Australian Opals squad revealed for Paris Olympic qualifiers: Lauren Jackson named

Lauren Jackson is officially in the frame for a fifth Olympic Games — at age 42 — after she was named in the Opals squad charged with punching its ticket for Paris. SQUAD REVEAL

Legendary Australian Opal Lauren Jackson is officially in the frame for the Paris Olympics.

Twenty-three years after she helped lead the Opals to silver in Sydney, Jackson, 42, has been named as part of a 20-player squad ahead of February’s Olympic qualifiers in Brazil.

Of course, there are no guarantees — Jackson will need to prove her fitness at international level — but it’s the first concrete sign the GOAT is well and truly in the frame for a remarkable fifth Olympics.

Jackson is among a star-studded squad of young guns and experienced veterans with high-level experience in the WNBA, WNBL and Europe. They will compete for one of 12 spots in Sandy Brondello’s team that will head to Belem from February 8-11 for clashes with Brazil, Germany and Serbia, the top-three teams booking their ticket to Paris.

Lauren Jackson could still add another chapter to her remarkable international career. Picture: AFP

All 12 players from last year’s FIBA World Cup are in the squad, including scoring machine Bec Allen, who has recovered from the punctured lung that ruined her campaign in Sydney.

Reigning WNBL MVP and WNBA champion Cayla George, emergent WNBA centre Alanna Smith and teen sensation Isobel Borlase are also there, as is rising star Jade Melbourne.

“The qualifiers in Brazil are definitely a challenge,” Brondello said.

“The standard of women’s basketball, globally, has lifted considerably since the last Olympics as the game continues to gain momentum.

Bec Allen is one of, if not the, most gifted scorers in Australian basketball. Picture: Getty Images

Teen rising star Isobel Borlase has been selected in her first senior Opals squad. Picture: Getty Images

“Our squad is a great mix of experience and exciting emerging talent, so we approach the qualifiers with confidence but great respect for our opposition.
“We will have limited preparation for these qualifiers but we know with the Opals we lift for the big occasion and, with an Olympics spot on the line, we can expect each player to bring it.”

Steph Talbot (ACL) and Kristy Wallace (meniscus) have been named but are recovering from knee injuries, while Alice Kunek, on Sunday, suffered a broken wrist in Townsville’s win over Canberra.

Many thought Jackson had put the full stop on a supreme international career with her 30-point opus in the Opals’ bronze-medal World Cup decider.

The GOAT at her first Olympics in Sydney, 2000.

Lauren Jackson celebrates after leading the Opals to bronze at last year’s FIBA World Cup. Picture: Getty Images

But, while as recently as October, Jackson said Paris was “not part of my plan”, she never officially retired and it’s understood she had always left the door open for Paris.

Some had written the three-time WNBA MVP off when she suffered a ruptured Achilles while playing for Southside in the WNBL, which forced her to undergo dual leg surgeries — the other to fix a fractured foot.

But a gruelling rehabilitation and fitness regime first led to a return to the Flyers this season and now keeps her Olympic dream alive.

Originally published as Australian Opals squad revealed for Paris Olympic qualifiers: Lauren Jackson named