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LAUREN Jackson is the most successful women's player in Australia's basketball history but her latest injury setback must surely now send a message the end is very near.

The Canberra Capitals' WNBL superstar - an international and WNBA megastar - made her long-anticipated return against Adelaide Lightning before the Christmas-New Year break.

While she looked desperately in need of the run, truth is seeing her on court again was a joy for everyone at Adelaide Arena, even if her competitive instincts did kick in with nine straight points in what turned out to be the match-winning run in the Caps' 73-70 success.

It was just great to see her on the floor again and while she may have been at sea with what the Caps were doing, she also was right at home.

With the news today MRI scans have shown she needs further surgery on the injured knee which kept her out of the rematch with (and loss to) Adelaide last round, her WNBL season is, once more, prematurely over.

Since about two years before the London Olympics, LJ has been battling a string of injuries, her body perhaps telling the great champion what her mind doesn't want to accept.

That the rigours of a superlative and unprecedented career that has been relentless since she was identified as a talent while still a child, have caught up with her.

Do I want to see her in Rio with the Opals?

Hell yes. And while that remains her goal, this latest setback speaks to whether that goal is, in fact, realistic anymore.

Jackson already has achieved everything there is to achieve in the sport, a winner wherever she has gone. Her loss to the game, especially if this does turn out to be permanent, is on par with the WNBL losing ABC-TV free-to-air coverage.

Is it time to listen to her body or to her indomitable will? Only Lauren knows.

"I'm very disappointed to have to miss the rest of the season, I really enjoyed getting back on court doing what I love to do," Jackson said in a Capitals statement.

"It's been a long road to recovery and this is another small setback. I just have to take things one day at a time."

One day at a time is how it has been now for years since the first cracks of over-use injuries started to appear.

Whatever call Lauren makes from here, the basketball community will wholeheartedly support. Even on one leg, she is still a greater player than the many on two.

It's just important to be brutally realistic with what her body can do.

"Obviously she's disappointed, and we're all disappointed, but Lauren needs to do what's best for her health," Caps coach Carrie Graf said.

"She has been playing in pain since she re-joined her Capitals teammates in round 10, she was committed to playing out the current season but unfortunately her recovery hasn't gone to plan."

On the plus side of the ledger, Australian women's basketball has received a nice prestige boost with the WNBA's New York Liberty signing Opals FIBA World Championship forward and Melbourne Boomers star Rebecca Allen.

Bec, 22, impressed during the Opals US tour ahead of the Worlds, Opals coach Brendan Joyce saying at the time she had made an impact on several WNBA coaches.

Liberty, which play out of the famous Madison Square Garden and are coached by former Detroit Pistions "bad boy" Bill Laimbeer, have secured Allen on a guaranteed deal.