Lauren Jackson
- Sport: basketball
- Team: Seattle Storm
- Position: center
- Nationality: Australia
- Birth date: 1981-05-11 (27 years)
- Place of birth: Albury, New South Wales, Australia
- Nickname: "LJ, Loz, or Lozza"
Lauren Elizabeth Jackson was born on May 11, 1981 in Albury, New South Wales, Australia, to Gary and Maree Jackson.
High School
Lauren was a teenage prodigy at Murray High School, Albury. She then transferred to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra as a teenager.
Lauren played for the Australian women's team, the Opals, in 1997 as a 16-year-old. She led the Australian Institute of Sport team, made up of the country's best 16 to 18 year-old players, to a premiership in the WNBL Women's National Basketball League, the Australian women's professional league, in 1998-1999 - an unprecedented achievement for a youth team. Ineligible to continue with the AIS team, she joined the other Canberra-based team, the Canberra Capitals, and led them to four titles in 1999-2000, 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2005-2006.
In the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Jackson scored 20 points and took 13 rebounds in a loss to the United States in the gold medal game. The silver medal was Australian basketball's first in international competition.
In the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, the Opals again took home the silver medal, losing to the United States once more.
WNBA
Lauren declared for the WNBA Draft in 2001, and was the first round pick to the Seattle Storm, where she has played ever since.
In 2003, despite the fact that the Seattle Storm did not make the playoffs, she was voted the WNBA's Most Valuable Player that season.
In 2004, her Seattle Storm team won the WNBA Championship by defeating the Connecticut Sun, two games to one. She was runner-up for the MVP award in that year and again in 2005.
In April 2006, she signed a three-year contract to stay with the Storm.
On 24 July 2007, Lauren scored a WNBA record 47 points in a 97-96 overtime loss to the Washington Mystics at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C.
On 6 September 2007, Lauren won her second MVP award. She led the league in both scoring and rebounding and was second in the league in blocked shots.
International Play
Like many WNBA players, Lauren plays overseas as well - not only for Australia but also for professional clubs in South Korea and Russia.
High School
Lauren was a teenage prodigy at Murray High School, Albury. She then transferred to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra as a teenager.
Lauren played for the Australian women's team, the Opals, in 1997 as a 16-year-old. She led the Australian Institute of Sport team, made up of the country's best 16 to 18 year-old players, to a premiership in the WNBL Women's National Basketball League, the Australian women's professional league, in 1998-1999 - an unprecedented achievement for a youth team. Ineligible to continue with the AIS team, she joined the other Canberra-based team, the Canberra Capitals, and led them to four titles in 1999-2000, 2001-02, 2002-03 and 2005-2006.
In the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Jackson scored 20 points and took 13 rebounds in a loss to the United States in the gold medal game. The silver medal was Australian basketball's first in international competition.
In the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, the Opals again took home the silver medal, losing to the United States once more.
WNBA
Lauren declared for the WNBA Draft in 2001, and was the first round pick to the Seattle Storm, where she has played ever since.
In 2003, despite the fact that the Seattle Storm did not make the playoffs, she was voted the WNBA's Most Valuable Player that season.
In 2004, her Seattle Storm team won the WNBA Championship by defeating the Connecticut Sun, two games to one. She was runner-up for the MVP award in that year and again in 2005.
In April 2006, she signed a three-year contract to stay with the Storm.
On 24 July 2007, Lauren scored a WNBA record 47 points in a 97-96 overtime loss to the Washington Mystics at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C.
On 6 September 2007, Lauren won her second MVP award. She led the league in both scoring and rebounding and was second in the league in blocked shots.
International Play
Like many WNBA players, Lauren plays overseas as well - not only for Australia but also for professional clubs in South Korea and Russia.
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