Kristi Harrower announces her retirement

By Jessica Fagan.

Australian basketball superstar Kristi Harrower has announced her retirement after a professional career that spanned more than two decades.

The four-time Olympic medalist has confirmed she’s 16 weeks pregnant and will bow out of the WNBL this weekend.

She’ll suit up for her beloved Bendigo Spirit in Sunday’s game against Adelaide, but might not take to the court.

Spirit coach and Kristi’s father, Bernie, was emotional as he paid tribute to his daughter.

He described Harrower as Australia’s greatest point guard and said she ‘makes her teammates better’.

It’s hard to argue when you look at Harrower’s impressive statistics.

Along with her Olympic medals, the 39-year-old has notched up a World Championship gold medal, three WNBL Championships and stints in the WNBA and Europe.

She’s played 328 games in the WNBL and 266 for Australia, including 49 at junior level.

Harrower made her Opals debut back in 1993 and finished up her international career at the 2012 London Olympics with a bronze medal.

She leaves the WNBL a champion too, having helped the Bendigo Spirit to back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2014.

The diminutive 162cm point guard stood out in game known for the height of its players.

She inspired many with her on-court smarts and hard work and will be sorely missed by the Australian basketball community.

 

Image curtesy of Wikipedia