Seattle Storm great Lauren Jackson is calling it a career. After multiple knee surgeries and setbacks, the 34-year-old says she will not play professional basketball again.
Here's a little snippet from Lauren Jackson at her retirement announcement via Austalia Yahoo:
"Today I'm announcing my retirement from the love of my life, basketball. Two years ago I hurt me knee playing in China, it wasn't a terrible injury but it was enough - I pulled my meniscus out of the root of my bone. I didn't think it was a big deal, nobody did. My knee ended up degenerating really really fast, I got arthritis pretty quickly and since then I've had multiple surgeries."
The Canberra Times reports that LJ met with her Australian Opals teammates on Wednesday to let them know she plans to announce her retirement on Thursday (it's Wednesday in America, but the time zones puts Australia into Thursday already).
Here's the Storm's official statement:
The Seattle Storm would like to recognize Lauren Jackson for all that she has meant to our organization. Her presence and prowess are irreplaceable. She is one of the greatest players in the game of basketball and we are honored that she has called Seattle home for so many years. We send our best wishes as she moves on to new challenges in her life.
Jackson had hoped to play in her fifth Olympics, this year in Rio, but she couldn't make it back. She has helped the Aussies to 3 silvers and 1 bronze Olympic medals. She led them to a gold medal at the World Championship in Rio in 2006.
In the past she has said she wants to be healthy for her future family. LJ tells the Canberra Times, "Absolutely want to have a family ... If I don't do some work to get my knee strong, regardless of what happens with the Olympics, I'm not sure if I'd be able to play one-on-one with my kids in the backyard."
The Storm drafted LJ number one overall in the 2001 WNBA draft.
Jackson ends her career in Seattle with 3 WNBA MVP's, 7-time WNBA All-Star, 3-time WNBA scoring champion, 1 WNBA Defensive Player of the year, 2 WNBA titles, and 1 MVP of the finals. The 2007 MVP season was her best statistical season. The big Aussie averaged 23.8 points and 9.7 rebounds per game
LJ's last season in Seattle came in 2012. She only played 9 games because her Olympic commitment. She would skip the next three seasons due to injuries.
Jackson's basketball legacy makes her one of the greats of all-time. LJ leads the Storm, all-time, in points (6,007), rebounds (2,447), and blocks (586). In the WNBA, she ranks sixth in scoring, eighth in rebounding, and third in block shots.
