaged 10.9 points and 3.9 rebounds. She was a key part of the team's success.

Olympic Games and World Championships

Jackson was on the 2000 Summer Olympics team that won a silver medal. She scored 127 points and had 67 rebounds. She averaged 15.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. In the gold medal game against the United States, she scored 24 points and had 13 rebounds. She led her team in points and rebounds.

Jackson was on the Australian Senior Women's Team that won a silver medal at the World Championships in China in 2002. She averaged 23.1 points per game and was named to the All-Star team. By January 2003, Jackson had played over 100 games for Australia. She competed in the 2003 World Championships and was named the International Basketball Federation's Most Valuable Player.

Jackson was on the Australian senior team that won a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She averaged 22.9 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. The gold medal final was against the United States. In 2006, she was a co-captain of the Australian women's senior team. They won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

Jackson was captain of the Australian women's senior team that won a gold medal at the World Championships in Brazil in 2006. They beat Russia in the final. This was Australia's first gold in this event. Jackson averaged 21.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

As captain of the 2008 Summer Olympics Australian women's team, Jackson won a silver medal. She averaged 17.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. In 2010, she was on the senior women's national team that played at the World Championships in the Czech Republic. She averaged 13.4 points and 7.9 rebounds.

Jackson with the Opals in May 2012

Jackson missed the first training camp for the 2012 Summer Olympics. But she was back by April. In June, she tore a muscle during training. She was chosen to carry the Australian flag at the Opening Ceremony. Her injury limited her playing time in the Olympics.

After surgery in February 2014, Jackson planned to return for the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women. However, her knee recovery was slow. She had hip surgery in September 2014 instead. She hoped to play in her fifth Olympic tournament at the 2016 Summer Olympics. But she announced her retirement in March 2016. Her condition had not improved enough.

Jackson returned to the Australia squad in 2022 for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Sydney. Australia won the bronze medal. Jackson scored 30 points and had 7 rebounds in their win over Canada.

In February 2024, Jackson helped the Opals qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics. She initially planned to retire after the qualifying tournament. But she was named to the Olympic squad. She became the first Australian athlete to win medals in five Olympic Games when she earned the bronze.

A month after the 2024 Olympics, Jackson had a knee replacement. She then retired from international duties for the final time.

Coaching Career

Jackson was the head coach of the Albury Wodonga Bandits women's team in the 2019 NBL1 season.

Health and Injuries

Jackson had many injuries throughout her career. In 2008, she had ankle surgery. In 2009, she had two stress fractures in her back. In December 2010, she had an Achilles injury. Between 2011 and 2012, she had surgeries for Achilles and hip injuries. She had hip surgery in June 2011. She worked hard on her recovery. After that, she injured her right knee, needing more surgery in 2012.

Another knee injury in China in 2014 led to arthritis. Her knee needed many surgeries in the following years. This included a long hospital stay in January 2016 due to an infection after surgery. These knee problems led to her first retirement in March 2016. When she returned to the WNBL in 2022, Jackson played some games with a broken foot. A tear in her right Achilles ended her season in February 2023.

After retiring, Jackson had a partial knee reconstruction. She decided to stop taking painkillers and sleeping pills. She had been taking them since age 20 to manage chronic pain.

Public Life and Interests

By 2003, Jackson was recognized worldwide. She said it was hard to have a private life as an athlete. She didn't like going to clubs because too many people recognized her. Everyone would comment on her height.

After getting a hug from Yao Ming at the 2008 Summer Olympics, rumors started online. People thought they were dating, but this was not true. Jackson laughed about it. She said it was a cultural difference.

As Jackson got older, she became more involved in social causes. She worked with charities that help prevent domestic violence. She also helped children from Australia's outback get involved in sports. In December 2002, she helped launch a toy drive. She is very passionate about preventing domestic abuse.

Honors and Recognition

Jackson was named the Australian International Player of the Year in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008. In 2005, she was inducted into the Australian Institute of Sport's 'Best of the Best'.

In 2011, the Albury Sports Stadium was renamed the Lauren Jackson Sports Centre. A thousand people came to the ceremony.

Jackson was the flag bearer for Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics. On June 8, 2015, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.

Jackson was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020. The same year, she joined the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. In 2021, she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. She was also named to the WNBA's 25th anniversary team. Jackson was one of the first people inducted into the University of Canberra Sport Walk of Fame in 2022.

In November 2024, Jackson received The Dawn Award at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Awards. This award recognizes people who show courage and have made sports better.

Personal Life and Education

Jackson earned her high school certificate while training at the Australian Institute of Sport. She studied psychology at Lomonosov Moscow State University. She continued her studies by mail from America. In 2007, she was studying business management. In 2010, she took classes at Macquarie University in Sydney. Her courses included women's rights and racism. After injuries, she returned to her degree in 2012. She hoped to become a United Nations diplomat or an advocate for women. By 2015, Jackson was studying for a Bachelor of Gender and Diversity at the University of Canberra.

Jackson's first child was born in 2017. She had a second child in 2018.

In 2016, Jackson became the leader of the Australian Basketball Alliance. She also joined the new ownership group of the Melbourne Boomers. She worked as a commentator for the Seven Network during the 2016 Olympics.

She released her autobiography, My Story: A Life in Basketball and Beyond, in October 2018.

Images for kids

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  Jackson with the Capitals in 2012

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  Jackson (#15) with the Storm in July 2006

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  Jackson with Ros Casares Valencia in April 2012

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  Jackson with the Opals in May 2012

See also

• List of Australian WNBA players