World Cup champion and dual Olympian Erin Phillips has called time on an illustrious basketball career.
A member of the iconic 2006 gold-medal-winning Opals team, which was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame last year, Phillips, 40, played for Woodville in the NBL1’s Central conference this season and won a championship in her final game at the weekend.
It was her first basketball season since 2016 when she played for Dallas Wings in the WNBA either side of the Rio Olympics.
From 2017 until 2023, she was the superstar of the AFLW competition, and in June was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, but always harboured an ambition to play the sport, she dominated first, one more time.
Her senior basketball career tipped off in 2002 when, as a teenager, the proud South Australian product made her WNBL debut for the Adelaide Lighting having first been inspired to take up basketball by the legendary Rachael Sporn.
The dynamic shooting guard played all six seasons of her WNBL career for the Lightning with the 2008 championship marking her final game in the league.
She was three times a WNBL All-Star (2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08) and her highest scoring game came on February 4, 2005 when she sunk 40 points in an overtime semi-final loss to Sydney.
A two-time WNBA champion, Phillips first played with Connecticut Sun (2006), Indiana Fever, Phoenix Mercury, Los Angeles Sparks and the Wings across a 229-game career.
She lifted the trophy in 2012 with the Fever then in 2014 at the Mercury under coach Sandy Brondello and alongside fellow 2006 world champion Penny Taylor.
Phillips took her wares to Europe where between 2010 and 2015 she played for Polish clubs Lotos Gydnia and Wisla Can-Pack Krakow and Slovankian franchise Good Angels Kosice in Euro League.
Proving she would have success wherever the game took her around the globe, Phillips netted three Polska PLKK championships, All-Star honours twice and Euro League All-Star status.
A 38-game Opal, she made her FIBA debut at the 2005 Oceania championships where Australia took out the title.
A year later, she reached the top of the podium with the history-making Opals who defeated Russia in the FIBA World Cup Final to claim Australia’s first senior international gold medal.
She would represent her country in a further two World Championships (2010, 2014) claiming bronze at the 2014 edition in Turkey.
Phillips achieved her ultimate goal in 2008 when she made her Olympic debut in Beijing, adding a silver medal to her growing collection.
She missed selection for the London Olympics but her improved shooting game and WNBA form couldn’t be ignored come 2016 when she became a dual Olympian in Rio where she wore the green and gold for the final time at international level.
