It’s not a decision, but in an 18-minute interview with an Australian radio station aired Tuesday, the WNBA’s two-time MVP Lauren Jackson (pictured right with ball) said she’s narrowed her suitors to Phoenix and Seattle.
“I think Seattle and Phoenix are sort of the two places I’m looking at going,” Jackson told Radio Sport 927 in an interview recorded Monday from Russia, where she is playing for the SuperLeague and EuroLeague club Spartak Vidnoe. “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.”
Jackson, a 6-foot-5 power forward, is an unrestricted free agent for the first times since entering the league as the Storm’s No. 1 overall draft pick in 2001. The native Australian is currently playing in Russia and her agent said she’s not prepared to make an announcement about where she’ll play in 2009.
Jackson, 27, announcing she’ll at least play in the WNBA next season is a positive. She can make about $2,000 more playing in Seattle, signing for the league maximum ($99,500). She told the station, Sport 927, that she’s getting input from close friends Sue Bird (Seattle) and Diana Taurasi (Phoenix). Both Phoenix coach Corey Gaines and Seattle coach Brian Agler have visited with the international star in Russia, too.
“I’m definitely going to be playing in America,” Jackson said. “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.”
The Storm’s all-time leading scorer, Jackson is going to return home to Albury following the Russian season then report to a WNBA training camp.