Lauren Jackson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lauren Jackson

Jackson in 2012 after 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 a famous Australian former professional basketball player. Many people consider her the greatest Australian women's basketball player ever. She had an amazing career with the Australian national team, called the Opals. She also played in Australia's Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) and America's Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

With the Opals, Jackson played in five Summer Olympics. She won three silver medals and two bronze medals. In the WNBL, she won seven championships and was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) four times. In the WNBA, she won two championships and was named league MVP three times.

Jackson's parents were also national basketball players. She started playing in the WNBL when she was only 16. In 2001, she was the first player chosen in the WNBA draft and joined the Seattle Storm.

After retiring in 2016 due to injuries, Jackson made a comeback in 2022. She played again for the Opals and in the WNBL. She retired for good after the 2024 Paris Olympics. Jackson has been inducted into several Halls of Fame, including the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.

Early Life and Basketball Beginnings

Lauren Jackson was born in Albury, New South Wales, on May 11, 1981. Her parents, Gary and Maree, both played for Australia's national basketball teams. Lauren was very tall from a young age, reaching 196 cm (about 6 feet 5 inches) by the time she was 16. Her mother, Maree, also played basketball in the United States. Lauren wears the number 15 jersey to honour her mother, who wore the same number.

Jackson started playing basketball when she was just four years old. By age six, she told people she would one day play for Australia. Her mother was her first coach. When she was 14, she led her New South Wales team to a national championship. Her amazing performance caught the eye of national team coaches.

Besides basketball, Jackson also played tennis, netball, and did athletics. But by age 14, she decided to focus only on basketball.

Professional Basketball Career

By the time she was 21, Jackson was known as one of the best basketball players in the world. She played the power forward and centre positions. She was great at making jump shots and other difficult plays.

For many years, Jackson had a famous rivalry with American player Lisa Leslie. Their games against each other were always intense and exciting for fans.

Playing in Australia's WNBL

Jackson started her professional career at 16 with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). In 1999, she led the young AIS team to a WNBL championship.

After that, she joined the Canberra Capitals. She won four championships with them between 2000 and 2006. She was named the Grand Final MVP three times during this period. She returned to the Capitals in 2010 and won another championship.

Jackson playing for the Canberra Capitals in 2012.

Injuries kept her from playing for a few seasons. She returned to the WNBL in 2022 after coming out of retirement. She played for the Southside Flyers and won her seventh WNBL championship in 2024.

A Star in the American WNBA

In 2001, the Seattle Storm chose Jackson as the first pick in the WNBA draft. She was seen as a "franchise player," meaning a player the team could build its success around. She played for the Storm for 12 seasons, from 2001 to 2012.

Highlights with the Seattle Storm

• Rookie Success: In her first season, she was the runner-up for the Rookie of the Year award.
• First Championship: In 2004, Jackson led the Storm to their first WNBA Championship.
• MVP Awards: She was named the WNBA's Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times, in 2003, 2007, and 2010. She was the first non-American player to win the award.
• Second Championship: In 2010, she won her second championship with the Storm and was named the Finals MVP.
• All-Star: She was chosen for the WNBA All-Star game seven times.

Jackson (#15) with the Seattle Storm in July 2006.

Jackson became one of the best players in WNBA history. She is among the top players for points scored, games played, and many other records. Unfortunately, a series of injuries to her knee, hip, and hamstring forced her to stop playing in the WNBA after the 2012 season.

Playing in Other Countries

Besides Australia and the U.S., Jackson also played professionally in other parts of the world.

• Korea: In 2007, she played in South Korea and was named the league's MVP.
• Russia: She played for a top Russian team, Spartak Moscow Region, winning two Russian league titles and three EuroLeague championships.
• Spain: In 2012, she played for Ros Casares Valencia and helped them win the EuroLeague title.
• China: She played one season in China in 2013–14.

Career with the Australian National Team

Jackson's career with the Australian national team, the Opals, was legendary. She first joined the senior team when she was only 16.

Olympic Games

Jackson played in five Olympic Games and won a medal each time.

• Silver Medals: Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008.
• Bronze Medals: London 2012 and Paris 2024.

In 2012, she was chosen to be the flag bearer for Australia at the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics, a huge honour.

Jackson training with the Opals in May 2012.

World Championships

Jackson also led the Opals to great success at the FIBA World Cup.

• In 2006, she captained the team to a gold medal in Brazil. This was the first time the Australian women's team had ever won the world championship.
• She also won four bronze medals at the World Cups in 1998, 2002, and 2022.

After retiring in 2016, she made a surprise return to the Opals in 2022. She helped the team win a bronze medal at the World Cup in Sydney. She retired from the national team for the final time after the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Life After Basketball

After her first retirement, Jackson had to deal with serious health issues from her many injuries. She had several surgeries on her knee and hip. She has spoken about the challenges of managing pain from a long career in sports.

Jackson is also a mother to two sons, born in 2017 and 2018. She has worked as a coach and as a leader for basketball organizations in Australia. She also studied at a university, with an interest in topics like human rights.

She has used her fame to help others. She supports charities that work to prevent domestic violence and help children get involved in sports.

Honours and Awards

Jackson has received many awards for her amazing career.

• She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021, one of the highest honours in basketball.
• She was also inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
• In 2015, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for her service to basketball and the community.
• The sports stadium in her hometown of Albury was renamed the Lauren Jackson Sports Centre in her honour.

Images for kids

• 

  Jackson with Ros Casares Valencia in April 2012

See also

In Spanish: Lauren Jackson para niños

• List of Australian WNBA players