Lauren Jackson

Lauren Jackson, born on 11 May 1981, is an Australian former professional basketball player who is widely regarded as the most notable women's basketball player the country has produced. She was the daughter of two national team players and received a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport in 1997, debuting in the Women's National Basketball League at sixteen. For Australia's national team, the Opals, she played at the Summer Olympics in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2024, winning three silver and two bronze medals. In the WNBL she won seven championships and four league most valuable player awards, playing for the Canberra Capitals and later the Southside Flyers. In the Women's National Basketball Association she spent twelve seasons with the Seattle Storm from 2001 to 2012, helping the team to titles in 2004 and 2010 and earning three league most valuable player awards. She retired in 2016, returned in 2022, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.