Year: 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 and prior
2002 and prior
LJ on the WNBA - "I can go over there now and
kick all their butts, I'll prove myself."
LJ to Sandy Fobbles - "Never stop believing."
LJ on Lucille Hamilton - "Luce, she's a bloody legend and she is a lot of
fun. She is the teamiest person I've ever met in my life."
LJ on the WNBA - "I don't know whether I want to go to Phoenix, though...isn't
Phoenix in Texas? I want to go to Washington so I can meet the president....That's
half serious. I'd love to meet George Bush and I have more chance of meeting
him if I'm in Washington than Phoenix."
LJ on the WNBA - "I don't see the point going over there and being a great
marketing tool for the WNBA and not earning something for it,"
"There's been a lot in the media already over there and I don't want to
promote the American league if they are not going to help me out."
"It's like saying if Lisa Leslie came over here to play in our WNBL that
she should only earn the base salary."
LJ on the WNBA - "The money doesn't matter. My motivation for playing in
the WNBA was the fear of getting behind the other players (from Australia) if
I didn't."
LJ on dunking - "I'm going to dunk, maybe not this weekend, but I'm going
to do it. I tried one the other week but someone ran straight underneath my legs
when I jumped and I fell flat on my face."
LJ on dunking - "With a little training I could dunk the ball ... I don't
know when it would happen or if I'd try during a game, but I could easily do
it."
LJ on dunking - "I will one day, but it's not my focus to dunk in a game."
LJ on her non-basketball life - "When I'm not playing, my life is totally
different - dancing around in a miniskirt and high heels with friends, acting
stupid, writing poetry or watching TV, dreaming about some fantasy."
LJ on her knee injury and the Caps - "I went back on but I was too worried
about the injury and didn't play all that well,"
"Everyone has stepped up this season and we've all got the potential to
shoot the lights out."
"We had a bit of a rough trot at the start of the season but I think we
are really getting into it now."
"We (are) looking forward to having a home final this year instead of going
away."
LJ on being drafted to Seattle - "I would have had a nervous breakdown if
I hadn't come to Seattle before going home... I was really scared in New York
because I couldn't live in a place like that. But as soon as we flew over Seattle
and saw the trees, I got excited. It looks a lot like home."
LJ on what she likes most about the USA- "There's a McDonald's on every
single corner! Also, I would say Seattle. I really love Seattle - it's my favorite
part of America. The people here are really great."
LJ on scalping Lisa Leslie - "That was not intentional... I didn't know
the hair was fake... My finger got stuck in her ponytail and I just yanked it
loose. I didn't mean it ... the whole (U.S.) team was coming toward me and I
was like, `Oh my God!' That's the only time I've even been intimidated."
LJ on being the female Michael Jordon - "Stuff like that goes in one ear
and out the other."
LJ on the Storm training camp - "That was probably the most hectic session
I've ever been in... I've never been in a practice so intense, but it was fun."
LJ on the WNBA basketball - "It's so little... I was shooting air balls
before practice."
" I'm going to shoot and get used to that little ball."
LJ on going to the 2001WNBA draft - "I didn't know I was going overseas
three days ago so it just jumped up pretty quickly... I'm pretty nervous, but
I'm looking forward to it."
LJ on facing other Aussies in the WNBA - "I can't wait to see them, obviously,"
"but when we get on the court, it's a completely different game, and I'm
going to try really hard just to win and play my game and not be intimidated
about playing other Australians. I'm looking forward to it."
LJ on herself in the WNBA - "I need to improve on a lot of parts of my game,
but that'll all come as time goes by in the season. There are a lot of tall,
athletic basketballers over here, like myself, so I kind of have to add things
to my game, like my three-point shooting, like my drives from the outside, all
that stuff. Otherwise, I'd be just like any normal person -- and I don't want
to be."
LJ on Seattle - "It's great, I love Seattle. The people are really nice
and it's a cool place."
LJ on bronchitis - "I just want to be able to get back to full fitness .
. . my chest has been a bit sore, blah, blah, blah – same old stuff with
bronchitis."
LJ on basketball - "I play for myself. I don't play for money, or anything
else, because I love basketball. It's my life, it's what I am and who I am. And
i want to be the best, like my parents, so I can hold my head up high and earn
people's respect."
LJ on the herself and the future - "There's not too much I haven't done
yet, except win a gold medal for Australia - and that's on its way at the next
Olympics, for sure. This is all I've dreamed of since the age of two."
LJ on her celebrity status - "We (Loz and her mum) were taken everywhere
in limos - even to Maccas - and that's not really me... I mean, I'm not a celebrity.
I'm just a normal country girl who grew very tall."
LJ on Michael Jordon - "He is the sexiest man that ever lived. My jaw dropped
and I couldn't move."
LJ on her first WNBA game - "I was so pumped and completely out of control...It
was just a matter of settling down. Hitting my first shot helped me do that.
... This has to be right up there with the Olympics. I was very nervous but it
was a pretty good game."
LJ on her WNBA All-Star nomination - "I'm still trying to get a grip...
If I made it, would be a fluke because I'm not playing my best right now. I know
I can do better and that's what my focus is. In my mind, there are so many bloody
good players in the league I can't worry about making the team. ... But it would
be great if I did."
LJ on making the Western Conference All-Star team - "I really didn't expect
to make it, because it's my first year, but I'm really excited. I didn't think
I deserved to make it. But I'm hoping to have fun. I've visited Orlando in 1997,
and really enjoyed the city."
LJ on Lisa Leslie - "On the court, Lisa is a great player and a ferocious
competitor, but I really believe she is a good person. Hopefully, she can find
out I am the same."
LJ on basketball in Australia - "I definitely want to stay in Canberra,
it's my home, I love it here, and I really think Basketball Canberra should look
at the bigger picture. I would like to play my entire WNBL career here."
LJ on the Storm naming her co-captain - "You have to be seriously wonderful
to be voted captain. I didn't know they had this much respect for me."
It's pretty awesome and I'd say being voted captain would be right up there with
all the individual honours I've received."
"I'd like to be a captain like Michele Timms, Robyn Maher and Shelley Sandie
... players I've been learning from since I started playing professionally as
a 16-year-old."
"As captain of a WNBA team, I'll just be doing my thing and I've got to
set an example to people now, which will be different. I'm just going to have
to try and lead the team as best I can."
LJ on overtaking LL as the champ - "For sure. I mean, how old is she?" Jackson
said. "I'm 21 years old and she's what, 30? (Actually, 31). I've got nine
years to work on that."
LJ on Storm fans - "We have the best fans in the league, I don't care what
anyone says."
LJ on the Storm - "We're gonna be the World Champions one day."
LJ on the 2002 All-Star game - "It's gonna be awesome and I think having
Sue there with me is going to be wonderful. Last year was kind of tough and I'm
looking much more forward to it this time because of Sue and because we're doing
much better this year."
LJ on the LL dunk - "I was glad to see it, but she won't be dunking on me."
"It is cool to see a woman dunking. And it was a nice, smooth, female dunk,
too. I liked it."
LJ on Coach Dunn - "Lin is a great coach. She's perfect for this team. If
people don't see that, they're stupid."
LJ on the Storm - "In a couple of years, I have no doubt we'll win back-to-back
championships."
Kristen Veal on LJ - "I have always been
her teammate, so it will be different. But we play different positions
so we will both just go out there and do our thing. It will be interesting
to see her in a different uniform. I won't be passing it to her anymore!"
Tom Maher (Washington Mystics coach, ex-Australian
Opals coach) on LJ - "The WNBA might have to make a transition
to having Lauren around... She's as good as it gets right now."
"She's played against the US Olympic teams more than a dozen times and averaged
better than 20 points and 10 rebounds - she's phenomenal."
Tom Maher on LJ in the WNBA - "I think that Lauren has got enough to be
a star physically,"
"I think it is just a matter of her settling into a new place. If she does
that quickly, then I'm sure she will be a star quite quickly as well. I think
if anybody can be a sensation, well, little Lauren Jackson can, because she is
that good."
Tom Maher on LJ - "She'll be the best player in the world some day. People
have to remember she is only 20 years old."
Tom Maher on LJ - "God sent her to play basketball, He woke up one day and
said basketball needs Lauren Jackson. She's got it all and a fantastic attitude
as well."
Semeka Randall (Storm team-mate) on LJ - "Coming
off a plane that was delayed and still giving effort shows she's
got dedication... It took her awhile to get warm, but she's got some
heart."
Leo Karis (LJ's agent) on women's basketball
- "Women's basketball doesn't have the highest profile yet...
We all want to see it succeed. I could see Lauren playing for 10
years in Seattle."
Maree Jackson on her daughter - "We (Maree
and Gary) always knew Lauren was going to play basketball... There
was no pressure. She always said she was going to play for the national
team and we just knew."
Tom Flynn (a coach and follower of women's
basketball since the early 1970's) on LJ - "Lauren Jackson is
better than any center in the U.S. ... There's good, and then there's
obscenely good. There is nobody close - nobody who is leaner, quicker
and more skilled. Lauren Jackson is the franchise. She's the Shaquille
O'Neal."
Cynthia Cooper on her best world team of all
time - "The foreign player that has impressed me the most would
be Janeth Arcain. My all-world team ... I guess I would have Lisa
Leslie, Lauren Jackson, Sheryl Swoopes, Michele Timms ... on the
wing -- can I put myself? I'd put myself on the wing, just to make
sure everything goes okay."
Lisa Leslie on LJ - "Lauren Jackson
is a great player and I could see her coming to the WNBA and being
a great player."
Lisa Leslie on playing LJ in the WNBA - "I think that it will be great.
She is very skilled and has the ability to take our league to the next level.
I'm looking for the rematch personally."
Lisa Leslie on the kind of player LJ will be - "I think she's going to be
a great player. She's got all the tools, inside and out. Defensively, I think
she's a very good defensive player, a good shotblocker. She's amazing and she'll
be a huge impact in the WNBA. We'd love to have her in LA."
Lisa Leslie on rivalry with LJ - "I don't see how that could be a problem.
I love the match-up and the challenge of playing against her. I'd love to do
it in the WNBA or internationally. I think she's a very good player and I think
it'll be something to look forward to in the WNBA and for fans as well."
Lisa Leslie on LJ -"Jackson is a very good player. She has more talent than
any 19-year-old in the world right now. As far as anything personal, it's always
going to be personal when I step on the court and I have on my USA uniform. She
just happens to be the victim for that day. Right now, we're going to war. But
we're not using weapons, we're using basketballs. Lauren is one, and we have
five. I hope that day comes when we meet the Australians in the gold medal round."
Lisa Leslie to LJ after loosing her hair extension - "You're dead!"
Nell Fortner (USA coach) on LJ -
"I think she is a nice player and I know Australia is glad to
have her on their team. She helps them a lot and she will continue
to be a very good player for them."
Nell Fortner on LJ - "I think she is a really nice player. Being 19 years
old and playing at this level is pretty incredible. She is an important cog in
their team. You have to defend her well and hopefully limit her touches of the
ball because she's a very efficient shooter also. She's a nice player and they
have a team full of nice players, but so do we. So throw up the ball and 'D'
them up."
Melissa McFerrin (general manager of the
Washington Mystics) on international recruits for the WNBA - "Many
of the best players are already in the league, with the exception
of Lauren Jackson."
Melissa McFerrin on LJ - "Lauren Jackson is a very, very talented player.
She's 19 years old, she's 6-5 and she has a strong post game with an outside
shot. Probably most importantly, she plays with an attitude that shows she has
confidence in her game. If she chooses to play in our league, I think she would
be outstanding."
Oscar Dixon (from USA Today) on LJ - "Lauren
Jackson will be a star in the league. If she decides to play in the
U.S. next season she'll be the No. 1 pick in the draft. Unless things
change, that means she would end up in Seattle, which will need two
or three more quality players around her before she truly shines.
At 6-4 and only 19 years old, she is often compared to Lisa, who
takes that as a personal challenge."
Lin Dunn on the importance of the WNBA to
sign a player like LJ - "I think it's great for the WNBA when
we're able to sign the top players. Anytime you have an elite player
like Lauren Jackson who is eligible for the draft, it's in our best
interest to sign her. She is a very talented player right now and
will only continue to improve. With this news, I'm sure that I'll
hear from a lot of teams around the league that would love to have
her."
Lin Dunn on LJ - "She is far beyond what a 19-year-old should be at this
stage of her career, and I don't think I am alone in saying that... There are
many, many other coaches in the WNBA who think she is an outstanding prospect."
Lin Dunn on LJ - ''We (the Storm) felt very strongly Lauren was the No. 1 player
in the draft... She is an elite player. She's versatile. She's multi-dimensional.
We're just thrilled to death to get her... None of the trade offers could give
more than what Lauren can... ''She gives us a double-double every night. She
can play defence and run the floor well... 'We're just excited to have Lauren
Jackson here in Seattle. We're not entertaining trade offers at this time."
Lin Dunn on LJ - "Lauren is a unique rookie, and I think everybody should
understand that, even though she's young, she's had international experiences
with her national team since she was 15. So that gives her some unique experiences
that perhaps some of these other rookies don't have."
Lin Dunn on LJ -"I don't know that there's been any rookie more consistent
night in and night out, she's 20 years old, living away from home (Australia),
and she's done a super job of adjusting to a lot of things."
Tom Cross (Detroit Shock assistant coach)
on the WNBA draft - "There's many teams speculating about what
they could offer to get the first pick,"
"When she (Jackson) said she was going to play, Seattle took a deep breath.
She's a once-in-a-decade player, so they don't come along often."
"It's a good deal if you've got the first pick and all you've got to do
is make it known it's available and see who makes an offer,"
"Whoever gets her (Jackson), she's going to help them win games right away."
Michele Timms on LJ - "Jackson has
the potential to just blow everyone out of the water."
Michele Timms on LJ - "She could be the Michael Jordan that women's basketball
hasn't yet had."
Carrie Graf on the Canberra Capitals - "We've
beaten three of the top four teams with Lauren scoring just 10 to
12 points, so we've shown we don't have to rely just on the Lauren
Jackson show."
Carrie Graf on LJ - "She thrives on competition and she gets better the
harder it gets,"
"I sit there sometimes watching her and thinking: 'How did she do that?'
I am in awe of her. She is the most graceful athlete I have ever seen.
"The Americans will love her because they are a hoop culture and they will
see how good she is."
"And they will love what Australians love about her. She is a fighter and
she is a winner."
Linda Hargrove (Portland Fire coach) on
LJ - "Lauren Jackson's got the edge over everyone else because
she's played against a Lisa Leslie or Natalie Williams and has pro
experience."
Howard Schultz (Storm/Sonics owner) on LJ
- "She's a great shooter and handles the ball well,"
Schultz said. "... She has -- and I said this respectfully --
a competitive spirit. She's tough. She's definitely an impact player."
Tully Bevilaqua on LJ - "She's still only 20, and that's unbelievable to
be such a dominant player in a league like this at that age... She's got a few
things to learn. A year under her belt, she's going to be devastating."
Phil Brown (AIS coach) on LJ - "If we got past the first line, she intimidated
us and put pressure on our shots inside."
Tom Flynn (Philadelphia coach) on LJ - "Lauren Jackson is better than any
centre in the US. There is nobody close, nobody who is leaner, quicker and more
skilled. Lauren Jackson is the (Seattle) franchise. She's the Shaquille O'Neal."
Marie Ferdinand on LJ - "I thought Lauren [Jackson] was really mean, but
she's the sweetest person in the world off the court. I thought the same thing
about Tina [Thompson], too, but I got to know her and she is totally different.
Everyone told me they thought I was a pit bull, too, because of the way I play
and the look on my face when I'm playing."
Sue Bird on 'that' LJ basket - "I was standing right there. It was on a
free throw. The person missed. She got the ball and I was looking for the outlet
and I scream 'Lauren!' Then I look up and scream 'No.' You can hear me on the
tape but she put the ball in. That was funny."
David Locke on LJ after the July 12 clash against LA - "Lauren Jackson just
looks like she's won a championship! I have never seen her so excited!"
Belinda Snell on the Canberra Capitals - "They've got Lauren Jackson so
of course they are going to be favourites, and it's another big challenge for
us."
