(MELBOURNE) - A member of the 2015 class of the FIBA Hall of Fame, the legendary Jan Stirling has been appointed as General Manager High Performance by Basketball Australia (BA).

Stirling takes up the position with an unrivalled resume in her homeland - headlined by her stellar record of five straight WNBL Grand Final appearances, which included a three-peat with her hometown club, the Adelaide Lightning.

She also broke new ground when she made the transition from being a former Opals player, to picking up the coaching reins - a move which resulted in a first-ever FIBA Women’s World Championship title in 2006 as well as Olympic podium places.

"I have sincere appreciation and great respect for the significant contribution all our stakeholders make across the nation.

"Collectively we have a duty of care to ensure the pathways that support, educate and encourage young athletes, referees and coaches, are environments in which they can excel, as they strive to represent our Nation.

"I look forward to being able to contribute to the team at BA and beyond."

The timing of the announcement coincides with Basketball Australia’s review of the alignment of their high performance system within the sport.

The project has been designed to ensure that the pathway from the Vicinity Centres Aussie Hoops programme - all the way to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, is clear for all athletes, coaches and referees in the country.

"The role of General Manager High Performance is a vital one for the entire system of Australian basketball, as it guides and directs our resources and our people to achieve greatness,” added Basketball Australia CEO, Anthony Moore.

"I am thrilled to have Jan Stirling join our Executive Management Team and lead our high performance ambitions ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janerio."

Stirling's appointment also completes the organisational restructure that Basketball Australia has been embarking on since Moore’s appointment just over a year ago.

FIBA