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2009
On her chances of playing for Canberra again
'I'll never say never because with me, that's just the way it is, but I live in Sydney when I come back now so it would make more sense to play there."
(Canberra Times, Jan 7)
On her career
''It's more about the money now than it's ever been because I can set myself up."
(Canberra Times, Jan 7)
On the 2009 WNBA season
"I think Seattle and Phoenix are sort of the two places I'm looking at going. Obviously, I love Seattle, and I've been there for many years. It's always going to be a tough decision, but I don't know what I'm going to do. As long as I feel like I don't know, I can't make any decisions. I don't want to make the wrong one. It's something I'm going to decide for myself soon. I've taken my time, but I need to make sure I make the right decision. Honestly, I'm going to wait until the Russian season is over before I sit down and go over the pros and cons. And I also want to be with my parents when I do that."
(Radio Sport 927, Mar 24)
On the 2009 WNBA season
"I'm definitely going to be playing in America. I love the WNBA. I'm really committed to it. I love Seattle. I'm very committed to the league. Not to say I wouldn't go back there or anywhere, but I'm just at the moment weighing up all my options."
(Radio Sport 927, Mar 24)
On re-signing with Seattle
"I love the Storm - I love playing there. For different reasons, the opportunity came up to play somewhere else. It came down basically to me loving it in Seattle. I've said for a long time it's my home there in America. I couldn't bear to leave."
(Seattle Storm, May 5)
On the importance of her decision to stay in Seattle
"I'm really fortunate and I'm glad that I had this time to think about it and really put what I love about Seattle in perspective and how I would feel if I left. "I think that I would have lost a huge part of me if I had gone from Seattle, so I'm just glad that I got this opportunity to have this time and realize how important it is."
(Seattle Storm, May 5)
On the impact of Seattle fan mail
"Getting those e-mails, I really had no idea how passionate people were about the Storm and me coming back. When I saw that, I think that was pretty much the clincher right there. It's hard to make a decision like that based on personal feelings, but when you've got the fans out there and people that really want you back and you can put things into perspective, it definitely changes things for you."
(Seattle Storm, May 5)
On her playing form
"I don't feel like I've played my best basketball since before the Olympics. I'd love to get back there and get back to my peak performance and get back to myself. I'm really looking forward to that. It's great because I've got the right people around me and people who I know can help me get better and make me get better."
(Seattle Storm, May 5)
On thinking of going to Phoenix
"I don't think it was a bad thing that I was thinking of going down there, but it's something that probably in the future I would have regretted. In Europe and Australia, as well, it's so unlikely that a player starts and finishes their career in one place. Everyone explores other opportunities. Finishing my career with the same team ... would be really special for me to be able to do that."
(Seattle Times, May 16)
As Suzy Batkovic-Brown's maid of honour
"It was very stressful because Suzy was a stress bag."
(Seattle Times, June 2)
On life
"You definitely go through stages in life. At 27, 28, I just know that I've been through so much and witnessed so much. You grow up. For a long time, I was living in a little basketball bubble."
(ESPN, June 5)
Reflecting on Olympic silver
"The silver medal is still a great accomplishment. We've got a smaller population, and for us to achieve what we have is something special. But you never know how many opportunities you'll have to win a championship. So yeah, I was a little bit upset after that game. It hurt."
(ESPN, June 5)
"The athlete who is motivated and wants to get better never stops trying. I'm pretty sure that I will be able to give it a good run this year. I will become a better player."
(ESPN, June 5)
On Seattle
"I think coming to Seattle made me the player and the person I am today. I think a lot of me growing up has to do with me being here and being away from home. I was very fortunate to be drafted here I know that."
(Seattle Times, June 5)
On her ankle surgery
"Last year I wasn't able to train hard. My ankle was bad and if I hadn't had the surgery I wouldn't be here now. I hope I never have to go through that again, all of the injections. I don't think I would ever put myself through that again ... I think if I ever see another needle getting pulled out, I'll just walk away. I would go through another surgery if I had to, but I wouldn't let it get to the point where it was that bad again. When you get a little older, you listen to your body a little more."
(Seattle Times, June 5)
"I love being on the court and being competitive and feeling good. It's just something I've done my whole life and I don't know who I'd be without it ... It was all basketball ... It's who I am and it's been who I am all my life. And I'll be playing as long as I possibly can. I'm sure I'll be an old woman, coming off the bench, still playing for the Storm."
(Seattle Times, June 5)
On being back into the swing of things in Seattle
"The only thing freaking me out at the moment is there is a Ferrari parked right next to me (at her apartment). I'm scared I'm going to nick that thing."
(Seattle P-I, June 8)
On Sue Bird
"I guess Sue's that good - you just expect her to go out and do that sort of stuff all the time. She still tends to amaze people now and then. At the moment she's amazing me, for sure."
(Seattle Storm, June 24)
On the physical play of LA
"It was like 20 seconds into the game and I said, 'OK, you’re going to punch me in the chest.' I think she does it to get under my skin. When I was younger it definitely worked, but now it’s like, 'Why are you doing it?' Whatever."
(Seattle Storm, June 26)
On LJ deciding between Seattle and Phoenix - "There is no question she knows what I think of her, what her teammates think of her, what the franchise thinks of her and what she means to the city. Now it’s up to Lauren to make a decision."
(International Basketball Network, Apr 10)
On LJ deciding to stay in Seattle - "She told me what her thoughts were, and I said, 'You've made my year'."
(Seattle Storm, May 4)
On the uncertainty if LJ was staying - "I never lost faith, but there were moments of concern, to be honest with you. The one thing I tried to focus on was there was so much peripheral talk about what people thought Lauren was going to do. I just focused on what Lauren was telling me the whole time. Everything that Lauren was telling me was absolutely the truth and came full circle."
(Seattle Storm, May 4)
On having LJ on the team - "I'm really looking forward to it, and I know talking to Sue today, Sue is just delighted. I don't think Sue was totally surprised, but she never took it for granted either, obviously ... It's just a happy day."
(Seattle Storm, May 4)
On LJ - "I still think the best is ahead. But I also know she's human too. I see things that I know that she can improve on and how she can get other opportunities and things like that, but she's playing marvelous basketball. We don't have any complaints, but it's our job - my job in particular - to try to help her be the best she can become. That also is helping us become better."
(Seattle Storm, June 24)
On LJ's form 8-games into the season - "I haven’t been here for but a year in a half, but from what I remember coaching again her I don’t know if she’s played any better than she’s playing right now ... She’s getting to the free throw line and playing very strong. People are not making it easy on her. I’m really proud of how she’s playing."
(Seattle Storm, June 26)
Sue Bird
“Lauren can take over a game. She could score the first 30 if you let her."
(The Olympian, June 8)
On the home-opener win over Sacramento - "[Lauren] still wows me every now and then. She was dropping some dimes, so I had to give her kudos for that."
(Seattle Times, June 8)
On trying to lure LJ to Phoenix - "There's no wining or dining. There's more begging."
(ESPN, Feb 7)
On LJ as an unrestricted free agent - "I think five or six coaches have been out there (Moscow). She's definitely one of the star players in the WNBA -- forget that -- star players in the world."
(ESPN, Feb 7)
Becky Hammon
"Lauren affects our whole league; she's just that kind of impact player."
(ESPN, June 2)
Laura Harper (Sacramento Monarch)
"Jackson is one of the best all-around players in our league and is really skilled. She makes you work on defense every second you are guarding her."
(USA Today, June 6)
Ian Hopkins (Penrith association's development officer)
"I've got kids after the last Olympics coming here and saying, 'I want to be the next Lauren Jackson.'"
(SMH, May 23)
On the EuroLeague semi final - "In my opinion, if Lauren Jackson plays well then Spartak will win. But if Ekaterinburg's post players dominate, they will win it."
(FIBA Europe, Mar 26)
Ann Meyers Drysdale (Phoenix GM)
On LJ staying in Seattle - "Women are more loyal than the men, but the men are in a position to get more money. You'll see men, whether it be a Kevin Garnett or Shaquille O'Neal, leave. Lauren is a different animal because she's been playing so long. It'll be interesting to see how long she plays in the WNBA."
(Seattle Times, May 16)
"Lauren Jackson, you know her. She's an amazing player, it's incredible to move the way she does at 1.95 meters."
(FIBA, Mar 16)
On the Spartak v UMMC EuroLeague semi final - "The games are different because in Russia you have to have two Russians on the court. I think that the game in the Semi-Final of the EuroLeague will be a Star Wars."
(FIBA Europe, Mar 25)
Jon Stanhope (ACT Chief Minister)
On LJ's sporting status - ''I've long believed that Lauren Jackson is to women's basketball what Mal Meninga is to rugby league.''
(Canberra Times, Mar 15)
On the idea of constructing an LJ statue - 'I've always felt it would be fitting to acknowledge that Lauren Jackson is recognised by many as the greatest women's basketballer in the world, and a product of basketball in Canberra ... A sculpture would be a fitting commemoration of her stature.''
(Canberra Times, Mar 15)
Mehelle Voepel (ESPN Columnist)
"Seattle Storm center Lauren Jackson is, of course, officially a citizen of Australia. From a practical standpoint, though, she's a citizen of women's basketball."
(ESPN, June 5)
