By Andrew Benson

It is now official. Canberra's Lauren Jackson is the best female basketball player in the world.

Her recognition yesterday as the US Women's National Basketball Association's most valuable player for 2003 confirms Jackson as the most dominant female player on the planet.

While her team, the Seattle Storm, failed to reach the play-offs, Jackson's dominance of the league was impossible for the judges to go past.

Jackson scored 406 points in the poll, based on votes from US basketball journalists, to finish well ahead of Indiana's Tamika Catchings (248) and arch rival, Los Angeles' Lisa Leslie (218).

In doing so Jackson has broken all sorts of records.

At 22 years old she is the youngest MVP winner. The first non-American winner. And the first winner from a team not to make the play-offs.

Destined to be a great basketballer from birth, both Jackson's father Gary and her mother Maree represented Australia.

By the time she joined the AIS as a 16-year-old, Jackson was already a mature basketballer.

Canberra Capitals captain Lucille Bailie said it was Jackson's desire to succeed which lifted her above other players.

"You can tell when you look into some athletes eyes there is a hunger to succeed," Bailie said.

"Lauren is extremely driven and when she wants to achieve something she will."

As the best player in the best competition in the world the award will open doors for Jackson both in Australia and the US.

After only three years in the WNBA the world is now her oyster.

Jackson's manager, Robyn Danzey, of Campese Management Group, said the award only increased her marketability.

"Certainly the MVP award can only help," Danzey said.

"While Lauren has always been well known in the basketball fraternity this award will make her well known throughout the wider community."

Already signed to Nike, Jackson is now in prime position to pick up extra endorsements.

Being based in both Australia and the US could also be a selling point for international companies.

"Lauren has the entire package," Danzey said. "She is one of the world's top elite athletes and she has the look.

"Playing in both countries makes her perfect for international companies to have a presence in both places."

Jackson is on top of the world

Already in the highest wage bracket in the WNBA, Jackson is not able to be paid more by her club but she can expect some extra income courtesy of the WNBA itself.

"The WNBA pays some of its highest-profile players to help promote the game," Danzey said.

"As they have never not used an MVP then Lauren can expect to be used in that way."

Jackson returns to Australia this week as she prepares to help the Canberra Capitals win a third straight WNBL title.

Capitals coach Carrie Graf, also an assistant coach with the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA, said the award showed Jackson was fulfilling the potential she had always shown.

"It's basically saying that right now she is the best player in the world, and she is doing it at 22 years of age," Graf said.

"Basically it proves what everyone has been saying about her for the last few years. Everything all the coaches have been saying, and obviously everything Lauren deep down knew about herself.

"She has just put it all into action and gone about dominating the league.

"She is destined to be one of the best products of Australian basketball ever."