Lauren Jackson and Seattle had never gotten a chance to say goodbye to each other.When Jackson last walked off the KeyArena court four years ago, her tying 3-pointer had just helped the Seattle Storm beat the Minnesota Lynx in overtime in Game 2 of their playoff series. At that point, Seattle fans were hoping to see Jackson the following week in the Western Conference finals. Alas, the Storm lost the deciding Game 3 in Minnesota when Jackson missed at the buzzer, and a series of injuries prevented her from returning to the WNBA -- or to Seattle.In March, Jackson announced her retirement, concluding one of the most impressive careers in womens basketball history. And on Friday night, after beating the Washington Mystics 80-51, the Storm finally got a chance to honor Jackson for the WNBA portion of that career spent entirely in Seattle. In an emotional ceremony at turns funny and poignant, Jacksons No. 15 jersey became the first retired by the Storm.I think its great for everybody to have a chance to say goodbye to Lauren, said Seattle head coach Jenny Boucek, an assistant coach for the Storm through much of Jacksons career. I know thats something that weve all wanted to do since we knew that she wasnt going to be able to come back and play.Jackson hadnt so much as been in Seattle since 2012, though it didnt seem that long to her.Its funny, she said. It feels like I havent been gone at all. It doesnt feel like its been four years. It doesnt even feel like a couple days. It just feels like Ive been here the whole time and I havent. I have to keep reminding myself that its been awhile.She got one such reminder before the game, when a young fan Jackson remembered attending games during her playing days came up to get a photo -- and is now a teenager.Four years also had passed since Jackson had seen Sue Bird, her teammate from her second season through the end of her career who developed into one of her closest friends. Because they figured theyd see each other soon, Bird and Jackson couldnt even specifically recall saying goodbye the last time they were together.From the moment Bird greeted Jackson at Sea-Tac International Airport on Wednesday, however, the two picked up right where they left off -- recalling the memories they shared over 11 years together, on and off the court.Shes been staying in my house, so weve been able to hang out, which has been good, Bird said before the game. In some ways, you do start to think back, and of course were reminiscing and thinking about nights out, games, you name it. But at the same time, its as if we didnt miss a beat. We picked up right where we left off. Havent gotten emotional just yet, but I kind of foresee that happening.Bird was right. While a group of dignitaries including Boucek, former Storm president and CEO Karen Bryant and co-owner Lisa Brummel paid tribute to Jacksons greatness as a performer, her legendary competitiveness on the court and her kindness off it, it was Bird who stole the show with a lengthy speech that ran the emotional gamut.At times, Bird roasted her friend, joking about the rite of passage that Storm teammates experienced of getting yelled at by Jackson for not passing her the ball, and noting that Jackson famously mistook Bird for teammate Adia Barnes during her first training camp. But Bird turned serious in the end, lamenting the fact that Jackson was watching from the sideline while she was putting up 12 points and seven assists Friday playing with a new generation of Storm No. 1 picks (Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart).There are definitely days, said Bird, unsuccessfully fighting back tears, where I miss you and I wish you could still be doing this with me.I really do wish she was still playing with me, Bird told media afterward.I wish I was still playing, too, Jackson quietly rejoined.That fact was the bittersweet backdrop to Fridays ceremony. At 35 -- seven months younger than Bird -- Jackson should still be going strong. Her combination of size and shooting ability figured to allow her to remain effective deep into her 30s -- but Jacksons body broke down before she got the chance.I think the closure in itself is a sad thing, she said. At least I got to come back.Jackson also got the opportunity to say thank you to the organization and fans in a brief speech before her jersey was unveiled in the KeyArena rafters, joining the two championship banners from 2004 and 2010 she helped hang.And ultimately, Friday night was more about what Jackson accomplished during her 12 years with the Storm -- the two titles, three MVP awards, seven All-WNBA First Team selections and a spot on the recent WNBA 20@20 list of the greatest players in the leagues two decades of existence -- than what more her injuries prevented her from achieving.Predictably, Bird summed it up best.How things had to end hurts me, she said. I know it hurts you and it hurts me as well. I just want you to know that what you did here, what you did for me, what you did for all these people ... I know it didnt end the way you wanted, but dont let that change all that you did here. Alex Len Hawks Jersey . 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Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts. By the time the New Zealand team arrived at the Holkar Stadium for an optional training session at around 10am, about 500 people were already in the stands. They cheered Kane Williamson, the New Zealand captain who had missed the last Test because of illness, on. They were happy Williamson was batting in the nets. If Williamson played a good shot or raised his bat to them, they clapped. If he missed, they ooh-ed and aah-ed. By the time the Indian team arrived in the afternoon this number had swollen to about 4000. Mostly students, they queued up patiently outside the ground, and proved to be no hindrance to the preparation of either the teams or the ground staff once they got in. They sat patiently in the stands and watched.The Holkar Stadium apparently has a tradition to let the fans enter the ground for even the practice sessions. This is a luxury in India. Other stadiums generally consider the fans an inconvenience; going by the BCCI ticketing practices these grounds would rather look after only the broadcasters and the VIPs, who are given complimentary passes. On a day when the old guard of the BCCI was fighting for its existence in the Supreme Court, a ground that was gearing up for its Test debut was showing the way.Out in the middle, preparations went on regardless. Williamson batting in the nets, and having a bit of a bowl was good news for New Zealand. Its looking positive, Shane Jurgensen, New Zealands bowling coach, said. Final confirmation on that will probably be tomorrow. We trained today, and he did some batting and had a decent hit and a run around. Well have another look at him tomorrow, but it looks positive.India welcomed a senior face as well. Gautam Gambhir, who last played for India in 2014, was the first one to pad up for India. Indias batting coach Sanjay Bangar empathised with Gambhirs situation; he gets one Test, and it is quite possible he is usurped by both the injured openers by the time England come. Bangar, however, refused to rule him out for the rest of the season. Gautam Gambhir is a quality player; what he has done really for himself, for the time he was out of the Indian team he kept on performing for his franchise and state side, Bangar said. When he got an opportunity in the Duleep Trophy, he was one of the top scorers there. That too against the pink baall, which certain batsmen found was difficult to pick.ddddddddddddYes, he ticked all boxes. Untimely injury to KL Rahul Shikhar Dhawan made sure that there is a place for him. He is something of a quality performer. Proven record against spin bowling. And the number of Test matches we are going to play in India, he becomes an important player right at the top of the order.Gambhir has come back with runs in Duleep Trophy, and with an open stance, at least half the way to what Shivnarine Chanderpaul had. Gambhir has worked on it with Justin Langer and Langers personal coach Neil Holder. The need of the hour, though, might be a change for the New Zealand spinners to work on. Their batsmen have shown a lot of discipline to make Indias bowlers work hard, a fact R Ashwin has acknowledged in his interview with bcci.tv, but they have been undone by natural variation for the India bowlers. India exploit it more because their spinners bowl with the seam parallel to the ground whereas the New Zealand spinners - like others who visit Asia - bowl with the seam pointing to fine leg at 45 degrees.It was certainly something we were working on before we came to India, Jurgensen said. It doesnt come as naturally, we bowl a different way where we come from. But the boys have been working on it to get that natural variation. Every game weve improved.It was refreshing to see the talk return to seam positions and Indias mindset of not even thinking of losing in crunch situations, thus, according to Bangar, being clear in their minds. It must not be easy for the players from either side to be clear in these times. Indias players are used to answering to the BCCI even though the money in cricket is publics and generated because of them. They must be wondering what lies ahead. New Zealands players must be aware the BCCI is capable of carrying through with its threats of pulling out of a series, and would have spent the two days after the Kolkata Test in limbo. There was no information from their hosts, the BCCI.Once again, though, if the practice sessions and the response two days before Indores debut Test are anything to go by, on the field it is almost certain to be business as usual. ' ' '