Why Lauren Jackson is excited about Canberra Capitals' future

Because who knows what this 42-year-old is capable of after returning from a torn Achilles and Lisfranc fracture?

Regardless, if you're at the National Convention Centre to watch Jackson's Southside Flyers take on the Canberra Capitals on Wednesday night, you could be watching Australian basketball's greatest of all time take on the heirs to the throne.

Jackson was a WNBA all star before Gemma Potter and Jade Melbourne were born. She was leading Canberra to WNBL titles before Potter and Melbourne could walk.

Now Jackson is "very excited to watch the evolution" of Melbourne and Potter as the Capitals look to build a future around two of the game's best young talents.

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"I really am excited about the Caps' future because they've got so much youth and talent that's going to lead them into this next period before the 2032 Olympic Games," Jackson said.

"There's so much excitement around the WNBL at the moment and I think Canberra are one of those teams, we'll be watching a lot of those girls in the future for a long time."

Like Jackson, Potter has made her comeback from a tumultuous period riddled by injuries. Fans across the league have their fingers crossed in the hope the 21-year-old can reach her potential after returning from two anterior cruciate ligament ruptures.

Melbourne has already followed Jackson's footsteps to Seattle. The Storm's future as a franchise changed forever when they drafted Jackson in 2001 - and seeing Melbourne playing for the same team is something special.

"It was so awesome, so happy to watch her play there. What a true point guard, she's such a great facilitator. I think the WNBA is only going to elevate her game," Jackson said.

"Someone as young as Jade and with her talent and natural basketball talent, she's going to be so much fun to watch, especially as she gets older and she can combine that talent with a bit of experience. She's incredible.

"We obviously haven't seen a lot of [Melbourne] in the past couple of years, but I think the way she is going to improve over the next few years is going to be remarkable. I can't wait to see her take off, which has been a long time coming."

Jackson is likely to be on limited minutes against the Capitals on Wednesday night as the Flyers manage the veteran's return from injury.

But the Capitals will still be on high alert when she checks into the game, with coach Kristen Veal likely to turn to Alex Bunton to curb her impact.

Bunton will have a crucial role to play against Flyers duo Jackson and Mercedes Russell, with Canberra keen to adopt a style Veal says is "a little bit more wild and a little bit more free".

"She doesn't give away a lot and I think for her, she doesn't want to be singled out or separated and I appreciate that," Veal said.

"But I also think when you've got a unique skill set and you've got a point of difference, it's really important to embrace that, to maximise that and bring that to the team, because that's what's going to make us better.

"You could see last year, she got up for these games against Lauren and teams that had other bigs that were similar in style to her.

"I definitely think she'll be feeling the same way, this is her moment to step up and contribute in a way that comes very naturally to her. Hopefully that's what happens."

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