Lauren Jackson suffers injury 62 seconds two minutes into WNBL tribute game
Lauren Jackson suffered a heartbreaking ending to her historic tribute match, lasting just 62 seconds on the court before disaster struck.
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Aussie basketball legend Lauren Jackson has endured a bittersweet ending to her momentous tribute match, lasting just 62 seconds on the court before helplessly watching her team lose by one point in front of a record WNBL crowd.
Jackson’s Southside Flyers and Sydney Flames on Saturday night drew 7681 fans to John Cain Arena, eclipsing the 7500 fans who attended the Adelaide Lightning and Melbourne Tigers WNBL grand final back in 1995.
Much of the marketing behind getting fans to games centre around 41-year-old Jackson, who’s made a splash back in the league this season after coming out of retirement.
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But Jackson was forced to the bench after just one minute of action, limping off with a suspected Achilles injury.
Jackson pulling up sore from a defensive play where she appeared to receive little contact while guarding Flames import Jocelyn Willoughby.
She was then taken to Southside’s changerooms for further assessment before re-emerging with crutches to watch the remainder of the game from the sidelines.
The star centre, multiple WNBA All-Star and Australian team flag-bearer was helpless as the Flames pulled off a significant upset, defeating the Flyers 68-67 off the back of young star Tiana Mangakahia’s standout 36-point performance.
The suspected Achilles setback comes after it emerged Jackson had been playing for the Flyers in recent weeks with a broken foot.
Widely regarded as Australia’s greatest basketballer after a dominant and decorated two-decade career across the globe, Jackson was initially forced into retirement in March 2016 due to a persistent knee injury.
But she made a stunning comeback with the Opals last year to help them claim a bronze medal at the FIBA World Cup before linking up with the Flyers.
“I don’t feel great, but it is what it is,” Jackson told 9Now post-game on Saturday.
“I was on borrowed time anyway.
“It’s a bit ironic, isn’t it? Anyway.”
Jackson has been a massive drawcard for hoops fans around the country this WNBL season, spending hours post-game signing as many autographs as she can – all while often sitting with her injured lower leg on ice in an Esky.
Jackson broke her foot back in December but played through the pain thinking it was simply arthritis.
“It‘s one of those things where I’m just going to see the season out, do what I can and then I’ll deal with it after,” she said.
“At least knowing that it is broken now, I know that it will heal eventually.
“If I had’ve found out it was broken straight away I might not have played on it. At least I know I can play on it now, and I’m getting all the support I can get.”
Jackson has enjoyed one of the most stellar careers in basketball history, as a three-time WNBA MVP, two-time WNBA champion, and seven-time WNBA All-Star, alongside gold medallist in the 2006 Commonwealth Games and World Cup.
“I’m really delighted to see so many fans come out tonight, I’m only sorry that I couldn’t be out there on the court making an impact. It was so inspiring to see a full arena, a special thank you to my family, Gerry and the Flyers fans for coming out tonight,” Jackson said.
Originally published as Lauren Jackson suffers injury 62 seconds two minutes into WNBL tribute game
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