SYDNEY (Australia) - When Opals' legend Lauren Jackson closes her eyes to blow out the candles on her Birthday cake, might a sensational FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup return be her one granted wish?

So far at least, 'LJ' has remained relatively coy about the possibility of what would undoubtedly be an astonishing fairytale, while Basketball Australia have also remained quite tight-lipped.

Currently celebrating her 41st birthday and having spent the best part of a decade in retirement, these are two reasons why many sceptics see such a prospect as fanciful to say the least.

Yet on the flip-side, Jackson recently laced up her game shoes once again, hacving opted to come out of retirement with Albury-Wodonga.

Looking healthy and highly competitive, she has been showing all the classy trademarks you would expect from a FIBA Hall of Famer. It's something that means even the doubters are perhaps now starting to question whether it is really such a long-shot that she challenges for a place on the Opals' roster for Sydney. 

Whatever happens, Jackson will be heavily involved off the court as event's ambassador, but pulling on the green and gold again would truly be something special. Not least coming some 16 years after she led her country to that glorious gold medal at the 2006 edition in Brazil.

So, while it still may be unlikely, it's not as unlikely as it was before she starting making positive waves on the hardwood in NBL1 with Albury-Wodonga.

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