LAUREN JACKSON JOINS SOUTHSIDE FLYERS

Australia’s Greatest ready for the WNBL season with the Flyers

Lauren Jackson, an icon of basketball around the world, will play for Southside Flyers in the 2022/223 WNBL season, completing a remarkable comeback to the game for Australia’s greatest ever basketballer.

“When I started serious training again back in November last year, I took it slowly, as I knew I had to get as strong as I possibly could. I honestly didn’t know if my body was going to hold up to the intense training, but it has and I’m feeling great,” Jackson said on her decision to return to the WNBL with the Flyers.

“It has been an incredible year, firstly having the opportunity to play in my home community with the Albury-Wodonga Bandits and then being selected in the Opals squad for the World Cup and now making a return to the WNBL, Australia’s top women’s basketball competition. I am really enjoying this opportunity and feel the comeback is now complete.

“Obviously I am looking forward to once again playing for the Opals and now, with this decision, it is beyond September, and I am excited to be a part of the Flyers team and working with the players to help them with their games and of course make us a better team,” Jackson added.

Director of the Flyers, Gerry Ryan, is delighted Lauren has chosen to make her WNBL comeback with the Flyers. A well-known patron of Australian sport and advocate of women’s sport, he knows this is a great opportunity for the women’s sport and basketball.

“Lauren is an icon of Australian sport, a great role model, and she will not only be a wonderful contributor to the team on the court, but she will also play an enormous role in building our program to support and develop more opportunities for girls and women in basketball and sport in general. Her comeback is an inspiration for everyone to continue to strive and not give up, in sport and in life,” Mr Ryan said.

“The Flyers are about family and we know how important family is to Lauren and we welcome her family to the team,” he addeed.

Flyers Coach, Cheryl Chambers is obviously looking forward to welcoming, a great player and importantly a great person to the team for the upcoming season.

“We are thrilled that Lauren has chosen to play for the Flyers. I know how much work she has put in to be back at this level and we are excited to be part of her comeback to the WNBL and know how incredible she will be for this team, on and off the court. I know our players are looking forward to playing alongside her and learning from her phenomenal experience, she will be an inspiration to all,” Cheryl said.

Before returning to the WNBL in November, Jackson will be part of the Australian team at the 2022 World Cup in Sydney, in what will be her fifth World Cup appearance, 12 years after her last appearance. She has also been involved in four Olympic campaigns during her tremendous career.

Jackson was selected by Seattle Storm with the number one selection in the 2001 WNBA draft and she played until her retirement from the WNBA in 2012. What an incredible list of achievements. In her time with Seattle her achievements included:

• 2 x WNBA Championships in 2004 and 2010
• 3 x WNBA MVP – 2003, 2007 and 2010
• WNBA Finals MVP in 2010
• 7 x WNBA All Star
• 3 x WNBA Scoring Champion 2003, 2004 and 2007
• Named in the WNBA 10^th, 15^th, 20^th and 25^th Anniversary Teams

Jackson’s number 15 was retired by Seattle Storm

She has played with the Australian Institute of Sport and Canberra in the WNBL

• 5 x WNBL Championships – 1999, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2010
• 4x WNBL MVP – 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004
• 4 x WNBL Grand Final MVP – 2002, 2003, 2006, 2010
• 6 x WNBL All Star – 1999, 200, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

Jackson’s career with the Australian National Team, the Opals, Includes:

• 4 Olympics – 2000 – Silver, 2004 – Silver, 2008 – Silver, 2012 – Bronze
• Australia’s Flag bearer at the 2012 Olympic Games
• 4 World Championships – 1998 – Bronze, 2002 – Bronze, 2006 – Gold

During her career she also played in Europe playing in multiple championship teams.

Other Honours

• Member of the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame
• Inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020
• Inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2020
• Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021

Welcome to the Flyers – Lauren Jackson