BEIJING -- Australia and WNBA basketball star Lauren Jackson will undergo surgery on a persistent right ankle injury after the Beijing Games, the Australian Olympic Committee said Wednesday.
A statement said Jackson has an impingement at the front of her right ankle joint. She has required repeated injections to compete in Beijing and will have arthroscopic surgery in Sydney next week.
"It's been causing pain and inflammation for some time, and I just need to have it cleared up so I can get back on the floor sooner rather than later," Jackson said.
The Australians will play China in the Olympic semifinals on Thursday night.
The surgery likely will force Jackson to miss the rest of the WNBA regular season with the Seattle Storm. Typical recovery time from the surgery is four to six weeks, according to the Australian Olympic medical staff, meaning the earliest Jackson would return to the Storm would be during the playoffs.
In a statement released in Seattle, Storms coach Brian Agler said the team was disappointed to hear the news of Jackson's surgery, but added that it supports her decision to have the procedure done immediately.
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