SYDNEY — Basketball star Lauren Jackson has been selected to represent Australia, returning from retirement to compete in her fifth Olympics.
The 42-year-old three-time WNBA MVP was included in Australia's 26-player squad on Wednesday and is widely tipped to be in the top 12 for the Opals at the Olympics.
Jackson retired for the second time in February after helping Australia qualify for the Paris Olympics by defeating Germany in Brazil, but revealed that he struggled to spend so much time away from his two young sons. Ta.
The Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday reported that Ms Jackson had reached an agreement with the basketball federation to pay for her sons, aged seven and five, to travel to training camps and the Olympics.
Jackson turns 43 on May 11th, and the Paris Games begin on July 26th. The Opals will be in the same group as Canada, Nigeria and host France. He failed to win a medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Jackson, who won four consecutive Olympic medals starting with silver at the 2000 Sydney Games, has 11 members from the team that won bronze at the 2022 World Cup.
“The announcement of the Olympic team is always an exciting time and we congratulate all of our players,” said Opals coach Sandy Brondello. “They all know what it means to play for Australia and want the opportunity to represent their country at the Olympics. It will be a very difficult decision to make.”
Jackson made a stunning comeback at the 2022 World Cup, helping the host nation win the bronze medal. She scored 30 points in that game and helped Australia defeat Canada 95-65.
She retired in 2016 after a knee injury derailed her career and caused her to miss the Rio Olympics. She made a slow comeback and has been playing in Australia's domestic league for the past few years.
Her stellar WNBA career came to an end in 2012, when she left as one of the best players in league history.
