Laura Hodges

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Laura Hodges

| image = Laura Summerton 3.jpg

| width =

| team =

| league =

| number =

| position = Forward

| height = 188 cm{{cite web |title=Laura Ann Hodges |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/world/women/2014/player/Laura-Ann-Hodges |website=fiba.basketball |publisher=FIBA |accessdate=14 October 2019}}

| weight_lbs = 167

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|12|13|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

| draft_league =

| draft_round =

| draft_pick =

| draft_year =

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| career_start = 2000

| career_end = 2017

| years1 = 2000–2002

| team1 = Australian Institute of Sport

| years2 = 2002–2006

| team2 = Adelaide Lightning

| years3 = 2005–2006

| team3 = Connecticut Sun

| years4 = 2006–2008

| team4 = Taranto Cras Basket

| years5 = 2008–2010

| team5 = Basket Parma

| years6 = 2010–2012

| team6 = Geas Basket

| years7 = 2012–2014

| team7 = Adelaide Lightning

| years8 = 2014–2016

| team8 = Bourges Basket

| years9 = 2016–2017

| team9 = Adelaide Lightning

| highlights =

| medal_templates =

{{MedalCountry|{{bkw|AUS}}}}

| wnba_profile = laura-summerton

}}

Laura Ann Hodges (née Summerton; born 13 December 1983) is an Australian female professional basketball player, having played in Australia's Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), Europe, and the WNBA. She currently plays for the Adelaide Lightning in the WNBL. She currently sits on the board of the Australian Basketball Players’ Association{{cite web |title=Leadership and Management |url=https://www.australianbasketballers.com.au/leadership-and-management |website=Australian Basketball Players' Association |access-date=17 September 2023}}

She has been a member of Australia women's national basketball team, winning a pair of silver medals with the team at the 2004 Summer Olympics, 2008 Summer Olympics and a bronze at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She won a gold medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and 2006 World Championships.

Personal

Hodges was born on 13 December 1983{{cite book |title=2006 Australian Commonwealth Games team handbook |publisher=Australian Commonwealth Games Association 2006 |location=Melbourne, Vic. |chapter=Basketball |pages=88–89}} in Adelaide, South Australia.{{cite book |title=Australia at the Commonwealth Games 1911-2006 : XVIII Commonwealth Games, 15–26 March, Melbourne 2006 |editor-last=Gallagher |editor-first=D. |first=Marion |last=Stewart-Hudsonpublisher=Australian Commonwealth Games Association Inc. |year=2006 |isbn=9780958019019 |page=42 |chapter=Basketball — Women|publisher=Australian Commonwealth Games Association Incorporated }}

Hodges is a {{Convert|188|cm|ftin|frac=2|abbr=on}} tall Forward.{{cite web |title=Laura hodges |url=http://www.basketball.net.au/ba_player/laura-hodges/ |website=basketball.net.au |publisher=Basketball Australia |accessdate=15 April 2017}} She was a student in 2006, and attended Jennifer Screen's 30 June 2007 wedding in Adelaide.{{cite web |url=http://corporate.olympics.com.au/33D77B5E-5056-B031-6A03E819190C89D0 |title=Australian Olympic Committee: Star-studded ceremony |publisher=Australian Olympic Committee |date=8 July 2007 |accessdate=2012-05-11}} Her married last name is Hodges.{{cite web |last=Nagy |first=Boti |url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/lightning-target-laura-hodges-to-counter-bishop/story-e6frect3-1226328219799 |title=Lightning target Laura Hodges to counter Bishop |work=The Advertiser |date=16 April 2012 |accessdate=2012-05-07}}

Basketball

As a competitor at the 2002 Australian Under-20 national championships, Hodges won the Bob Staunton Award as the player of the tournament.{{cite journal |journal=Play up |publisher=Basketball Australia |edition=19–25 February |year=2012 |title=The Bob Staunton Award |page=8 |location=South Melbourne, Australia |editor=Brad Graham Creative}} Official Event Program In 2003, she was described as one of the best young talents in the country.{{cite journal |title=Action Jackson |issn=1447-4697 |journal=Sport Monthly |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |location=Sydney |issue=179 |date=January 2003 |page=122}}

=Professional basketball=

Hodges in action for the Lightning against the [[Canberra Capitals|thumb]]

Hodges is a professional basketball player. She has played in Australia's WNBL, Europe, and the WNBA.

Hodges had a scholarship with and played for the Australian Institute of Sport in 2000 and 2001.{{cite book |page=61 |title=AIS Basketball 2011 |publisher=Australian Sports Commission |author1=Australian Institute of Sport |author-link=Australian Institute of Sport |year=2011 |author2=Basketball Australia |author2-link=Basketball Australia |location=Canberra}} At the end of the season 2000/2001 season, she was voted the NBL Rookie of the Year. She played 44 games for the Australian Institute of Sport team. She played in the WNBL in the 2002/2003 season for the Adelaide Lightning and was with the team up to the 2005/2006 season. Between 2001/2002 and 2005/2006, she had 85 caps with the team. From her start with AIS until the end of 2005/2006 WNBL season, she averaged 14.8 points a game, 6.5 rebounds a game and 1.9 assists a game.

Hodges has played for the Italian side Basket Parma. She played for Bracco Geas in Italy from 2010 to 2012, where she wore jersey number 11.{{cite web |url=http://www.eurobasket.com/player.asp?Cntry=AUS&PlayerID=89139 |title=Laura Summerton Basketball Player Profile, stats, biography, career |publisher=Eurobasket |accessdate=2012-05-02}}{{cite web |author=Travis King |url=http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/news/local/sport/basketball/kristi-eyes-fourth-games/2458474.aspx?storypage=0 |title=Kristi eyes fourth Games — Local News — Sport — Basketball |publisher=Bendigo Advertiser |date=17 February 2012 |accessdate=2012-05-06}} In the 2011/2012 season, she played 24 games, averaging 28.7 minutes a game, 9.4 points a game, shot 67.4% from the free throw line, 49.7% from the 2-point field goal range and 35.1% from the three-point field goal range.

Hodges played for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA and was with the team during the 2006 season.{{cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/basketball/warhorse-jackson-heads-team-for-world-champs/2006/08/08/1154802861419.html |title='Warhorse' Jackson heads team for world champs - Basketball - Sport |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=8 August 2006 |accessdate=2012-05-11}}

=National team=

Hodges has represented Australia on the Junior, Young and Senior levels.

As a member of the 2000 Australia Junior Women's Team, Hodges won a gold medal at the World Qualification Series.{{cite book |page=51 |title=AIS Basketball 2011 |publisher=Australian Sports Commission |author1=Australian Institute of Sport |author-link=Australian Institute of Sport |year=2011 |author2=Basketball Australia |author2-link=Basketball Australia |location=Canberra}} She was a member of the Australian Junior Women's Team that competed at the 2001 World Championships in the Czech Republic.{{cite book |page=50 |title=AIS Basketball 2011 |publisher=Australian Sports Commission |author1=Australian Institute of Sport |author-link=Australian Institute of Sport |year=2011 |author2=Basketball Australia |author2-link=Basketball Australia |location=Canberra}} In 2002, she was a member of the Australian Junior Women's Team that won a gold medal in the World Qualification Series.{{cite book |page=49 |title=AIS Basketball 2011 |publisher=Australian Sports Commission |author1=Australian Institute of Sport |author-link=Australian Institute of Sport |year=2011 |author2=Basketball Australia |author2-link=Basketball Australia |location=Canberra}} In 2003, she was a member of the Australian Young Women's Team that competed at the World Championships in Croatia.{{cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/02/14/1044927800428.html |title=Hammonds set to fight Fire with fire |work=The Age |date=15 February 2003 |accessdate=2012-05-08}}

Hodges was a member of the Australian Opals that won a silver medal in the 2002 World Championships in Spain. She was viewed by national team coaches in 2003 as an emerging talent alongside other players like Lauren Jackson, Penny Taylor, and Hollie Grima.{{cite journal |title=The weight of the world |issn=1447-4697 |journal=Sport Monthly |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |location=Sydney |pages=44–53 [48] |issue=179 |date=January 2003 |first=Ian |last=Cockerill}} That year, she was a member of the team that competed in the Oceania Championship Series. She went on to represent Australia on the basketball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics where she won a silver medal.

Hodges was a member of the 2005 Opals.{{cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/Basketball/Anstey-in-from-the-cold-to-join-Tigers/2005/03/09/1110316092419.html |title=Anstey in from the cold to join Tigers - Basketball |work=The Age |date=10 March 2005 |accessdate=2012-05-08}}{{cite web |url=http://www.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/stories/030905aax.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012095243/http://www.cstv.com/sports/w-baskbl/stories/030905aax.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 October 2013 |title=Jessica Foley Selected To 'Price Attack' Opals Team For 2005 :: Foley has set a school record with 66 three-pointers this season |publisher=Cstv.com |date=9 March 2005 |accessdate=2012-05-08}} She stayed on the roster in 2006, winning a gold medal with the team at the Commonwealth Games,{{cite book |page=48 |title=AIS Basketball 2011 |publisher=Australian Sports Commission |author1=Australian Institute of Sport |author-link=Australian Institute of Sport |year=2011 |author2=Basketball Australia |author2-link=Basketball Australia |location=Canberra}} wearing number 11. That year, she was also part of the team that took home a gold medal at the World Championships in Brazil. In March 2007, Summerton was named to the national team what would prepare for the 2008 Summer Olympics.{{cite web |url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/phillips-keeps-opals-place/story-e6frect3-1111113147190 |title=Phillips keeps Opals place |work=The Advertiser |date=12 March 2007 |accessdate=2012-05-08}} She stayed on the roster, went to the games and earned a silver medal.{{cite book |page=46 |title=AIS Basketball 2011 |publisher=Australian Sports Commission |author1=Australian Institute of Sport |author-link=Australian Institute of Sport |year=2011 |author2=Basketball Australia |author2-link=Basketball Australia |location=Canberra}}

Hodges was viewed by national team coach Carrie Graf in June 2010 as one of a quartet of strong players that would represent Australia in a tour of China, the United States and Europe.{{cite web |url=http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1078556 |title=Opals hit road for world title lead-up |publisher=Wwos.ninemsn.com.au |accessdate=2012-05-08 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150722045230/http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1078556 |archivedate=22 July 2015}} In July 2010, she participated in a four-day training camp and one game test match against the United States in Connecticut. She was named to the 2012 Australia women's national basketball team.{{cite web |url=http://www.basketball.net.au/index.php?id=651 |title=Basketball Australia : 2012 Squad |publisher=Basketball Australia |year=2012 |accessdate=1 May 2012}}{{cite web |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/6432756/TV-deal-to-show-All-Whites-games-live |title=No surprises in Opals' preliminary Games squad |publisher=Stuff.co.nz |date=16 February 2012 |accessdate=2012-05-06}} She was scheduled to participate in the national team training camp held from 14 to 18 May 2012 at the Australian Institute of Sport.{{cite web |url=http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/51254/arti.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104010851/http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/lateNews/p/newsid/51254/arti.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 November 2013 |title=AUS — Opals announce training camp squad |publisher=Fiba.com |accessdate=2012-05-06}} She was part of the Australian team that won the bronze medal.{{Cite web |title=Laura Summerton-Hodges Bio, Stats, and Results |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/su/laura-summerton-hodges-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417232935/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/su/laura-summerton-hodges-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-17 |website=Olympics at Sports-Reference.com |accessdate=2015-07-12}}

Career statistics

=WNBA=

==Regular season==

{{WNBA player statistics start|caption=WNBA regular season statistics{{cite web |title=Laura Summerton WNBA Stats |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/wnba/players/s/summela01w.html |website=Basketball Reference |access-date=April 5, 2025}}}}

| style="text-align:left;"| {{wnbay|2005}}

| style="text-align:left;"| Connecticut

|11||0||3.9||.333||—||.800||0.9||0.3||0.2||0.0||0.4||0.9

| style="text-align:left;"| {{wnbay|2006}}

| style="text-align:left;"| Connecticut

|33||3||10.9||.432||.200||.593||1.1||0.6||0.1||0.1||0.6||2.5

|- class="sortbottom"

| style='text-align:left;'| Career

| style='text-align:left;'| 2 years, 1 team

|44||3||9.1||.422||.200||.625||1.0||0.5||0.1||0.0||0.5||2.1