RELATED - Kristi Harrower's career in photos
RELATED - Farewell to a champion
Keep following the Bendigo Advertiser for full coverage of Kristi's retirement plus a special tribute video.
Updates from the press conference (full story below):
10.28am: Bernie breaks down in tears as he reflects on Kristi's career, "She makes her team mates better".
10.27am: Bernie Harrower says Kristi is Australia's greatest point guard.
10.25am: Words of support for Kristi are flowing on twitter.
10.20am: This Sunday's game against Adelaide will be Harrower's farewell. She will suit up but might not play.
10.19am: Harrower hopes all team mates will remember her as a smart player.
10.16am: Bigger things to come for Harrower - baby joy at age 39 with husband Aaron after "trying for a long time".
10.14am: The two WNBL championships with Bendigo Spirit very special for Harrower.
10.13am: Harrower thanks Bendigo community for their support.
10.10am: Harrower thanks her team mates and coaches, but biggest thanks goes to her family.
UPDATE: Kristi Harrower has announced she is 16 weeks pregnant as she fronts a media conference to announce her immediate retirement from the game.
EARLIER: KRISTI Harrower has played her last game of basketball.
Harrower, who will celebrate her 40th birthday in March, will front a press conference at 10am on Wednesday to announce her immediate retirement from the game.
After leading the Bendigo Spirit to back-to-back WNBL championships in 2013 and 2014, Harrower only played limited minutes with the club in the first half of this season.
Harrower departs basketball as one of Australia's all-time greats.
Three Olympic silver medals, one Olympic bronze medal, world championship gold medal, three WNBL titles, WNBL MVP and countless other individual honours in a career that also included stints in the WNBA and Europe.
She was twice named the Bendigo Advertiser-Prime 7 Sports Star of the Year and in 2011 was inducted into the Sports Star Hall Of Fame.
“Kristi is home-grown here in Bendigo and thousands of kids have looked up to her over the years as a role model,” Spirit chairman Greg Bickley said.
“Kristi has been a tremendous ambassador for Bendigo and for women’s sport.
“To have had a four-time Olympian in our team has been invaluable and the team will miss her dearly.
“To see the end of the Harrower era in the team will be a challenge, but the club is stronger for it and we will never forget her contribution both on the court, and to basketball generally.”
