Negotiations between Lauren Jackson and the Canberra Capitals were finalized earlier this week, with Jackson signing a five-year contract that will see her play in the Australian WNBL for the Caps in 2012-13, 2014-15 and 2015-16. Jackson will make a total of $1 million over that span. The lighter WNBL schedule should help Jackson manage year-round play after the Olympics.

Here’s the story from the Sydney Morning Herald.

Jackson last played for Canberra when she led the team to the 2009-10 WNBL title, and was paid $220,000 to play the back half of the season. ”I can’t wait to get that uniform back on again and play at home,” she said. ”I’m very territorial; I’ve always played for [WNBA side] Seattle, I’ve always played for Canberra here and this is where I want to finish.”

ABC News pointed out Jackson’s belief that this is the right time for her to return to the WNBL.

“I’m thrilled with the certainty this provides me and even more excited about continuing to play a major part in Australian basketball in the short term,” she said.

“I just feel really fortunate that I get the opportunity to come back here and spend the twilight years in my career in Canberra, working with the people that I guess paved the way for me to become who I did in the sport.”

When Jackson joins the Capitals next fall, she will have the opportunity to play in the arena in her hometown of Albury that is going to be renamed for her next week. The Capitals announced this week that they will play an annual game in Albury starting this season, The Border Mail reported.

Jackson said yesterday playing a game in her home town would give her something to “really look forward to with great pride”.

“There is nothing like playing in front of your home crowd,” she said.

“I’m delighted I will be able to do that with the Canberra Capitals.”

Storm CEO Karen Bryant received an enormous honor from the Sports Business Journal, which named her one of 50 women in sports business who are “game changers.”

As president and CEO of the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, Karen Bryant is one of the league’s most dynamic executives. She has led the Storm to two WNBA titles and was instrumental in the team in 2010 securing its marquee jersey sponsorship deal with Microsoft’s Bing search engine. Under Bryant’s leadership, the team has signed a slew of additional new deals that have boosted the Storm’s sponsorship revenue by 200 percent in the last year. The team had a 90 percent season-ticket renewal rate leading into the 2011 season, as well.

Swin Cash has also been in the news. On the Storm Facebook page, you can check out some of the glamorous photos from her shoot with famed photographer Derek Blanks for Savoy Magazine.

Sharing the Victory magazine wrote about Cash’s faith and what it means for her as a WNBA player.

My story—and really my purpose—in sports is still being written. Whenever I need encouragement in my faith, I look back to a lesson my mom taught me while I was in high school after our team had lost the state championship. I was so devastated that I couldn’t go to school for days, and I didn’t want to do anything. But my mom reminded me in that moment that God had a bigger plan for me and that all I had to do was trust in Him. That vital truth stayed with me, and now, years later, I can see that His plan for me has been far greater than I ever could have imagined.

Cash was also featured in D-List magazine.

But there is more to Cash than simply basketball. Just last August, she was honored by the WNBA with the WNBA Cares Community Assist Award which is presented to the player who best reflects the league’s goal of making a difference in the community. She was recognized for her efforts as a spokesperson for Race for the Cure and her Cash for Kids charity. This is one of her main focuses when she gets precious free time away from the court which is otherwise spent relaxing with family and exploring different business endeavors.

“Cash for Kids is my charitable organization and I love working with the kids in our programs,” she added. This organization that helps motivate and educate children is just one of the branches of Cash Enterprises that Cash created six years ago. It also includes Cash Building Blocks (an urban development company that renovates and offers affordable homes for low income families) and the Swin Cash Clothing line, which works hand in hand with the Cash for Kids as portions of each purchase goes directly to support the charity’s initiatives.

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