High School: Laura Legend
Lauren Jackson was born on May 11, 1981, in Albury, New South Wales, Australia. She began playing basketball at a young age and quickly showed promise. In 1997, she was awarded a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). At the AIS, Jackson continued to develop her skills and became one of the top young players in Australia.
Professional: Lauren Jackson
Lauren Jackson was drafted by the Seattle Storm with the first overall pick in the 2001 WNBA draft. She quickly became one of the best players in the league, winning four WNBA championships, three WNBA MVP awards, and the WNBA Finals MVP award in 2010. Jackson was also a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a three-time FIBA World Cup gold medalist. Here are some of her other achievements:
- Won the WNBA Rookie of the Year award in 2001
- Named to the WNBA All-Rookie team in 2001
- Named to the WNBA All-Star team 10 times (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010)
- Named to the All-WNBA First Team seven times (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010)
- Named the WNBA MVP three times (2003, 2007, and 2010)
- Won two WNBA championships with the Storm (2004 and 2010)
- Played for the Australian national team and won two Olympic gold medals (2000 and 2004) and one World Championship (2006)
- Retired from the WNBA in 2016
- Inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017
- Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019
Current Status
Jackson retired from professional basketball in 2016. She is now a basketball analyst for ESPN and a brand ambassador for several companies. She is also a member of the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame.
Jackson is one of the greatest women’s basketball players of all time. She was a dominant force on both ends of the court and led her teams to numerous championships. She is an inspiration to young girls around the world and a role model for female athletes everywhere.
Lauren Jackson is also the brains behind She Hoops. She is the head of women and girls at Basketball Australia. Jackson is passionate about elevating women’s sport. She launched She Hoops as a passion project to give back to women’s basketball. Click on the link for Lauren’s instagram and follow her and support She Hoops Australia.
