The Tasmania Devils, Tasmania Jewels and Hobart Hurricanes have joined forces this week to celebrate an International Women’s Day lunch featuring basketball legend Lauren Jackson.
The event was held at Wrest Point, with major partner Solstice Energy and event partners Devils Corner, Federal Hospitality and Asahi supporting the initiative.
Jackson, a five-time Olympian and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, delivered the keynote address.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketballers in history, Jackson is now a passionate advocate for women’s leadership and empowerment.
She told the crowd she was looking forward to seeing how the Jewels would go in the WNBL.
“Well, I think they’ve got a great platform to start,” she said.
“I think you’ve got incredible high performance facility, but you’ve got an incredible coach.
“I’m so excited to see how Claudia [Brassard} does.”
“So I’m so excited and I’m definitely coming to watch the games because I’m a fan.”
The lunch featured a panel discussion with Tasmania Devils Chief Marketing Officer Kath McCann, WNBL Co-Owner and Director Victoria Denholm and former Hobart Hurricanes captain Elyse Villani.
Villani told the crowd her last five years in Tasmania had been the most enjoyable of her illustrious cricket career.
“I wonder sometimes why that is and I feel like this International Women’s Day has made it really clear for me,” she said.
“And it’s that it was the most that I’ve given to an organisation.”
“It’s the most that I’ve given to a sport and yet it’s the most reward I’ve received from the Tassie community, from the organisation itself.”
The panel explored leadership in high-performance environments, commercial growth in women’s sport and the evolving role of women across the sporting landscape.
Phaedra Deckart, CEO of Solstice Energy said the lunch brought together three iconic Tasmanian sporting organisations with a shared commitment to high performance and opportunity.
“We’re proud to stand alongside them as a local employer, a local partner and a local electricity and gas retailer supporting initiatives that strengthen our state,” she said.
