Lauren Jackson, Australia’s most decorated basketballer, will carry her winning ways into a newly-created role with the Women’s National Basketball League.
The basketball legend is appointed special advisor to the WNBL, and will play a part in lifting the game to new heights.
Locking in the services of Jackson, a five-time Olympian, flag-bearer and three-time WNBA MVP, is a coup for the league, which enjoys a fresh start with new ownership, led by recently-appointed CEO Jennie Sager.
“Bringing Lauren into this journey was a no-brainer,” comments Sager. “Her deep connection to the League, her experience as a player, and her vision for its future will be instrumental in helping us raise the bar and deliver a bigger, bolder WNBL.”
Announced this week, Jackson’s role will be part-time, as she continues her work with Basketball Australia, as head of women in basketball, and She Hoops.
Her mission with the league is clear, reads a statement. She’ll be tasked with reigniting the WNBL as a “powerhouse of women’s sport”, and introducing it to more fans around the country.
The template was set by the Matildas and their deep run in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. That glorious campaign established a new bar for women’s sport in this country, a bar that’s now set somewhere up in the clouds.
With Jackson in her familiar power forward spot, the Opals were a generational heavyweight in the sport, regularly collecting medals at the Olympics, and winning the FIBA Women’s World Cup in 2006.
Like the Matildas, the Opals competed in the medals round of a World Cup on home soil. The Opals, however, finished on a high. Jackson, who came out of international retirement for the 2022 tournament, unloaded 30 points in the bronze medal game to secure a famous victory.
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The domestic league, which she dominated during her remarkable career, with seven titles and four MVPs, is widely considered the best national competition outside of the WNBA.
Its new owners, led by Larry Kestelman, the businessman who engineered the revival of the NBL, have ambitious plans to reimagine what women’s basketball can be in Australia.
Those ambitions were confirmed with the appointment last month of CEO Sager, whose own distinguished career has included stints with Nine Entertainment, Viacom/MTV, Twitter, and Nextdoor, and elite-level basketball spots. She’s also currently the chair of the Australian Women in Music Awards (AWMA) and a Director of Sydney’s City Recital Hall.
As previously reported, the Wollemi Capital Group Syndicate (WCGS) and the National Basketball League (NBL) have formed a consortium to acquire a majority interest in the WNBL.
The WNBL officially enters what officials hope will be a golden new era when ownership transfers on April 2.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be part of this next chapter for the WNBL,” Jackson comments. “This League has been at the heart of my journey in basketball. Now, I have the chance to help create an exciting future where our talented players thrive in a professional environment worthy of their skill and passion. I can’t wait to get started.”
