SEATTLE -- Lauren Jackson would have loved nothing more than a chance to don her Seattle Storm uniform and play one more time in front of the teams vocal fans.If I could, I would. But actually, I dont have a knee anymore, she said with a smile at the end of a media roundtable session with longtime teammate Sue Bird. Itd be almost impossible.Instead, the Australian superstar and four-time Olympian settled for being honored and cheered loudly by those fans in KeyArena on Friday night as the team formally retired her uniform after an 80-51 rout of the Washington Mystics.Jacksons No. 15 jersey, the first number retired in the teams 16-year history, was unveiled in the arenas rafters, next to the two banners signifying the WNBA championships she helped win in 2004 and 2010.It was then that the reality -- and finality -- of stepping away from the game hit home with the 35-year-old Jackson.I think the closure in itself is a sad thing. But at least I got to come back, said Jackson, who hadnt been in Seattle since playing her final game in the 2012 WNBA playoffs against Minnesota. It doesnt feel like it has been four years. I wasnt sure I was going to get to get back here. But having the opportunity to come back and retire here is probably the most important thing Ive ever done.Jackson was introduced as a ceremonial sixth starter before the game, and threw several of her basketball shoes into the stands at halftime.I didnt realize how much I missed [Seattle] until I got back in, Jackson said. I did grow up here. I was a little teenager when I got here.Although she didnt play in the WNBA after 2012, Jackson did continue playing overseas. But having dealt with ankle, shin and back injuries at various points of her career, Jackson announced in a tweet on March 30 that she was calling it quits.The 6-foot-6 Jackson was 19 when she came to Seattle with the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2001 after the Storm went just 6-26 as an expansion team in 2000. During her 12-year career, she scored a team-leading 6,007 points, a total that ranks No. 7 on the WNBAs career list. She also ranks No. 3 in the league for career blocked shots (586) and No. 9 in rebounds (2,447).Jackson was a three-time MVP and was the named to the WNBAs All-Decade team in 2006 as one of the leagues top 10 players. Along with four Olympics for the Australian national team (three silver medals and one bronze), she played in three World Championships, helping the Opals win gold in 2006. Wholesale Salomon Shoes UK . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. 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Its the 2015 North American League Championship finals, and players on Team Solo Mid and Counter Logic Gaming sit anxiously in their seats, knees bouncing erratically from excess adrenaline. Sitting among an ocean of fans is Hawaiian native (and high ping survivor) Matt Matt Elento, support player for Team Liquid. At the time, Matt was playing for Team Liquid Academy, TLs challenger team, and arrived in New York with no money and nowhere to stay (he crashed at a friends place). Afterwards, Matt returned to the West Coast reinvigorated.I was amazed at how many people were there, he said. I was just amazed that all these guys that I played with almost every day in solo queue. It was pretty natural to think I wasnt that far off from them. That if I took the time and effort, I could be on the same stage that they were on. That was a real inspiration for me. So everyday, I would grind in solo queue.Part of the beauty of esports is that aspiring gamers arent handcuffed by the same restrictions as beginner athletes. Theres no need for a pitch, a referee, a net, or even daylight to practice. Theres something magical in its accessibility -- all an aspiring pro needs is their gaming device of choice -- and with a passable internet connection and indelible passion, it gives the impression that anyone can achieve that goal.Its not uncommon for talented gamers to be gifted at multiple different titles. Some common factors for success include wide champion pools and possessing lightning-fast reaction times. Still, in terms of entering the pro scene, experiences vary widely across game titles. Unlike traditional sports, a games boon or bust is partially in the hands of the game developer and how they decide its played, viewed, and monetized.While having an involved publisher can be problematic, it comes with benefits as well: a strong amateur scene, clear paths to success, more consistent compensation and an avid viewership. The opportunities for pros in different esports vary wildly. In a game that has an online ranking system like League and Dota 2, its easier to measure who is performing at a competitive level. For a console games like the Super Smash Bros installments, the route is far more treacherous; players jump from tournament to tournament in order to climb the standings. It costs money to travel to national events. Without proper sponsorship or sister teams to play on, it can be difficult for amateur players to get noticed. While tournaments certainly arent lacking in entrants, the monetary obstruction might still be diverting some of the fighting game communitys potential talent pool.Matt says League was one of the few games he had regular access to as a kid. I played Runescape, a browser-based MMO game, he said. I had an N64 growing up, but for the most part I wasnt into console games because we didnt have a console. The main reason I had to play Runescape was because I couldnt afford online memberships. It was just the game I was able to play.The fighting game communitys competitive scene (though blessed with a passionate fan base) has struggled to get the support its pros need. This is partially because of their publishers hands-off parenting style. At the Evoluution Championship Series 2016, the largest game fighting tournament in the world, Nintendo only offered setups for gamers to use and not all of the custom options were unlocked on the systems provided.ddddddddddddIn League, teams have a strong structure in place: coaches, support staff, managers, some even have a team chef. Immortals, a professional League of Legends team, has a sports psychologist on staff, who is tasked with the immense job of making sure that players are not only successful, but healthy and happy. Famed Immortals top laner, Heo Huni Seung-hoon, credits his teams strong backbone for the success theyve found this split.First of all, we have a personal coach, and I think that helps a lot. Having a personal coach, being healthy and being happy. It helps you to be successful outside of your country, Huni said. Having a healthy mentality -- it makes you successful outside of the game.Coaching was banned at Evo 2016 from the quarterfinals onward. Organizers felt that it gave players an unfair edge. They arent wrong -- it is an advantage -- though not an untoward one. A few days before Evo started, Team Liquid hired their first-ever Super Smash Bros coach, Luis Crunch Rosias. Days later, his longtime friend Juan Hungrybox DeBeidma finally secured gold after years of just falling short.For the fighting scene to truly evolve, tournament organizers need to accept that players need structure to perform at their highest level, so they can continue to improve as games change.Michael Sherman, Competitive Programs Specialist at Riot Games, says that Leagues collegiate system is growing. As of this coming fall, there will be seven different schools offering League scholarships in North America, which could set esports players up for careers within the community post-pro play. And while uLoL has no current plans to attach itself to competitive, the collegiate space is expanding--all four teams in the campus series finals had coaches. According to Sherman, should the college community ask for it, Riot would be ready to explore the implementation of a more direct process from college to pro gaming.The way I like to think of it, is that you dont sign someone up for little league to go professional one day. Sherman said. So, we like to think of college as an opportunity to scratch that competitive itch while staying in school. I cant speak for the challenger scene, but we do think of them as parallel paths. Were doing everything we can to help accelerate its growth.By contrast, opportunities to play fighting games at a competitive collegiate level are essentially nonexistent. Undoubtedly, pros in the fighting game community have been dealt a short hand, but as the scene continues to grow, so does the opportunity for players.I kind of think about how my progression as a player. It looks like anyone could have done it. There were plenty of other players who were in the same position as I was, you know, playing the game for fun, Matt said. I definitely think people should be motivated in whatever situation theyre in. Like, skys the limit. ' ' '