Jackson, at 41 years of age, will participate in a national team camp in Canberra next week, 25 years after she was first picked for the Australian team.

The four-time Olympic medallist and 2006 World champion last played for Australia in 2013, returned to the court for Albury Wodonga in NBL1 this season and has undergone rigorous testing to put herself in contention after chronic knee injuries forced Jackson to retire before the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Jackson reportedly lost a staggering 17kg as she prepared her body for hitting the hardwood again and has credited her recovery to using medicinal cannabis.

Jackson’s former Australian teammate Sandy Brondello, now the Opals head coach, delivered her the news earlier this week.

“I never expected to get to this point so every day I get past here is a blessing and I truly feel like one of the luckiest people in the world to be getting another shot after the way my career ended,” Jackson said.

“There’s a little bit of apprehension. I’m definitely a little bit scared and excited but who knows what will happen with my body.

“I’ve been very cautious from day dot, not to get over excited or put any pressure on myself. it’s been a really long journey but every milestone that I’ve hit I’ve gone ‘I didn’t think I’d get to this point’ but thought I’ll just push it a bit further and see how much further I can go.

“It kind of feels like I’m a kid again vying for a position. When I found out I made it into the squad I had a moment of shock, it’s reality now and getting into the mind frame again of competing to wear the green and gold again.”

Jackson announced in February she was making a comeback and would play for hometown Albury Wodonga in the NBL1 competition. She is averaging a conference-high 32.6 points and 11.6 rebounds while the team sit second in the NBL1 East with a record of 8 wins and 2 losses.

Lauren Jackson continues her DOMINANCE ??
3️⃣1️⃣ Points
2️⃣4️⃣ Rebounds@laurenej15

Watch @NBL1East live and free on https://t.co/NEk1I7BLMG and the #NBL1 App ??? pic.twitter.com/6qUwcZ8SDz

— NBL1 (@NBL1) April 30, 2022

Jackson’s return was subject to a number of high-performance, medical and strength and conditioning requirements set by Basketball Australia which included loading, lower body strength testing, sprints, backing up from back-to-back training sessions and a filmed scrimmage which was reviewed by the Opals coaching staff.

“I’ve been training since November and I knew if there was any chance of me even playing for Albury I had to get as strong as I could possibly get so I spent five months lifting every day and doing conditioning. A lot of work had been done in the background to get me on the court for Albury,” Jackson said.

“It really has been step-by-step and that’s how I’ve dealt with everything physically and mentally, to not overwhelm myself.”

Jackson made it known she isn’t here for the media attention that will no doubt escalate after the news of her inclusion was made public, albeit a positive story on the Opals will be a welcomed change in comparison to recent media attention focused on the Liz Cambage saga.

The Opals will aim to bounce back from a dismal Olympic campaign last year where they were knocked out in the quarter-finals after a tumultuous lead-in that saw Liz Cambage pull out shortly before the Olympic tournament began.

Jackson says she knows she isn’t coming along for the ride but will be able to contribute and play a solid role for the third-ranked Opals squad.

“With my size, height and experience in the game I think what I can bring to the team is invaluable in terms of leadership,” she said.

“Once I step foot on a basketball court I’m pretty confident, it just comes naturally and has always just been part of who I am. I know I can bring that confidence to the girls, I can help them and that’s where I think I can be helpful.

“In terms of my talent and ability to get out there and score buckets, people know I can do that but I think it’s the other stuff that’s going to make a difference.”

Brondello said Jackson had worked hard to earn her place in the squad.

“Lauren is a fierce athlete and competitor. She has put in the work and is deserving of her place in the squad. There are lots of questions about the World Cup but for now it’s one step at a time, every athlete on our squad is vying for a position to play, it’s on home soil so we expect this intense level of competition.”

Jackson and the Opals begin camp on Monday and the Opals’ 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup fixtures will begin September 22 in Sydney.

* September 22 – Australia vs France
* September 23 – Australia vs Mali
* September 25 – Australia vs Serbia
* September 26 – Australia vs Canada
* September 27 – Australia vs Japan

Dan Boyce (815 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.