{{Short description|Australian basketball player (born 1982)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2016}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Jacinta Kennedy | image = | nationality = Australian | league = | team = | number = 9 | position = Forward / Centre | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lbs = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1982|5|3}} | birth_place = Melbourne, Victoria | high_school = | college = | draft_league = | draft_year = | draft_round = | draft_pick = | draft_team = | career_start = 1998 | career_end = 2017 | years1 = 1998–1999 | team1 = Dandenong Rangers | years2 = 1999–2001 | team2 = Australian Institute of Sport | years3 = 2001–2002 | team3 = Canberra Capitals | years4 = 2003–2006 | team4= Dandenong Rangers | years5 = 2015–2017 | team5= Dandenong Rangers | highlights = * 3x WNBL Championships (2002, 2004, 2005) * WNBL Grand Final MVP (2005) * 2x WNBL All-Star Five (2004, 2006) | medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry | {{AUS}} }} {{MedalSport | Basketball}} {{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}} {{MedalGold|2006 Melbourne|Team Competition}} }}
'''Jacinta Anne Kennedy''' (née Hamilton; born 3 May 1982) is an Australian women's basketball player, who represented the country at both junior and senior levels.<ref name=FIBA>FIBA Archive. 2001 World Championship for Junior Women. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150207083533/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/player/p/pid/38413/sid/2901/tid/239/_/2001_World_Championship_for_Junior_Women/index.html Jancinta Hamilton]. Retrieved 2015-01-31.</ref> She most recently played for the Dandenong Rangers in the WNBL.
==Personal life== Kennedy picked up the nickname "Little Awesome" from Melbourne's basketball writers in 1998 and is the younger sister of Lucille Hamilton.<ref name=SMH>Howell, Stephen (5 December 2005). [https://www.smh.com.au/news/basketball/little-awesome-jacinta/2006/02/07/1139074220621.html ''Little awesome Jacinta'']. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2015-01-31.</ref> Kennedy is married to Socceroo player Josh Kennedy.<ref>Hall, Matthew (30 April 2010). [http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/australias-tall-long-haired-savior/?_r=0 ''Down Under Striker Is Way Up There'']. The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-01-31.</ref><ref>Smithies, Tom (19 June 2013). [http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/was-josh-kennedy-the-socceroos-saving-grace/story-fni0cx12-1226665951304 ''Was Josh Kennedy the Socceroos' saving grace?''] The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2015-01-31.</ref>
==Career== Kennedy commenced playing in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in 1999. Since then, Kennedy has played for the AIS (1999/00 to 2000/01), Canberra Capitals (2001/02) and Dandenong Rangers (2003/04 to 2005/06), totalling 125 games.<ref>Women's National Basketball League. [http://www.wnbl.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/Media_Guide/2009_10/WNBL_All-Time_Playing_Roster_2009-10.pdf All Time Playing Roster] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015013259/http://www.wnbl.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/Media_Guide/2009_10/WNBL_All-Time_Playing_Roster_2009-10.pdf |date=15 October 2013 }}. Retrieved 2015-01-31</ref><ref>Women's National Basketball League. [http://www.wnbl.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/Media_Guide/2011_12/100_club.pdf Players with 100 or more career games] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517232431/http://www.wnbl.com.au/fileadmin/user_upload/Media_Guide/2011_12/100_club.pdf |date=17 May 2013 }}. Retrieved 2015-01-31.</ref>
Kennedy was also selected to the WNBL All-Star Five on two occasions; 2003/04 and 2005/06.<ref>Women's National Basketball League. [http://www.wnbl.com.au/index.php?id=91 All Star Five] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215201851/http://www.wnbl.com.au/index.php?id=91 |date=15 February 2015 }}. Retrieved 2015-01-31.</ref> In season 2004/05, Kennedy was awarded the Grand Final Most Valuable Player.<ref name=SMH/> After nine years away from the game, she returned to the game in the Rangers uniform, now playing under her marital name, Jacinta Kennedy. After the 2016/17 season, Kennedy retired from her prolonged and impressive career.<ref>Women's National Basketball League. [https://web.archive.org/web/20170422124727/http://wnbl.com.au/dandenong_news/jacinta-kennedy-retire/ Jacinta Kennedy to Retire] Retrieved 2017-04-26.</ref>
At official FIBA events, Kennedy played for Australia at the 2001 World Championship for Junior Women.<ref>FIBA Archive. 2001 World Championship for Junior Women. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120826140014/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/team/p/sid/2901/tid/239/_/2001_World_Championship_for_Junior_Women/index.html Australia]. Retrieved 2015-01-31.</ref> At the 2006 Commonwealth Games held in Melbourne, Kennedy won a Gold medal.<ref>[http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/In+the+News/Photo+Galleries/Australian+Team+Games+Wear/Default.htm?Index=4 Jacinta Hamilton]. Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Corporation. Retrieved 2015-01-31.</ref><ref>Howell, Stephen (24 March 2006). [https://www.smh.com.au/news/basketball/opals-ride-tough-defence-to-victory/2006/03/24/1143083918137.html ''Opals ride tough defence to victory'']. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2015-01-31.</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Jacinta}} Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:Australian women's basketball players Category:Australian Institute of Sport basketball (WNBL) players Category:Canberra Capitals players Category:Dandenong Rangers players Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in basketball Category:Basketball players at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Category:Forwards (basketball) Category:Centers (basketball) Category:Medallists at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Category:Basketball players from Melbourne Category:Sportswomen from Victoria (state) Category:21st-century Australian sportswomen