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Anonymous
Years ago
Women Asia cup squad announced
https://australia.basketball/blog/2021/08/20/opals-squad-for-fiba-womens-asia-cup-announced/
Anonymous
Years ago
https://australia.basketball/blog/2021/08/20/opals-squad-for-fiba-womens-asia-cup-announced/
Heal wtf?
Blicavs
Cole
Smith, Allen, Whitcomb not possible
Rocci-Mangakahia
Nicholson-Wilson-Wallace
Kunek-Sharp
Froling-Garbin-Maley
Aokuso-Scherf
Heal missing is odd, good though..l test the younger ones.
Lol,
Australia has a strong record going into the Asia Cup having won silver in 2017 and bronze in 2019,
Hoopie
Years ago
Would have liked Heal and Puoch in the squad but ... I'm just an armchair coach.
I like the squad regardless of those who weren’t included.
Sandy
"we have a great opportunity over the next 12 months to re-set and build towards a home World Cup next September and I am really excited about this squad and the opportunities in front of us."
“It is no secret that we were disappointed with our results in Tokyo, we have taken many learnings from this experience and whilst there can be many reasons for this, there is no doubt that our limited preparation and lack of international competition impacted our preparation and performance.”
What a bunch of bs....
“This is a great opportunity for this group of Opals to gain valuable international exposure and experience and I am really looking forward to working with this squad in the lead-up to the World Cup in Sydney next year”.
Good to see sami on list, clearly knows lei is kaput. Pity she'll be in wnba/europe
Royba
Years ago
So they are obviously wanting to have a look at possible future opals.
After everyone saying we were old and slow and not good at Olympics I guess we'll see what else we got now.
Did anyone really think anything would change? It is what it is, as per usual.
Stevy
Years ago
Not really knowledgeable about international basketball for women. Who are the top 5 contenders right now for the Asia Cup? I was only aware that Japan made it all the way to the Tokyo finals, did not even watch a single women's game.
Japan-1 full squad
China-2 full squad
Australia-3 missing several wnba players
Korea-4 missing 1 wnba player
Nz-5-missing1-2 players
With Aus c squad, 3rd to 5th.
Favourites are Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand. I think Japan and China will easily win against that opals squad.
Favourites are Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand. I think Japan and China will easily win against that opals squad.
Favourites are Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand. I think Japan and China will easily win against that opals squad.
Looking forward to tiana and kristy and maddy as the Pgs
Swain had a terrible world cup and gets selected. Puoch was pretty much the gems best player and can't even make the squad. I guess there was only room for one in the diversity quota.
We are light on sgs is why.
Plenty of forwards here and overseas
Swain had a poor u19s but she is one of Australia's best sg prospects u21
Cole, garrick, George, Lavey, griffin, Madgen, Ohea, Blicavs, mansfield, reid, heal must be tired...
Puoch only just turned 17, to go overseas again and then come back and quarantine again a bit much. Should be in camp though.
Crackers65
Years ago
No Heal,Blicavs,O'Hea? Obviously they are not available?
What has happened regards BA investigation into Cambage. More than likely nothing.
I find the Heal omission strange , Tiana is not even close to be being fit and has show even at NBL1 level she struggles to play at the speed that she used to have.
Wallace has played a handful of games in the last 3 years. Looks set for Rocci to grab the PG spot. Wallace is not a great shooter and will go better at the PG and that gives an extra shooting spot .
I see some rebuilding coming in the next few years , not sure if Brondello is best placed to do that . Some lean times ahead.
Heal has declined and will work on her skills for upcoming wnbl season with sydney, hmmmm
You are right, tiana still needs conditioning but great player. Wallace, hopefully will be ok not playing much.
Shyla Heal withdrew because she didn't want to get shredded by machida and motohashi.
Crackers65
Years ago
Why would Heal decline? Becoming part of opals culture would only help her development.
She declined cus it would of hurt her stock for next years WC and possible wnba return.
Crackers65
Years ago
Totally agree anon #334. Is Seebohm on the opals coaching staff. To me he is the best young coach I have seen in a long, long time. He has a great feel for the game and his players play for him.
They ain't replacing sandy under Stirling reign.
We will suffer another year minimum.
Seebohm is not.
It's
Brondello hc
Lange la
Chambers a
Goriss a
It’s bs and I feel bad for Lucas
I'd prefer....
Seebohm HC
Veal A
Petrik A
Hibbert A
A bad asia cup and WC and we could drop to 8th in rankings. Who would have thought....
Silver in 2018 WC
12-9 record post 2018….
Stevy
Years ago
@344
12-9 from Silver? Holy, that's really bad. That performance is somewhat similar to Argentina's fall from grace after winning silver in 2019 WC.
17-10 under sandy since she took over late 2017.
She has the worst opals coaching record of anyone at 63% win rate.
Stevy
Years ago
I really can't phantom how the Women's team regressed that far? I mean, make no mistake based on what I read from this thread, this is still no doubt a world class team but you would expect a better record than that after 2018 especially if this team was once considered 2nd behind the Americans. Is it because of the coaching, commitment of players or what?
Swain had a poor u19s but she is one of Australia's best sg prospects u21
If Swain is one of our best Shooting Guard prospects (shooting being the operative word), we are in bigger trouble that I thought
Our woman's team isn’t as good as they use to be. Won’t bother even watching any of the games. Opals have been pathetic the last 3 appearances in Asia, keep losing to Japan. Who else did they lose to, to get bronze??
Japan Gold and China Silver.
Puoch shot 50% from 3 at WC. By far our best
But with swain in camp, no doubt she has all the tools to be elite sg in a few years.
Has been the top,scorer at nationals every time she's played. One for the future, she won’t make the team next month.
Anon
Years ago
Mangakshia -Russia
Wallace has done nothing fit the last four years
Shelley at college doing very little
Whitcomb in WNBA
Swain and Melbourne too young
The team's ridiculous in its selections
And Sandy still coach but will be in WNBA so how on earth can they get this team together or will she send Zola’s like last time
Complete and utter farce
Should be available
Rocci
Wallace -? over fitness
Melbourne - ? Over age/exp
Swain -? Over age/exp
Wehrung
Wilson
Nicholson
Sharp
Maley
Froling
Garbin
Brook
Aokuso
Mckay
Scherf
Questions over
Mangakahia- Russia contract
Shelley - Ncaa commitments
Kunek - poland contract
Can't make
Whitcomb - wnba finals
Allen - wnba finals
Smith - wnba finals
Guess most of these declined.
Mansfield
Lavey
Seekamp
Clydesdale
Reid
Heal
Scanlon
Madgen
Cole
Garrick
Ciabittoni
Tupaea
Ohea
Jarry
Blicavs
Griffin
Froling
Bishop
Mcspadden
George
Tolo
Damian Arsenis
Years ago
Confirmed Sandy is contracted through to Paris.
She should be at the FIBA Asia Cup but will not be.
Opals deserve a full time coach.
X
Years ago
Why ask Seekamp? She doesn't even play basketball any more.
Anonymous
Years ago
Guess most of these declined.
Mansfield
Lavey
Seekamp
Clydesdale
Reid
Heal
Scanlon
HAHAHA scanlons family on this again
Anonymous
Years ago
But with swain in camp, no doubt she has all the tools to be elite sg in a few years.
Has been the top,scorer at nationals every time she's played. One for the future, she won't make the team next month.
Has played hardly any games since doing her ACL. Her team at nationals didn't get into any of the finals because she has on average 25-30 shots per game and is the closed down. Has been average at Waratah and was average at the WC. But she is Veals second favourite behind Melbourne.
Swain wasn't in the best 5 or 6 in the WC team, sorry, what an insult to all the WNBL girls who play well season after season..it is a joke, should have been Deeble or Puoch by a mile
Puoch a sf, Deeble a pg.
As stated we have no sg depth, hence why we are testing multiple sgs in camp
Why sandy for another 3 years, why not seee how she's goes at Sydney WC first.
This is jobs for mates, what a disgrace.
Bringin her husband as lead assistant is also bs, he couldnt qualify Russia for anything and they booted him out.
Not many other SF out there over the last 4 junior world cups
Shyla Simmons too good for the national team hey
Could be bad for shyla if Rocci, tiana or kristy go well.
The squad without European contracted, ncaa or wnba players.
Rocci
Nicholson
Froling
Garbin
Aokuso
Wallace
Wilson
Sharp
Maley
Scherf
Wehrung or Melbourne or Swain
Mckay or Brook
Only reason Whitcomb, Allen and smith are on the list is because bottom 4 teams don't make finals and finish 20th September. A week before the asia cup.
Liberty currently 2 games clear, Mercury 4 games clear of 9th
I very much doubt they’ll drop to 9th spot.
Aces 17-6 (Liz)
Sun 17-6
Storm 17-7 (Steph, Ezi)
Lynx 13-9
Mercury 13-10 (Alanna)
Sky 11-11
Liberty 11-13 (Sami, Bec)
Wings 10-14
Sparks 9-13
Mystics 8-13 (Lei)
Dream 6-16
Fever 5-18
Anonymous
Years ago
Puoch a sf, Deeble a pg.
As stated we have no sg depth, hence why we are testing multiple sgs in camp
Give me a break, as if most of the combo guards from those last 4 world cups wouldn't be better options. Veal has consistently favoured Melbourne and Swain during her tenure, Swain was lucky to play, she gets found out whenever she is heavily guarded, I suspect it is more to stop her going to another sport, i.e. keep her interested and show she is on the depth chart at least
Groups
A
Japan
Korea
Nz
India
B
China
Australia
Taipei
Phillipines
Also looks like Kunek and swain dropped as they are no longer listed
http://www.fiba.basketball/womensasiacup/2021/team/Australia#|tab=roster
Japan appear to be resting a few players from Tokyo
Hopefully Liberty don't make finals
Rocci-Mangakahia
Whitcomb-Wilson-Wallace
Allen-Nicholson
Froling-Garbin-Maley
Aokuso-Scherf
Cut
Shelley - ncaa
Melbourne - maybe too early
Wehrung - just misses over Wilson on form
Sharp - lack of exp
Brook - lack of exp
Smith - wnba finals
Mckay - lack of exp
Interesting, they listed Wallace playing for Canberra this season.
Nz roster out, pretty good s5, the rest are journeyman or untested youth.
Squad announced
Rocci-Mangakahia
Whitcomb-Shelley-Wallace
Nicholson-Sharp
Allen-Froling-Garbin
Aokuso-Scherf
Reserves
Melbourne
Wehrung
This was Maleys chance...l
If Liberty make finals the reserves are in.
smaller faster team without the lumbering bigs that BA has relied on for so long. Steep learning curve but the rebuild has to start from somewhere.
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