Credit: Yukihito Taguchi/USA TODAY Sports
As fans of the game of basketball, fans often have their eyes set on the NBA to determine their favorite superstars and their favorite teams. But the game of basketball is a vast one being played on the international stage and by multiple nations as well. Australia is perhaps one of the nations that have often gone under the radar in terms of basketball talent. While they are regularly the source for many NBA players, their women’s national team is no slouch.
Finishing as a top three-nation in multiple Olympics, the ‘Opals’ are one of the most decorated nations in women’s basketball. Perhaps the most instrumental player in their glory years was Lauren Jackson. A power forward, Jackson is the most decorated player in Australian basketball. Winning multiple medals for the team, the talismanic forward played in the WNBA as well as playing alongside another legend, Sue Bird.
Although she was exceptional when fit, injuries eventually took their toll on her as she retired in 2016 and deservedly became a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2021.
Lauren Jackson’s Miraculous Return After Six Years
After an incredible 14-year career, Jackson certainly had an unceremonious exit from the game in 2016. When a player hasn’t played professionally for six years, many would say that a return would be impossible.
But that clearly wasn’t in Jackson’s mind. The 41-year-old came back for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, which was hosted by the Opals. Given that they were missing one of their biggest stars in Liz Cambridge, the team needed some star power ahead of a tough World Cup. Recently, a fan shared Jackson’s miraculous return for ‘the Opals’.
Lauren Jackson, one of the greatest women’s basketball players ever and the goat Australian ball player, retired in 2016 due to knee injuries and was a first ballot Hall of Famer in 2021. She unretired at age 41 for the 2022 FIBA World Cup and drop 30 and 7 in the bronze medal game.
While we’re still in the off-season, I wanted to shed light on a really impressive recent basketball story. The NBA equivalent to this would be if Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett came out of retirement after already being in the HoF for FIBA this year.
Her career resume includes 3 WNBA MVPs, 2 WNBA Championships, 3 Olympic medals and a whole bunch of other stuff
While she did not start off the tournament with a bang, she eventually made her way into the rotation. While she wasn’t getting many minutes for the competition, Jackson did show glimpses of why she was a superstar in her prime. But the team finally let the 41-year-old play a starring role in the third-place game against Canada.
Scoring 30 points with 7 rebounds, 1 block, 2 steals, and 1 assist, Jackson was easily the best player on the court as Australia dominated Canada 95-65. This is perhaps one of the best redemption arcs for a player ever.
Considering that the forward had retired in 2016 due to injuries, coming after 6 years and finally putting up a commendable performance and helping her nation clinch the 3rd place in the World Cup is a fitting end to a fantastic career.
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