Jo Hill

Jo Hill

Personal information
Full name	Joanne Kay Hill
Born	19 June 1973 Murray Bridge, South Australia
Medal record Women's Basketball Representing  Australia Olympic Games 2000 Sydney Team competition World Championships 1998 Germany Team Competition World Junior Championships 1993 South Korea Team Competition

Joanne Kay "Jo" Hill (born 19 June 1973) is a former Australian women's basketball player.^[1]

Biography

Hill played for the Australia women's national basketball team during the late 1990s and early 2000s, and competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where she won a silver medal.^[2] She attended the Australian Institute of Sport in 1992-1993.^[3] Hill also represented Australia at the 1998 World Championship in Germany, where she won a bronze medal.^[4][5] In 1993, Hill was a member of Australia's first ever basketball gold medal winning team at the World Championships for Junior Women held in South Korea.^[6][7] While playing for the Opals, Hill was known as a talented and versatile player, who provided spark off the bench.^[8]

In the domestic Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) Hill played over 300 games for North Adelaide (1989 - 1991), the Australian Institute of Sport (1992 - 1993), Adelaide Lightning (1994 - 1999/00 and 2011/12), Canberra Capitals (2003/04) and Townsville Fire (2009/10 - 2010/11). Along with Hill, only 8 other players have played 300 or more games in the WNBL.^[9][10] Had Hill not played several seasons in France and Spain during the mid to late 2000s, it was likely that she would have broken the 377 games record held by her former teammate Rachael Sporn and Lucille Baillie.^[9][11]

At 37, Hill announced her retirement from professional basketball at the conclusion of the 2010/11 WNBL season.^[12] However, she was enticed out of retirement to return to play for Adelaide Lightning for the 2011-12 season, where she was appointed captain.^[9][13]

Awards

In 1993, Hill won the Halls Medal for the best and fairest player in the South Australian Women's competition.^[14] In season 1999/00, Hill was named into the WNBL All-Star Five.^[15] In 2003/04, Hill was awarded WNBL Life Membership.^[16]

References

1. FIBA Archive. Player Search: Joanne Kay Hill. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
2. "Olympics". sports-reference. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
3. Excellence : the Australian Institute of Sport. Canberra: Australian Sports Commission. 2002. ISBN 174013060X.
4. FIBA Archive. 1998 World Championship for Women. Event Standings. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
5. FIBA Archive. 1998 World Championship for Women. Australia. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
6. FIBA Archive. 1993 World Championships for Junior Women. Event Standings. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
7. FIBA Archive. 1993 World Championships for Junior Women. Australia. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
8. Australian Olympic Committee. Athlete Biography. Joanne Hill. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
9. Bernard, Grantley (25 November 2011). Jo Hill up for long climb. Herald Sun. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
10. Women's National Basketball League. All-Time Playing Roster (page 18). Retrieved 19 January 2013.
11. Players with 100 or more career games. Basketball Australia. Women's National Basketball League. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
12. Aloia, Andrew (14 January 2011). One final finale drives retiring Jo. Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
13. Nagy, Boti (27 April 2011). Olympian Hill returns to Lightning. Adelaide Now. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
14. Halls Medal. Sporting Pulse. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
15. Basketball Australia. WNBL All Star Five. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
16. Basketball Australia. WNBL Life Members. Retrieved 19 January 2013.