Article: GROWING UP L.J. "I'M SO THANKFUL FOR BASKETBALL. IF I DIDN'T PLAY, I'D BE PRETTY UNHAPPY, STILL LIVING WHERE I GREW UP, GETTING TEASED FOR BEING THIS TALL, CRAZY, GEEKY CHILD - WHICH I WAS ... BUT, HA-HA!" IN A LIFE OF GREAT EXPECTATIONS, LAUREN JACKSON HAS FOUND HER COMFORT ZONE.(Sports)

Byline: MOLLY YANITY P-I reporter

Here's the thing with Lauren Jackson: Behind those sparkling blue eyes and radiant smile is a complicated woman.

You can't pigeonhole her because Jackson, the Australian center who makes her third WNBA All-Star Game appearance Saturday in New York, is a 77-inch tower of contradictions.

Jackson, 22 ((age)), has become one of the league's most-feared inside players. She swaps elbows, blocks shots and powers into the lane, averaging a league-high 19.7 points per game.

She can also shift into a graceful gear, sliding to the top of the key to stroke a 3-pointer.

Jackson plays like a veteran ...

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