2xWNBA champion Lauren Jackson makes history, becomes oldest basketball player ever to play in Olympics

Australian international Lauren Jackson became the oldest player to play at the Olympics at the age of 43. The two-time WNBA champion played for the Seattle Storm and was with the franchise for 11 years, but injuries in the latter half of her career led to her retirement from the league.

Jackson retired from the game in 2016 after major contributions to the teams she played for. She won the WNBA championship two times with the Seattle Storm, won the MVP award three times, won the Finals MVP once, and is a seven-time All-Star.

As for her achievements in the WNBL, the biggest women's basketball league in Australia, she is a seven-time WNBL champion. She has also won four MVP awards and is a four-time Grand Final MVP. Lauren Jackson came out of retirement in 2022 when the Albury Wodonga Bandits approached her to play for them in the NBL 1 East.

She is now representing Australia as a part of the Australian Women's National basketball team at the Paris Olympics. Jackson has won three silver and one bronze medal at the Olympics but has never seen gold at the prestigious international tournament. She is aiming for the gold medal to add to her already decorated trophy cabinet.

Lauren Jackson and Australia fall short against Nigeria in their 2024 Paris Olympics opener

Lauren Jackson had a rocky start to what might be her last Olympics campaign. The Australian Women's National Basketball Team took on the Nigerian Women's Basketball team at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium and fell short of securing the win.

The Nigerians dominated in the second and last quarter to build a lead and close out the game with a 23-11 run in the second quarter and a 24-15 run in the fourth. Minnesota Lynx forward Alanna Smith led the charts for Australia with 15 points seven rebounds and one assist. However, her efforts were in vain as the Nigerian players kept scoring to maintain the lead.

Ezinne Kalu led the charts for Nigeria with 19 points, five rebounds, five assists and three massive steals that forced turnovers to pressure her opponents. Lauren Jackson played a bench role in the game but was unable to turn the tide in favor of her team. She scored only six points, collected two rebounds and made one successful block.