Lauren Jackson admitted she couldn\u0027t have imagined a better ending to her Hall of Fame career.
It was a throwback performance for the 41-year-old mom, who came back to the Opals after retiring in 2016 because of injuries. Jackson said on social media Saturday that this would be her final game for Australia and that she was “lucky to have this opportunity to represent Australia and also say goodbye. I didn’t get that chance all those years ago.
Jackson then took over scoring 12 of her points in the third quarter when Australia extended the lead to 71-54. Jackson, who had been used sparingly throughout most of the tournament, broke out an array of post moves that were reminiscent of her dominant MVP seasons in the WNBA playing for Seattle.Article content
Her three-point play with 1:07 left in the third gave Australia a 17-point advantage — its biggest lead of the game to that point. Australia coach Sandy Brondello, who played with Jackson on the national team, put Jackson back in with just under 6 minutes left and took her out to a rousing ovation with 2:22 remaining as she hit two free throws to end her night. Jackson received hugs from her teammates, who then lifted her up after the final buzzer.Canada was looking for its first medal since 1986 when the North American country won the bronze.
The teams met in pool play with Australia coming away with a 75-72 win that helped them earn the top seed in the group.Jackson became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup medal-round games, surpassing her friend Diana Taurasi’s mark of 63. Jackson finished with 81. … Jackson has now scored over 30 points in a medal game twice — the only player to do it. She had 31 against South Korea in 2002.
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