Belgium coming off an overtime loss, look a very well balance team though. Solid bigs and really good point guard. Which opals turns up, Smith has been very good the longer the tournament went, can Melbourne step up, limit turnovers, last tournament for a few you would think, Jackson and George step up it's a bronze. The good news is I’m tipping Belgium by a few so opals are certain. :::)))))

2022 WC QF opals comfortably 86-69
Belgium without Meesseman / Aus without Allen
Opals dominated inside with Linskens no match for George/LJ/Tolo

https://www.fiba.basketball/womensbasketballworldcup/2022/game/2909/Belgium-Australia#%7Ctab=boxscore

This time no Allemand / no Allen
Tougher than Serbia but very winnable matchup.
- Smith & Ezi contain or match Meesseman
- George/Tolo/LJ big bodies can bang against Linskens
- wnba teammates Vanl loo v Melbourne in PG

Above matchups equal or just favour opals. If rest of opals play well then bronze well within reach...

Prime time TV slot for opals without many other events - Golden opportunity to lift profile back to prime years 2000-2012

Want to see George and Tolo get more minutes. They didn't get much run vs USA. Good ol Sandy and the rotation issue.

LOL. George logged the 2nd highest minutes on the team vs USA

Madgen in the starting 5 in the Talbot spot
uh oh

Both teams look spent already, long tournament I guess.

Reasonable start by both sides.

Good to see Borlase in early.

Sandy using deep bench early, tactical to run Belgium off their feet.

I'm not getting spent vibes from us. I do like that we've gone right into the bench already though. Wear em down.

Izzy!!

Gotta get LJ out there! She could really make the difference with both teams chipped up and the Belgians not overly quick & athletic

3pt clutch to give Qtr lead

Bel in trouble Linskens 2 fouls already. Was enjoying Tolo & her bang bodies before being benched

Correct sandy, move the dam ball...

Smith has had a great tournament, but she doesn't need to attempt to manufacture a shot every time she touches the ball.

Hoggin it for sure.

Seems opals actively looking to exploit their front court depth, maybe draw fouls off Meesseman & Linskens.

Yup smith should not overplay.
Ezi taking adv of superior athleticism

Great night for the real Ezi to return to action.

Any chance of Melbourne keeping her feet?
Spends more time on the floor than standing on it.
Every layup she is on the floor.

It has become a habit, she does go down with every missed layup.

Tough call on George, the certainly don't call that moving screen on Jokic yesterday.

Correct call though. Dumb foul - not even necessary for Sami to get the shot off.

I'm not liklng how little rest Sami got that half. I get why, but we need to find her more.

That was some cracking halftime entertainment. Brilliant stuff. Should ask Larry to bring them out to Australia lol

Smith forcing it but I'm not sure why the offence stops whenever she puts the ball on the floor. Did Sandy ban cutting?

Bronze or no bronze, we got quite a few things to work on before the next major tournament.

Probably should have 3 to 4 camps before the asia cup.

The bloke with the basketball in Lille before they moved to Paris was also fantastic.

Very tight game first team to make a decent run and then play smart could get this.

Certainly a game that LJ would match up well even in bursts. Need to move the ball around for the outside shooters for free shots like Belgium has been doing. Better game from Ezi though. Still the Opals are trying to shoot through the tall players and getting blocked.

Opals are certainly in with an even chance to win.

Coast to coast Ezi!!!

Playing with confidence & aggression tonight (at last)

Very tight game first team to make a decent run and then play smart could get this.

Ezis best game by far this tourney.

Vanloo and Linskens have been quiet.

3rd Sami foul not ideal. Her having a breather is good though.

I jinxed it...

Feisty Tolo :D

Oh my I said smart. To many dumb fouls.

wow this 5 on the court for the opals late 3rd is woeful.

tolo and george madgen

Talbot's turnovers are inexcusable at any level

Get Izzy back out on the court . Need more scores

Yep would prefer Izzy atm.

Simple instruction - do not drive into the bigs in the keyway

pure shitful coaching that last 4 minutes.

so who paid for the LJ family holiday? what a joke, most of the time she looks like she doesnt even want to be there.

Belgium fighting hard, but how did Opals give up lead so easily?
Was going to say bench Talbot, but makes a 3!

Put Talbot our best defender on Vanloo in 4th

Male commentator "Van low" stupid!!!

All went to shit when Sami had to sit due to foul trouble

Some weak side D wouldn't hurt.

Absolute indictment on Brondello. You've got the G.O.A.T on the bench and too stupid to use her. I betthe Belgians are breathing a sigh of relief

I definitely jinxed it.

This is ... wow

Vanloo unconscious

so who paid for the LJ family holiday?

Yes, her whole family went.

Pathetic.

Pretty much every game, 1 player has carried us.

Absolute indictment on Brondello. You've got the G.O.A.T on the bench and too stupid to use her.

Opals, where was this against the USA? LOL

Vanloo heat check barely misses, and Smith responds with an and-1
Big sequence to give us some breathing space

Sooooo ... does a win/medal guarantee Sandy remains HC for another x amount of years?

Even if opals win. Perfect matchups for LJ. Would of taken Linskens to town.

Ezi we have been waiting 3 years for this performance!

Ugly Australian jungleball.

Ben, usually a coach gets 2 cycles of 4 years.

BA I think will give sandy an extra 4 more years, unless chambers was guaranteed after she left Southside.

These women love stressing me tf out

You definitely jinxed it W Slug

LOL thagts all the OPALS do, jack up 3s and hope to get lucky with the ball bouncing for them for the rebound.
We saw what happened against the USA when every drop of luck did not fall there way.
They got humiliated

Dont stress, you know if a 3 does not go down the Opals will just get the o board.
They have been getting LUCKY all game

EZY has 30 points and none are threes jacket, are watching the correct game.

Steph Talbot that was huge

Captain has been solid tonight

Got it done, feel bad for Belgium after first medal.

What a game for Ezi to have the game of her life

Thats it, celebrate like you just won the gold medal.
Reality is, no one cares and no one even remembers who won bronze.
Poverty result

Congrats Opals!!!

Ezi you're a legend.

That shot wasn't even close to being before the buzzer, how on earth did they count it?

Yayayayaya, we won bronze.

Fairwell to a legend, lj another medal...

Great game by Ezi after the first 5 minutes - hard to work out the substitutions at times. Opals won Bronze so congratulations.

Jacket showing he doesn't discriminate which gender of basketball not to have a clue about

An ugly win with snippets of brilliance. End of day a win is a win.
Ezi incredible, Madgen again captain clutch.

If you ignore Tokyo fiasco. Sandy record stands up, likely she continues til 2026 at least if she wants to.
Unlike others here, don't mind Sandy but wtf was she doing this match. Again the bronze is all that matters by BA

Belgium and Opal fans will.

Well done girls. Didn't let the Nigerian loss derail their games

Bronze medal is a win.
Ezi huge.

Finally getting Melbourne onto the bench was key.

That Talbot block amazing.

"Jacket showing he doesn't discriminate which gender of basketball not to have a clue about"
LOL watch the next game to see the BEST team in the world, BY A MILE.

Sandys record

Silver 2018 WC
Bronze 2019 AC
8th 2021 OG
Bronze 2022 WC
Bronze 2024 OG

Record since takeover

56 Games
38 wins
18 losses

Matildas knocked out group
Boomers, both hockey teams, mens waterpolo - QF loss
Both rugby teams miss medals
Surprise water polo women's silver

Opals medal AGAIN, congrats! They deserve more attention for their achievements.

Can you show us your bronze medal jacket, though you have probably got gold for being a total numskull.

Congratulations to both sides, I thought overall a fantastic game and result. Yes LJ had a holiday but she probably earned it for years of service to basketball.

Ezi, Smith, Whitcomb, fantastic, everyone else did their bit.

"LOL watch the next game to see the BEST team in the world, BY A MILE."

Les Bleus?

the BEST team in the world, BY A MILE.

Probably have to wait until the 2030s before they are challenged on the regular?

Yes LJ had a holiday but she probably earned it for years of service to basketball.

Chambers didn't leave South, she wasn’t asked. Overlooked.

2026-2028

Should remain.
Melbourne 92
Borlase 04
Smith 96
Magbegor 99

Might return.
Atwell 98
Talbot 94
Allen 92

Unlikely to make it.
Whitcomb 88
Wallace 96
Madgen 90
George 89
Tolo 89
Jackson 81


Big changeover over the next few years.

That should put the Opals back into 2nd on the World Rankings.

Bit of an escape with Whitcomb shooting 5/17 and Melbourne 0/4.

I would have played LJ.
Borlase is certainly the future.

Feel for Bec Allen.

Madgen showed again why she is Captain and the calm to the outta control Whitcomb/Melbourne. Shot a huge 60% from 3 pt line across the tournament.

Melbourne 02'

Well done to the girls, great game to watch. Loved seeing their joy celebrating.

Ezi was huge as was Vanloo for Belgium.

Not sure how a 40+ year old LJ can still make the team though.

Agree with Hooping, feel for Bec Allen, opals best in recent years. Will miss rest of WNBA season, she was having career best season with Phoenix despite playing out of position at 4

2014 WC - debut as end of bench rookie - Silver
2016 O - surprise mission from team
2018 WC - into starting 5 - silver
2021 O - no comment needed
2022 WC - clearly best player before rib/lung injury. Then missed euro season
2023/24 WNBA - starting 5 in finals team, at her peak
2024 O - missed out on medal

Hope she makes 2028 LA - helps with transition if she sticks around injury free

36 with her injury history, will be tough.
Puoch at 24 is probably very very good by then.

Luuuuc that photo is magnificent.

We had a some excellent defensive plays in the 4th, that block was among the best.

LOL watch the next game to see the BEST team in the world, BY A MILE.

Inch?

Alanna Smith deservingly named in the tournament All Star 5.
Caps off a fantastic 2 years for her.

sandy held her back in the beginning.
-picked her before Magbegor in the draft only not to play her much at the Mercury, cut from the opals for Garbin.
-following that... excelled in europe, for the sky, for the lynx and now the opals.

Hats off to the Opals and coaching staff for achieving the bronze. With Bec healthy, we might have done even better.

Regardless of the result, I hope to see a new coach for the Opals. However, I suspect BA will take the easy way out and extend her contract, given that it achieved a medal. I doubt if BA could successfully manage the workload of having to find two national coaches at the same time.

sandy held her back in the beginning.
-picked her before Magbegor in the draft only not to play her much at the Mercury, cut from the opals for Garbin.
-following that... excelled in europe, for the sky, for the lynx and now the opals

Ezi named to the tournament All Second Team.
Last night's mammoth effort obviously a big factor in that decision.
Glad she gets official recognition in the history books.
Kind of a pity that Whitcomb doesn't. Her stats don't jump off the page, but all tournament she held the backcourt together.

Back to Ezi though, according to FIBA, her game last night set a new record* for efficiency in a single game at the olympics
(* they've only been tracking the stat since Rio 2016, so it's not dominated by LJ)

EZI TODAY (45)
Penny Taylor 44 vs FR 2016
Liz Cambage 42 vs JP @ 2016
Emma Meesseman 41 vs PR 2020
Marianna Tolo 41 vs PR @ 2020
Emma Meesseman 40 vs JP @ 2024
Lara Sanders 40 vs JP @ 2016
Astou Traore 40 vs RS @ 2016
Emma Meesseman 39 vs AU @ 2020
Emma Meesseman 38 vs JP @ 2020

Huge!

Opals are an absolute powerhouse- going back to the 96 Olympics, they've medalled in 12 of the last 15 major tournaments.

Apparently that game by Ebi was statistically the greatest international basketball game ever (Or just Olympics?) with EFF of 45, overtaking Penny Taylor with 44

30/13/3/2/3 with 1 t/o and shooting 12/17 and 6/6 FT. Unbelievable.

Australia has been treated to some marvellous Bronze game individual performances with Patty in Tokyo, Jackson in Sydney and now this from Ebi.

Beat me to it Luuuc

I'm not overly familiar with the entire womens basketball ecosystem, but I would've thought with Ezi coming into her prime, Melbourne and up-and-coming star, and Smith still 27 the Opals have a great core for the 2026 World Cup.

Yep, but you need more than 3 players.
Wallace, a choock without its head after the time.
Atwell, never taken a shot she doesn't like.
We are lacking small forwards coming up, and a dominant centre.

I'm like LV , not that familiar with women basketball, but when I read that Smith turned it around in Europe it makes sense to me, they have so many excellent coaches, don’t put up with crap and it’s all about the team.

Lets hope BA do not renew Brondello for the next 4 years.

With a core of the group probably playing their last Olympics and Opals committment lets get a Coach who is going to be around and start looking for new players to come into the group and get them prepared for World Champs and Olympics.

Really not sure who can take on the Head Coaches role.Chambers possibly but may have told BA a few home truths and got the black mark.Goriss again not sure as he now spends his time in US for WNBA and is now the Capitals coach in the WNBL.Seebohm is probably who will get the push.His Asian Cup record was not great.More was probably expected.

Will be interesting to follow.

Also why not give Jackson some court time for her last game.She would have held her own for a short period.Wonder how her relationship with Brondello would be as someone said her whole family got paid to go over there and it has ended up a holiday.

After replay, not as ugly as thought live in the moment. Tough gritty contest both teams fighting hard for medal. Belgium coming back 2 times when Opals got a good lead was hard to watch..

Lead by Ezi excellence. Smith, Talbot & Whitcomb had ups & down but made big plays in 4th to secure the win. Great team play.

Interesting what Sandy/BA will do. 8 were on 2018 team when Sandy started HC (Tolo, George, Whitcomb, Madgen, Allen, Talbot, Smith, Ezi. She has taken that (virtually) same team back to Olympic podium 6 years on, job done. With retirements due and new era coming, logical to end on a high vs temptation to continue with successful formula.

Smith has definitely got it together over the past year or two for whatever reason. Being healthy physically no doubt played a major role in her improved performance, but definitely remember her being a foul machine and seeming a bit temperamental in her previous years.
Melbourne is improving but just not totally sold on her. I think we are looking weak at quite a few positions going forward.

Am I the only one who doesn't get the whole LJ thing? Why did she barely play? Surely she could have come on for a few mins here and there. I find it strange how it played out. I don't think she looked bored to whoever said that, likely just disappointed.

As for Whitcomb, I agree. Wasn't recognised officially but without her the Opals would have been completely lost!!!!!

Have to agree with Frog39, Whitcomb was the glue for the team.
Posts have hung her on some of her three, but she given the ball late in the shot clock to make something up.
You could see that the other players were looking at her for leadership, something that can't be said for Magden.
How Madgen got on this team still spins my head around. Yeah she had that France game, but there are too many games that she’s a passenger.

I agree re not playing LJ. I can only assume that the first p&r she was involved in would put her up against some smart fast guard and expose her.

Isn't it true that of the last 7 Olympics, we medaled in the 5 LJ was on the team and didn’t medal in the ones she missed?

Yeah it's just odd to me. Is she injured? Did something happen behind the scenes? Seems weird to bring her along only to not use her. I dunno, I'm really confused with the whole thing.

I know Madgen isn't a lot of people on here's favourites but I think she more than held her own this tournament. Was calm, and shot very well. She shot very well against Belgium too and was timely. I'm not convinced we would have got the same out of someone like Rocci personally.

Full credit to Madgen.
She cops more criticism than anyone. The evidence is on this board in countless posts from many people.
It has been clear that on playing form alone she is not in Australia's best 12, so it can only be for other unseen reasons related to culture & leadership that she remains seemingly an automatic selection.
That can be hard to reconcile when you've got seemingly superior players being left out.

Her forte as a younger player was very much being a lethal scorer, and thankfully at these games she proved in some key moments that she still had that in her.
We sure needed it!

Such a fine line in a comp like this. A couple of buckets can be the difference between a bronze medal and not even qualifying for the quarter finals.
Madgen stood up big time when her number was called.

I'd really like to hear more about what she brings behind the scenes to this program, because it's clear that the players rate her leadership and that the coach has a ton of faith in her as well.
As fans we get to see the buckets and the rebounds for ourselves but we rarely get the behind-the-scenes insights.

Whatever has happened with the team culture since the Liz fiasco has been game-changing for the program. That much is clear. Prior to Tokyo we routinely underperformed compared to our talent level. Since then we're back to where we are used to being - which is punching above our weight.
As our captain, Madgen deserves a good chunk of credit for that.

I would've thought with Ezi coming into her prime, Melbourne and up-and-coming star, and Smith still 27 the Opals have a great core for the 2026 World Cup.

Yep, but you need more than 3 players.

Atwell, never taken a shot she doesn't like.

We are lacking small forwards coming up, and a dominant centre.

Seems like LJ was there for leadership and culture- much like Ingles for the Boomers.

Yeah, we'll need some good role players to replace George, Tolo, Madgen and Whitcomb. Those players cumulatively make a huge contribution (Whitcomb especially).

Talbot and Allen should have a few years left.

But as someone who just watches a handful of Opals games every couple of years and browses the WNBA stats, it seems to me that Magbegor and Smith are actually the Opals best two players right now. So if there are some decent wings and guards up and coming, program will remain in good shape

Sandy was well aware of smiths shortcomings at Stanford. Sandy knew both Alanna and Ezi prior too and still chose smith.
Smiths flaws were not fixed at the Mercury, they gave her 3 years of benchtime...
she was released and sandy decided soon after that Garbin was the better player, a superior player to the wnba player she drafted years previous. To rub salt in, Ezi made every opals team from 2018 -a player the Mercury thought wasn't worth drafting in 2019.
Smiths polish team actually tried to help her develop, same with the sky later on. The Mercury didn’t do shite.

Look through the history of Mercury draftees under sandys reign, an abysmal track record. Probably the 2nd worst over a 7 year period.

SF, plenty of options over the next 4 years. We just need 2.

Allen 92
Blicavs 93
Talbot 94
Sharp 97
Atwell 98
Bibby 98
Potter 02
Puoch 04
Shiels 06

Agree re Madgen. I guess my thing is, who that missed out was so much better than her to take? Whoever it was likely wouldn't have the leadership qualities either.
Rocci - I don't see her skill set transferring well on the international stage.
Reid - Probably the closest contender, but her size could be an issue at Olympic level. I guess we will see in the future.
Nicholson - Same as Rocci IMO.

I doubt she will be in the next WC team, but she proved worth the selection this Olympics to me. She saved us in a couple of games.

Madgen fills alot of gaps in this current team, we saw her play wing, sg and pg.
Who would follow her as captain? Probably Allen, her exp with the aim of Melbourne to follow. Who could have filled the captains role if Madgen was not taken - Whitcomb.

Both Rocci and Reid exclusively play the point, they cannot play multiple positions.

Nicholson plays the 2 or a smaller 3, her opals career thus far has never come close to what she does at wnbl level.

Someone that looks to have versatility coming up is 6'2 Shiels. BA see her as a primary PG but at her size she could play 3, 2 or 1. Obviously still very young, just 18y.o. 2026 WC probably too early but 2028 Olympics might be a chance.

The answer at CG to takeover from Sami imo is Swain, others may think Shelley.

Some also think Amoore is the answer at pg now. Way too early...

C replacement of Tolo/Jackson = Aokuso or Scherf
PF replacement of George = Garbin or Bourne

That's a future frontcourt of
Garbin or Bourne, 1 of
Smith
Magbegor
Aokuso, Scherf or both.

"Whatever has happened with the team culture since the Liz fiasco has been game-changing for the program. That much is clear. Prior to Tokyo we routinely underperformed compared to our talent level. Since then we're back to where we are used to being - which is punching above our weight.
As our captain, Madgen deserves a good chunk of credit for that."

Well said.

How far back does underperforming go?

We won silver at the 2018 WC (Brondello) - Cambage carried us avg 23.5/10.5


Our failures in the last decade are

Rio 16 5th/12 -5 wins, 1 loss (Joyce) - weird selections with a shock loss in the 1/4s.
Not alot of love for Joyce but he had a good major tournament record.

Tokyo 21 8th/12 -1 win, 3 losses (Brondello) - Cambage situation/covid
We were lucky just to make 1/4s, nothing clicked.

3 Asian cups 19, 21, 23 (all 3rd/8) (Brondello/Goriss/Seebohm) - wnba players n/a, showed we had little depth.

The Cambage years were horrid. The Joyce years, bizarre. You look back and his top picks were Burton and Lavey. No disrespect to them but it was definitely odd.

One thing you can guarantee with basketball is that things will change, quickly. Favourites aren't guaranteed selection from one campaign to the next, especially with a change of coach.
The other interesting one is Blicavs, who really fell off the planet after having a very good WC. I may have missed something in terms of injury but she very much fell out of the group it seems.

Yeah, hard to find anyone that could make sense of that Burton pick.
I thought Lavey was hard done by, might still be in the squad if she got more of a run.
Always the third option at pg, probably should have been the backup from 2018 instead of trying to mould Ebzery + Madgen into a pg. Couldn't keep t waiting for an opportunity, made the right call going to afl.

Blicavs injured, no doubt staff would have had her in the squad over Atwell if she was available. Has not been good this past year as a player.

Blicavs has most likely played her last game of basketball ever.
And from what I heard, wasn't even a consideration to make the Olympic squad (let alone team) even if she was healthy.

She was a chance.
Wanted to play, but couldn't. Back injury.

https://pickandroll.com.au/p/a-new-chapter-unfolding-sara-blicavs

For what ever reason Kunek has disappeared from everyone list.
We wouldn't have gotten into the Olympics if it wasn’t for her All Star five performance at last year Asia qualifying in Sydney.
Also her games against China in Melbourne were very good.
She should have been in the team when Allen couldn’t continue anymore. Hard to win a game without good defence,
Atwell - great shooter.
Kunek - very good shooter- great defensive player - good rebounder.
Let me know if I’m talking crap here.

Wanting to play & being considered is not the same thing.

Bec Allen not a happy camper

https://x.com/becallen8/status/1823097026038714848

I imagine his is directed at BA/Opals

I agree with Alice. I would have thought she would go in ahead of Atwell too, but it seems the age factor may have gone against her.
I think she's the better overall player personally.
I also agree Lavey could have stayed in the mix as well at the PG spot, but she's almost too passive offensively I think.
Didn't know that about Blicavs, that's a shame if we have seen her last season.

Kunek got taken to the Spain training camp just in case either Talbot or Allen were injured.
Sandy picked Atwell and played here for a total of about 5 minutes during the Olympics. In the France game she got beaten on her defence the first 3 times!

@Luuuc: nice summation re Madgen & Talbot/Allen "Talbot + Allen is a world class duo who won't be around forever.

While Ezi & Smith will lead opals over next 1-2 Olympic cycles with good support from young guards Melbourne & Borlase (plus likes of Amoore/Shelley).
IMO the key is replacing the class and versatility of Talbot + Allen:
- interchangeable wings at 2/3
- athletic with length advantage over most teams
- all rounders, elite D + Off punch
- can defend positions 1-4
- great shooters + can drive to rim
- Talbot sometimes facilitates at point forward/guard
- steady, composed consistent players (vs Ezi higher ceiling but inconsistent)

We saw how important a hobbling Talbot (despite below her offensive best) was to the Opals.
If only Borlase was a bit taller.... I'm not too familiar with youngsters but as @Weedy mentioned hopefully Puoch & Shiels & co will rise up by 2028 and be in prime for 2032.

Cosmo Spicely - what is the situation here?

Do you think it is directed the PHX Mercury since she is now back in Australia?

or at the opals because she left Paris without helping the team?

It's not directed at the Phoenix.

She is in PHX, the post was - is directed at BA.
The medical staff there knew of her injury two days before it went complete off and did not give her any extra exercise to do.
BA has had for many's years, 10-15 had a extremely poor way they deal with players that are not the starting 5.
If there web site anything to go by, who would be surprised.

Probably wanted to stay with the team.

Kunek 33 now, asia cup sure(34), WC slim chance(35), Olympics no chance(37)

Wow Bec even unfollowed the Aus Opals Instagram page

Wow - that Bec business is scary and sad

Bec Allen needs to chill.

Calendar

2025 ASIA CUP - 13-20 July

Potential pool of players
Reid
Heal
Rocci
Shelley
Goodchild
Madgen
Nicholson
Woods
Clark
Atwell
Potter
Sharp
Bibby
Shiels
Kunek
Maley
Horvat
Blicavs
Froling
Bourne
Garbin
George
Aokuso
Scherf
Tolo
Etc

Unavailable?
Amoore
Swain
Melbourne
Whitcomb
Wallace
Borlase
Talbot
Allen
Puoch
Smith
Magbegor
+
NCAA players


2026 WORLD CUP - 4-13 September
TBD

2027 ASIA CUP - TBD
TBD

2028 OLYMPICS - 14-30 July
TBD

I didn't have any high expectations for Paris, so really to get a bronze is great. A testament to the team and the consistency of the Opals over tournaments, yeah there's been lows, but they manage to figure it out and turn up.

Smith's story has been summed up well by Luuuc, it's great to have seen her journey from not near the WC squad to now our second best player over a span of 2 years. Just shows a career is never over and when things click for players, they click.

Magden's story is one I most want to hear about too. Must've been hell with all those injuries and yet the undisputed captain. It clearly means something and she led by example. Respect where it's due.

Brondello going forward is a question that still has to be answered as the team will clearly transition. I'd feel better about BA making that decision if it didn't seem like they've pissed off Bec Allen? Wtf.

Going forward this team has a lot of unknowns, Ezi and Smith are the stars to build around but the leadership of Talbot and Allen will be integral. With Melbourne's hopefully improving PG skills that's a WNBA level core that could start at LA28.

I don't expect the older players to all retire at once but will be interesting to see who makes it to the next World Cup. Guards will be the biggest unknown, but the issue there is quality not quantity, plenty of choices coming up, we may just have to wait to see who steps up. As long as they all get a chance, which is why Asia Cup will be important.

Some other players
Atwell - players that can turn out a game like that GF 1 vs Southside are special. Her shooting is going to change games on their head for the Opals too.
Wallace - you don't make a WNBA roster without being talented, theres too few spots so it's incredibly unfair to write her off. Her work ethic and determination will always be useful in squads.

This place seems obsessed with being negative always, and yeah there's lots to figure out (and I'm not defending BA, who overall are dysfunctional as an org), but I feel more optimistic about Opals after that tournament and happy to see what the future will bring.

I think Indiana expected more from Wallace this season, she was much better all round the previous season but has dropped off significantly in the past year. Now at the end of the bench...

Not really a PG anymore, lots of turnovers with the opals in recent games.
Playing her as a SG, offense has dryed up and shooting percentages are down quite a bit.
The only thing she offers the team atm is defense.

FT career from 76% to low 60s
3pt career from 38% to mid 20s

Hopefully she can find some form or she won't be in the wnba for long. Next time she would play for the opals would be pre tournament 2026 and eventhough she will only be 30y.o, we should have a few guards that have surpassed her by then.

Tournament stats Opals - essentially 7-person rotation - the rest making up the numbers.


https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/womens-olympic-basketball-tournament-paris-2024/teams/australia#statistics

I'm gonna guess 2026...

PG Melbourne*(02) 5’10
SG Swain*(03) 5’10
SF Allen*(92) 6’2
PF Smith*(96) 6’3
C Magbegor*(99) 6’4
+
PG Reid(96), Rocci(98), Heal(01) or Amoore*(01) 5’6, 1 or 2 of
SG Borlase*(04) 5’11
SF Talbot*(94) 6’2
PF Garbin(94) 6’2 or Bourne(00) 6’2 or Puoch*(04) 6’3, 1 or 2 of
C Aokuso(98) 6’4
+
G 1 Above, 1 TBD CG or possibly a VET Guard below
P 1 Above, Scherf(96) 6’5 or possibly a VET Post below


Those that are 35-38y.o may still get 1 last chance in 2026, whoever it is may be the captain.

Whitcomb(88)-38
Tolo(89)-37
George(89)-37
Madgen(90)-36
Kunek(91)-35

*9 players players potentially in the WNBA at the time.

I don't remember anyone mentioning the Olympics Rising Star awards, which went to Wembanyama (no surprise) and Jade Melbourne.

Well done, Jade.

Opals move up to #2 on the world rankings.

https://www.fiba.basketball/rankingwomen


Top 10 now

1 USA 0
2 Australia +1
3 France +4
4 China -2
5 Spain -1
6 Belgium 0
7 Canada -2
8 Nigeria +4
9 Serbia +1
10 Japan -1

Germany the biggest mover, +8 to 13th.