Rachael Sporn

Rachael Pamela Sporn OAM (born 26 May 1968, in Murrayville) is an Australian former basketball player and three time Olympian. Sporn was Development Executive for the Australian Melanoma Research Foundation but has since left the organisation.[1]

Rachael Sporn

Personal information
Born	26 May 1968 Murrayville, Victoria
Nationality	Australian
Listed height	187 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Listed weight	68 kg (150 lb)
Career information
WNBA draft	1998 / Round: 2 / Pick: 14th overall
Selected by the Detroit Shock
Position	Forward
Number	14
Career history
1993–2004	Adelaide Lightning
1998–1999, 2001	Detroit Shock
Career highlights and awards
2× WNBL MVP (1996, 1997) 8× WNBL All-Star Five (1992–1997, 1999, 2002) WNBL Top Shooter Award (1997) 5× WNBL champion (1990, 1994–1996, 1998) 2× WNBL Grand Final MVP (1994, 1995) No. 14 retired by the Adelaide Lightning
Medals Representing  Australia Olympic Games 2004 Athens National team 2000 Sydney National team 1996 Atlanta National team World Championships 1998 Germany Team Competition

Career

Born in Murrayville, Victoria,[2] Sporn played for Adelaide Lightning in Australia's Women's National Basketball League where she was twice league MVP and seven times selected in the WNBL All-Star Five. She heads the all-time points scoring and rebound list for the WNBL.[3] The Women's National Basketball Association club Detroit Shock recruited Sporn for the 1998 season.[3] Sporn played 304 games for the national basketball team, the Opals, including three Olympic Games—two silver medals (2000 and 2004) and a bronze (1996)—and three World Championships (1990, 1994 and 1998).[4][2]

Sporn is a member of the Australian Sports Hall of Fame and the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame.[3][4] She was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and the Centenary Medal in 2001.[5][6] Rachael Sporn is currently the only Adelaide Lightning player to have her number retired by the team, having begun her stellar career when the club commenced in the 1993 season.[7] Her #14 singlet hangs on the western wall of the Adelaide Arena alongside the Lightning's 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998 and 2008 WNBL championship banners.

Personal

In 2015, Sporn was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.[8] Sporn is married to Maurie Ranger with whom she has two children.[9][10] She has remained active in promoting the Adelaide Lightning, recently campaigning to secure vital funding for the team.[11] In May 2015, the club secured a one-year agreement with the Motor Accident Commission as key sponsor.[12]

Her older brother Kieran Sporn (born 28 August 1966) was also a top level athlete who played Australian rules football.[13]

See also

• List of Australian WNBA players
• WNBL All-Star Five
• WNBL Top Shooter Award

References

1. "Australian Melanoma Research Foundation - Our Board". www.melanomaresearch.com.au.
2. "Rachael Sporn". Olympic Sports. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
3. "Rachael Sporn". Australian Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
4. "Rachael Sporn". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
5. "Search Australian honours". It's an honour. Australian Government. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
6. "Search Australian honurs". It's an Honour. Australian Government. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
7. "HoF honour 'spoils' Rachael Sporn". Retrieved 16 September 2017.
8. "SA's Rachael Sporn and Rosemary Crowley honoured for Australia Day". ABC News. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
11. "$150k and five days left to keep the Lightning alive". Retrieved 16 September 2017.
12. Ward, Roy (22 May 2015). "Adelaide Lightning secure new sponsor, will continue in WNBL". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
13. "Past Player Profiles: SPORN, Kieran". Essendon Football Club. Archived from the original on 26 February 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2010.