Isaac
Years ago
Opals need a 25 point win to get through. Game starts in about 20 minutes.
Puerto Rico got thumped in their first game, 55-97 against China. Then lost 52-87 to Belgium.
Before game Opals had +35 handicap line on Sportsbet
I've seen street ballers defend better than this.
PR win their first 1/4 of tournament. So many dumb plays by opals.
Luuuc
Years ago
Can only LOL at this point
I do get how this situation would mess with your head, but we showed a complete lack of respect defensively and paid the price like we deserved to.
Perthworld
Years ago
Before game Opals had +35 handicap line on Sportsbet
Opals looking like a Div 4 Social League team. One of the players on the other team is 4ft tall. Can't they capitalise on that?
Do Puerto Rico need to win by 25pts to advance?
Puerto Rico need to win by 84 it's a seems a possibility
Isaac
Years ago
Have to admire PR - not exactly playing like they're going to hand over a 25 point lead for nothing.
At this point I just feel bad for everyone involved in this Opals campaign. They were the strong second favourites going into this tournament.
Wang whipper
Years ago
Here's our big tactical move - playing Tessa Lavey
What an absolute farce the last 3 years have been.
Perthworld
Years ago
Hard to believe someone could be worse than Joyce.
Love or in most people mind hate Cambage, she covered up a lot cracks. We are still a chance here but don't deserve to go further.
Full rebuild is required.
Rather watch posh twats horse jumping than this crap
Is it just me or does George look like she doesn't want to be there?
Wang whipper
Years ago
Who's this gumby commentator? Toolo and Leavey FMD.
Isaac
Years ago
Bro Deli's sole advice in breaks appears to be "rebound".
Fired from opals and Phoenix before end of year
Perthworld
Years ago
Lol 7 has decided to replay bloody equestrian.
Matildas are playing a Semi Final, going for gold. Opals can't win a game. There's a big difference.
Toolo will need 40 just for us to win. Forget the +25
"Lol 7 has decided to replay bloody equestrian.“
Perhaps log into 7+ and watch the basketball live and uninterrupted. It's as easy as posting a complaint on this forum and can be done on the same computer.
Wang whipper
Years ago
This could be Bro Delli's last game in charge
Perthworld
Years ago
Bro Deli's sole advice in breaks appears to be "rebound".
"Perhaps log into 7+ and watch the basketball live and uninterrupted. It's as easy as posting a complaint on this forum and can be done on the same computer."
Maybe it's 2021 and I'm on my phone and don't want to listen to the old Grandpa from Nevada?
Loungefly
Years ago
We all know Liz pulled out at the last minute but As a coach if you don't have a contingency plan you shouldn't have the job. They should be prepared if Liz or any other player went down with an injury to adjust the game plan.
Feel bad for the team out there busting their asses but they're running around like headless chooks because of the coaches failings
Perthworld
Years ago
Maybe it's 2021 and I'm on my phone and don't want to listen to the old Grandpa from Nevada?
Looking forward to the excuses from sandy postgame.
twenty four
Years ago
Bro Deli has looked very stylish on the side lines, so has done some good this campaign.
Isaac
Years ago
They are going to get close, but just miss it, I suspect.
twenty four
Years ago
Poor team struggles against defensive pressure and good offence.
Shock horror.
bec allen is killing australia, turnovers, missed block outs, missed shots
Playing with more intensity and urgency in this match, which is good.
Should have played like this since match No 1 .
Luuuc
Years ago
Doing our best to brick this game away from the perimeter when our regular offence is functioning just fine
Perthworld
Years ago
The tatted up one who looks like an ex-con is killing us.
Isaac
Years ago
They are literally playing to spoil the Opals' plan. Tightest 20ish point game for a while.
Of course they are, anyone would. Set goals for ya team.
Luuuc
Years ago
Well they're certainly keeping it interesting. LOL.
Quite a game.
Anthony
Years ago
I don't think I have seen as poor shooting opals team in a very long time.
Perthworld
Years ago
Weird pass-the-parcel stuff there but it somehow worked.
Luuuc
Years ago
Bloody hell.
Below the target and no one wants to take the shot.
You're killin' me, Opals!!!
Big Ads
Years ago
You would think motivation to get to 25 would be greater than P.R. trying to stop Opals from getting 25
Just of note, I think 24 ties us with Canada, then it goes to FIBA ranking where we're higher than Canada.
Perthworld
Years ago
Haha, these PR pricks went for a three at the end of course.
Oh my, if only they had a decent coach and left a few of the spuds at home.
Puerto Rico still foul with
26 points down and 8 seconds left. What is going on ? What can they gain ?
Big Ads
Years ago
How that last 3 didn't go in to result in a 24 point win. Farrrrrk, talk about just getting in by the skin of their teeth.
"Just of note, I think 24 ties us with Canada, then it goes to FIBA ranking where we're higher than Canada."
I was wrong, goes to points for, Australia would've made it anyway.
F***ing surely want to elimate Australia. What is the point ? They can't progress to the next stage anyway
Imo ref were very helpful down the stretch as well.
Canada offered a cash bonus to the Puerto Rico if they got the job done. They were devo lol
PR tried to get Canada in with the intentional foul at the end.
Tess Lavey - Thank you !!! - 19 minutes +26 plus/minus....
How bad was the commentary?
Whooping it up after the game is a bit silly. Quarters is the bare minimum for this team.
Isaac
Years ago
They did it. Horror start. A lot of rubbish play. But they did it.
Heroic from Tolo (26 and 17 off the bench) and George (19/7/5).
Puerto really tried hard to prevent Australia winning by 25 points. What can they gain from this ?
782 any team should be fighting in that situation.
Spain, US and Belgium are probably the standouts. If we draw China, Japan, Serbia, have a chance to progress.
They played Tolo and George more than Ezi today. Maybe that's what they should have been doing all this while. Lots of pressure when Ezi starts.
Perthworld
Years ago
Maybe Opals will get the easier bracket of the random draw. Hey, it worked for Germany in the men's.
They played for their FIBA continent (region). If it's under 25 Canada get in (America’s). Not too hard to work out
The odds slightly favour Opals having to play USA
ME
(he/kangaroo)
Years ago
Cayla George was carrying on like a banshee. I can understand a roar or two, but she kept doing it to the point where it starts to look like a mental condition.
Anyway, good on them for getting the job done. It seems like PR were trying to steal qualification from them by the late fouls just to make sure they didn't get that one over them. I still don't see what this team is going to do moving forward. I don't think they're very well coached at all. But hey, they may well put themselves in the top 4 somewhere somehow. I don't overly see it with Brondello behind it all but hopefully they do medal without Cambage.
We were better off finshing with 2 less ponts, likely play China again.
I think not making semis means brondello should go.
That win certainly saved sandys job and overshadows how bad we have been.
Michelle
Years ago
I haven't been a fan of Lavey and couldn’t justify her selection again for these Games however she stood up tonight and played some amazing minutes. Hard defence which caused some stoppages. A shame we don’t have Whittcomb playing instead of Mitchell. Well done to the Opals and having that fighting spirit.
In the other Puerto Rico games they played the bench a little and rested their starters, in this game there were a couple of PR bench players who didnt even hit the floor, and their best player played 39.5 mins
ME, KG is living her dream. Who are you to say how she can or how she can't react? She played awesome and can quiet frankly carry on how she likes.
Mitchell defensively is so bad, no way the coach keeps her job unless they play for gold.
Mitchell's offence not that impressive either. She mostly puts up outside shots. Not enough drive.
It's usa or Spain on fiba Twitter
We can beat Spain if you stop their great ball movement.
Mitchell was done after 18 WC,ms he stayed on via friendship not form.
Anyone find it funny that sandy picked smith at 8 in the draft and not Ezi and now look. Smith dnp for Phoenix or opals.
Luuuc
Years ago
Well, that's what you get for scraping into the quarters.
Bummer.
Aus vs USA - usa
Serbia vs China -55/45
Japan vs Belgium -55/45
France vs Spain -50/50
note if Australia had of beat China on the buzzer, still would have finished 3rd and played USA.
2 pts less against purtomrico and we face Spain.
Luuuc
Years ago
I don't think that's how that works. It goes by a draw, not by seedings.
2 points less and we're still one of the two lucky 3rd-placed teams, and have the same probabilities in the draw.
twenty four
Years ago
"They played for their FIBA continent (region). If it's under 25 Canada get in (America's). Not too hard to work out"
Just because Gaze said it, doesn't mean it's true. I doubt they care much about Canada and were just trying to spoil the party because why give it to us easy?
Down by more than 20 points with no chance of winning, Puerto rico played like thier life depends on it in the last 30 seconds. HAVE CANADA BRIBED THEM?
Puerto Rica players are jerks.
Trying to outscore Australia in the last 4 minutes so Australia can pack their luggages and go home with them. Puerto Ricans are So f***ing mean.
Not sure why they play with such little effort in the first 2 and a 1/2 qtrs.
Should Lavey start?, was playing good d, pushing the ball too.
Lavey
Ebzery
Allen
Magbegor
George
Mitchell
Madgen
Ohea
Blicavs
Tolo
Smith ? injured
Talbot ? Injured
koberulz
Years ago
Why are people surprised that a sports team tried to sport well in a way that prevented the other sports team from sporting as well as they wanted to sport?
proud
Years ago
I have no issue with how George reacted afterwards as that was a passion that we expected to see from the Opals this Olympic campaign and we have not shown it, I hope that that is the turning point.... it wasn't that long ago that Opals beat America so we came in expecting far more than what we have seen
JB
Years ago
Why are some people upset that PR did not just lie down and take the beating Australia needed to qualify? You want to see Aussies show some heart, maybe other countries like that too? Plus it's actually more respectful to the spirit of the game to try and make the Opals earn it.
You can't take the exhibition game all that seriously, the USA team was partying the day before and the day before that they were playing against the wnba all star team.
Also,
We have no Talbot who was a big contributor on both ends in that game.
A win here would be monumental. We have no Cambage, no Whitcomb, no Nicholson, no heal, a poor coaching staff, a poor last 3 games based on effort, infact a poor last 3 years this program has been underperforming. We were ranked #2 after the silver in 2018. With almost a 50% win/loss rate since then, the next rankings may have us at 4-6. A home WC next year coming.. what to do...
Talbot - word is that she has a very bad case of PLANTAR FASCIITIS .
Smith - this coach just never play her. Concerning but maybe highlights that some of the younger players , Heal included, needs to spend more time playing in wnbl to become an all rounded player, before they aim for the WNBA. Potential + a couple of hot seasons does not seem to be enough
Not playing Smith is a disgrace, played well at this level during the World Cup when she was still at college.
Brondello has destroyed the poor girls confidence, hasn't played her at all with Phoenix coming off her missed WNBL season.
Good luck Chris Lucas picking up the pieces
When John Rillie & Dave Barlow never hit the court for Boomers at the Olympics, was the coach 'ruining the poor boys confidence?'
Nah, didn’t think so. Coaches want to win, if they thought Smith could help them win they’d play her. For whatever reason (we’re not there), that’s not the case. She’s a grown woman (not a girl), she’ll be just fine
Hoopie
Years ago
If we end up with a result of 5th - 6th without Cambage or some of the others mentioned, I think is a fair result.
Come on #851, every player needs the exact amount of minutes. It's like everyone gets a participation medal. FFS. This is the olympics. Spots 9-12 are insurance in case things go to shit. It's as simple as that
Nostraballmus
Years ago
Nowhere to hide in tournament play, teams tend to find their level across the tournament. Opals have come back to the pack with no Cambage. All the talk of poor coaching, this player/that player should've been included, injuries, tactics, bad refs calls blah blah blah. It's all stuff around the edges. Does all that turn us into gold medal material ? I doubt it. We got pounded by Belgium, lost to China (yes, it was a foul) and squeaked a win v Puerto Rico by just enough. None of that stuff turn us in to gold medal contenders here people. Will we beat the US ? You woudn't think so. But it's in our hands to do our darndest and change the narrative on these Olympics. Go you Opals !
And one more thing. What is it with the entitled expcectation that FIBA and other countries should be doing our teams favours ? And that we are always getting the rough end of the pineaple, or unfair treatment. Not getting good draws ? Teams shouldn't play games out against us ? Calls not going in our favour ? It's nauseating, like we should be handed stuff. Yuk.
Anon9999
Years ago
Don't think anyone is saying Puerto Rico should’ve given us the win. Of course we have to earn it. But what’s with the bs fouling at the end of the game down 26. They literally just wanted to be scumbags. If it was the first or second game they wouldn’t of fouled, so why in the third game? Nothing to gain.
Mike
Years ago
My problem is with the need to constantly play two small guards out of Mitchell, Lavey, Ebzery and Madgen. The answer would be match ups, but the issue is that outside of Lavey, the others are all regularly scored over or around. Last night's game was decided by our bigs and O'Hea. Either O'Hea or Bec Allen can play as the shooting guard, and release a spot for more bigs including Blicavs and Smith. I don't think our defense gets hurt.
Nostraballmus
Years ago
Scumbags, real nice. And we wonder why they didnt want to do us any favours.
It's clear this team needs mass exodus. To co pete goi gnforward we need new coaching staff and new players. We have nomsuperstar anymore, has to be done as a collective
A loss would have guaranteed change... would have been better to be humiliated and change occur than to gom1 more game and get beaten saving several lost causes.
No Surprise with Allen and Ebzery spending more time on the pine we did way better. Players that only see the ring like these girls are not going to get you too many wins at this level. I loved Laveys game she bought speed and some defence that Mitchell hasnt been able to do. Hope she starts in next game, her not playing hardly in the first two games when Mitchell stank defensively is a poor reflection on the Coach
17 wins
9 losses
65% win record for sandy, 63% if they lose tomorrow.
83-93% record
Stirling
Maher
Graf
Joyce
Hoopie
Years ago
So Sandy with the services of the 'best player in the world' did worse than Joyce? LOL
Could someone with a better memory than me compare the Opals at the start of Sandy’s reign with those at the Olympics in the various areas of the game? It’s easy to take the simple stat of wins and losses, but is that because we got worse or the rest got better? And if the rest got better, why or where?
My gut feel is
Worse
- defensive rebounding
- defending the screen
- offensive structure guaranteeing a good shot
- ball movement
- full-court defensive pressure
- passion and aggressive defense
- 3-point shooting (apart from O’Hea)
Uncertain
- guards penetrating and finishing at the basket
- mid-range shooting
- squad depth and experience
- height in our bigs
- bench points
- offensive rebounding
- speed down the court on offense
Squads since sandy took over....
Spain World Cup 2018 - silver
(Mitchell and mansfield injured late, Ebzery and Madgen replaced them)
PS5 - Ebzery, Talbot, Allen, George, Cambage
Subs - Lavey, Whitcomb, Madgen, Ohea, Smith, Magbegor, Bunton
Nigeria win
Argentina win
Turkey win
China win
Spain win
USA loss
Home Friendlies 2019
PS5 - Mitchell, Ohea, Allen, Magbegor, George
Subs - Seekamp, Ebzery, Nicholson, Talbot, Blicavs, Garbin, Bishop
China win
China loss
China loss (behind closed doors)
Asia cup 2019 - bronze
PS5 - Mitchell, Ohea, Allen, Magbegor, George
Subs - Seekamp, Ebzery, Nicholson, Talbot, Blicavs, Garbin, Bishop
Phillipines win
New Zealand win
China loss
Chinese Taipei win
Japan loss
South Korea win
Asia Olympic qualifiers 2019
PS5 - Mitchell, Talbot, Allen, George, Cambage
Subs - Lavey, Ebzery, Madgen, Ohea, Garbin, Magbegor, Tolo
Chinese Taipei win
India win
Japan loss
World Olympic qualifiers 2020
PS5 - Mitchell, Talbot, Allen, George, Cambage
Subs - Lavey, Ebzery, Nicholson, Blicavs, Smith, Magbegor, Tolo
France loss
Puerto Rico win
Brazil win
Las Vegas exhibition 2021
PS5 - Mitchell, Talbot, Allen, Magbegor, George
Subs - Lavey, Ebzery, Madgen, Ohea, Blicavs, Smith, Tolo
Cambage cut after nigeria game, Blicavs in.
Nigeria win (behind closed doors)
USA win
Tokyo Olympics 2021 -
PS5 - Mitchell, Talbot, Allen, Magbegor, George
Subs - Lavey, Ebzery, Madgen, Ohea, Blicavs, Smith, Tolo
Belgium loss
China loss
Puerto Rico win
USA ?
Record since 2018
17 wins 65%
9 losses 35%
Madgen and Whitcomb replaced mitchell/mansfield. My mistake.
We've lost to since 2018
China 4 times
Japan 2 times
USA 1 time
France 1 time
Belgium 1 time
No changes when facing Asian nations to go smaller and more mobile.
From Asia cup to Asia qualifier with no change in the backcourt, motohashi conti Jed to destroy Mitchell and other guards.
Hoopie
Years ago
So basically we can beat China with Cambage but not without her. So our forwards can't cope with their forwards and our guards aren’t quick enough to cope with their guards. They’ll also be part of a better structure, having spent more time together.
How many players did we have in the WNBA or Europe in 2018 compared to now? Is that a factor?
Nothing has changed apart from smith and Magbegor getting drafted into wnba
Wallace, heal also drafted in during the last 3 years.
Mitchell, Whitcomb, Talbot, Allen, smith, Magbegor, cambage remain in wnba
Its pretty clear we need to cut any player older than 21.
The likes of Tolo and O'Hea just aren't good enough!!!
I'm so angry right now, I'm going to post on this same anon account 20 times over the next few hours!!!
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