LAUREN JACKSON

Jackson willed Australia to a win in the bronze medal game at basketball's World Cup, scoring 30 points to lead the Opals to a 95-65 win over Canada on Saturday. “I couldn't imagine that.”She played in 43 World Cup games in her career, matching Brazil's Janeth Arcain for most all-time. Even with the loss, the Canadians advanced further than they had in any World Cup in 36 years. TIP-INS:Jackson became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup medal-round games, surpassing her friend Diana Taurasi's mark of 63. ... Jackson has now scored over 30 points in a medal game twice — the only player to do it.

Jackson willed Australia to a win in the bronze medal game at basketball's World Cup, scoring 30 points to lead the Opals to a 95-65 win over Canada on Saturday. “I couldn't imagine that.”She played in 43 World Cup games in her career, matching Brazil's Janeth Arcain for most all-time. Even with the loss, the Canadians advanced further than they had in any World Cup in 36 years. The only other one to win a game was Spain in 2018 when it beat Belgium for the bronze medal. Jackson became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup medal-round games, surpassing her friend Diana Taurasi's mark of 63.

Lauren Jackson capped her storied international basketball career with another bronze medal and scored 30 points to lead Australia to a 95-65 win over Canada in the third-place game at the women’s World Cup.

Canada has advanced to its first World Cup semifinals since 1986 as Kia Nurse scored 17 points in a 79-60 win over Puerto Rico.

SYDNEY — (AP) — Thirty minutes after Australia knocked off Canada in the preliminary round of the women's basketball World Cup, Lauren Jackson was back on the court signing autographs and posing for selfies with hundreds of adoring fans. masks in honor of the greatest player in the history of Australia basketball. Jackson helped Australia win its lone gold medal in the 2006 World Championship. Matt Paps, the coach of the Albury team, told Jackson that he’d love to have her comeback and play. “Without a doubt, she’s the top three in the whole world regardless of where she’s from,” Brondello said.

Australian Lauren Jackson says nothing can top playing in what is likely her final international women's basketball competition in front of adoring fans at the World Cup Sydney.

That moniker also works for the city's WNBA franchise, the New York Liberty, which has seven players competing in the women's World Cup for five different countries. The two Liberty players are on opposite teams a few weeks after their WNBA season ended with a playoff loss to Chicago in the opening round. Whitcomb said that the Liberty players talked about the potential of them all coming to Sydney for the World Cup. Whitcomb said the Liberty teammates have been getting coffee with each other in between games. New York isn't the only WNBA team well represented in Sydney: Seattle has five active players as well as Jackson.

New York has long been known as a melting pot.

Bec Allen was instrumental in Australia’s 69-54 win over Serbia scoring 16 points in the World Cup.

Puerto Rico played in its first World Cup in 2018 and was winless in three games in that tournament. The 31 points were the most the national team had scored in a period in its brief World Cup history. UNITED STATES 87, BELGIUM 72Breanna Stewart scored 22 points and Alyssa Thomas had 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in her debut for the United States. CHINA 107, SOUTH KOREA 44Li Meng and Yang Liwei each scored 14 points and Han Xu added 13 as China beat South Korea. Jihyun Park was the only player in double figures for South Korea, scoring 14 points.

Lauren Jackson had one basket in her first game for Australia in 12 years as the Opals lost to France 70-57 on the opening day of the women's World Cup.

Breanna Stewart scored 22 points and Alyssa Thomas had 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in her debut for the United States, which beat Belgium 87-72 in its World Cup opener.

A’ja Wilson has earned WNBA MVP honors for the second time in her young career.

Lynx Storm Basketball Former Seattle Storm center Lauren Jackson stands courtside before a WNBA basketball game between the Storm and the Minnesota Lynx, Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) (Ted S. Warren)Lauren Jackson has been named on her fifth FIBA World Cup roster for Australia in her comeback to international basketball, in a selection that was somewhat expected. “There were a lot of emotions when Sandy rang me, I had a bit of a cry to be honest,” Jackson said Wednesday. "I get so emotional talking about this," Jackson told The Associated Press during the training camp in New York. ___AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg contributed from New York___More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsCopyright 2022 The Associated Press.

Australia Jackson's Return Basketball FILE - Australia's Lauren Jackson (15) drives to the basket as Russia's Irina Osipova (12) defends during a women's bronze medal basketball game at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) (Eric Gay)SYDNEY — (AP) — As expected, Lauren Jackson has been named on her fifth FIBA World Cup roster for Australia in her comeback to international basketball. Not so expected were the tears that came when the 41-year-old Jackson was officially informed of her place in the 12-player team by head coach Sandy Brondello. “There were a lot of emotions when Sandy rang me, I had a bit of a cry to be honest,” Jackson said Wednesday. "I get so emotional talking about this," Jackson told The Associated Press during the training camp in New York.

Lauren Jackson has been named on her fifth FIBA World Cup roster for Australia in a comeback to international basketball.

Sue Bird knows she made the right decision announcing publicly what she knew inside — that this would be her last WNBA season.

It has been a slow process,” Jackson said in an interview with The Associated Press while training in New York with the Australian national team last week. She was working out with the coach of her hometown Australian Basketball league team. Matt Paps, the coach of the Aulbrey team, said to her that he'd love to have her comeback and play. Australian player Rebecca Allen never had a chance to play with Jackson on the national team. The Liberty's wing wasn’t part of the New York training camp because of schedule conflicts with her WNBA team.

Australian basketball star Lauren Jackson is making a comeback after retiring six years ago.

Basketball Hall of Fame The class of 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame stands together on stage, Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in Springfield, Mass. The newly inducted basketball Hall of Famer called out by name — in order — the teams with the first nine picks that year and thanked them for allowing him to slip to the Boston Celtics. Bill Russell, who was inducted as a player in 1975, was honored for his coaching career; he is the fifth person to be inducted as both a player and a coach. WNBA President Val Ackerman, longtime coach Cotton Fitzsimmons, scouting pioneer Howard Garfinkel were inducted as contributors. “Hey, Chris Weber, we’re going into the Hall of Fame with Bill Russell, bro,” Chris Bosh said.

Four months after the pandemic-delayed induction of the Class of 2020, the Basketball Hall of Fame gathered to enshrine 16 more new members.

Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce was in a class of 16 scheduled to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend.

The WNBA playoff chase may come down to the final day of the regular season on Sept. 19.

Jay Wright used to sell tickets to games in the long-defunct United States Football League.