What stays in the minds of many South Australians is that Jo Hill played in the SA Premier League until the age of 45! She led North Adelaide to a premiership in her last game, scoring 29 points in her emotional final farewell to the game in 2018.
At home, Jo Hill has in her possession, an Olympic silver medal, a FIBA World Cup bronze medal and a FIBA World Junior Cup gold medal – Australia’s first ever international gold medal.
And while that world stage gold medal set the scene for coming successes for the Opals, it’s actually at home in South Australia that this country-born, enormously versatile athlete has made an astonishing mark.
In the WNBL there are only eight players who’ve played 300 games or more and she is one of them. Had it not been for Jo Hill choosing to play several seasons in France and Spain, she would probably be at the top of the list for WNBL games played.
She spread her WNBL career over five clubs: North Adelaide, Adelaide Lightning, AIS, Canberra Capitals and the Townsville Fire.
Such was her outstanding season leading into the Sydney Olympics year, Joh Hill was named in the WNBL’s All Star Five.
At age 37, she announced her retirement but was then enticed out of retirement to play one more season with the Lightning, this time as captain.
But beyond all of that, what may stay in the minds of many South Australians was the fact that Hill played in the SA Premier League competition until the age of 45!
She led North Adelaide to a premiership in her very last game, having dominated the season without a loss, but also dominating all over the court and scoring 29 points in her emotional final farewell to the game in 2018.
The North Adelaide club, members and supporters remember the match with great appreciation and emotion. Jo Hill, a humble and popular basketball figure, was inducted into the Basketball SA Hall of Fame in 2025.
