It’s time for Australia to wake up to the fact that they’ve got a sporting team playing a World Cup on home soil that they can be proud of.
The Opals are a team in the truest sense of the word.
They play a selfless style with no standout star and it has carried the world’s third-ranked team on the FIBA rankings to top spot in their group as the tournament enters the quarter-final stage.
Australia overcame a determined Japanese side 71-54 in Sydney on Tuesday night to make it four wins on the trot after dropping their opening clash with France.
Along the way they have shown bravery and skill to overcome a physical Serbian side and down world No.4 Canada by three in a thriller.
Coach Sandy Brondello isn’t afraid to yank players if they don’t follow the script or miss an assignment and the players don’t drop their lip or pout.
Lauren Jackson and Cayla George. (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
It’s a refreshing change from the individualism that talented but flawed star centre Liz Cambage brought to the table in recent years.
Her infamous pre-Olympics antics which led to her late withdrawal from the Tokyo Games were a disruption that Australia could not shrug off.
They went from upsetting the US a month before the Olympics to winning just one game in Japan to never be in medal contention.
Chemistry wise, the Opals are much better off without her and on the court they have got more than enough size to compete with the tallest timber their opposition throw at them.
Marianna Tolo, Ezi Magbegor and Cayla George have stepped up in the paint at the offensive and defensive ends while the addition of Australia’s greatest player from the retirement lounge in Lauren Jackson has done wonders.
Ezi Magbegor. (Photo by Steve Christo – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
Jackson is only playing spot minutes but the 41-year-old still has that old magic that made her a three-time WNBA MVP.
She’s been knocking down the three-ball to give Brondello a point of difference in the rotation of her bigs and while Jackson does not move with the agility of her halcyon days, she’s come up with several savvy veteran defensive plays.
And whenever she gets on the court, it sets the green and gold faithful at Qudos Bank Arena abuzz.
The bonus for tipping their group means Australia can avoid facing the might of tournament favourites Team USA until the gold medal game on Saturday night.
They return to the hardwood on Thursday night against Belgium and will likely match up against China in the semi-finals.
Bec Allen, one of the top performers in the tournament along with fellow forward Steph Talbot after the first few matches, is hopeful of making a return from a rib injury suffered against Serbia.
Point guard Sami Whitcomb was also bruised and battered against the Serbs after copping a whack on the nose but despite being bloodied she was unbowed and soldiered on.
Bec Allen. (Photo by Steve Christo – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
The Opals are that kind of team.
After collecting silver at the 2018 World Cup, they are again a strong chance of a medal.
A repeat of their 2006 World Cup triumph when Jackson was in her prime is not out of the question although the US are stacked with WNBA talent and haven’t looked like dropping a game this tournament in winning by an average margin of 46.2 points as they chase their fourth straight trophy since the Opals’ boilover in Brazil.
Their 121-59 walk in the park against Bosnia & Herzegovina on Tuesday was their 27th win in a row in World Cup play, breaking their national record set from 1994-2006. However they still have a long way to break the all-time mark of 56 set by the Soviet Union from 1959-86.
Jackson deserves all the plaudits that come her way for her return after more than five years since she retired due to a string of hamstring injuries which had rendered the final couple of years of her career virtually a waste.
It’s never easy for a champion in any sport to put their legacy on the line by returning, especially considering Jackson only begun her comeback a year ago as a way to get fit.
If Australian basketball supporters, all sporting fans for that matter, need any further reason to rally around the Opals, then one last chance to see Jackson’s one last hurrah should be more than enough motivation.
mushi
Roar Guru
Ticket prices are pretty rough too
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Canada beat Puerto Rico China beat France Opals on at 8:30
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
USA has taken out Serbia 88-55
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
It hasn't got any publicity in Sydney either so thats not an excuse. FIBA womens world cups they only have a couple of venues and the home team gets decent crowds and the rest hardly anyone. Olympics and Commonwealth games are in one city thats not a hindrance. Mens is different because you have so called dream team factor, and that attracts the publicity, but as we have seen the USA dream team is more about being in a dream like state while playing than a dream team and USA women have been a lot more successfull in FIBA.
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
Yeah it was a bad move putting all games in Sydney. To be fair putting all games in any single city would result in some poor crowds to certain games, so I don't necessarily think it's the fault of Sydney. But I reckon the insularity of the tournament is partly why it hasn't got the nationwide publicity it deserved.
Scott Rea
Roar Pro
Josh the crowd was quite small for the Mali game, which was the game on Friday. The crowds for the other Opals games v France, Serbia, Canada and Japan have been great, approx 9k and the atmosphere has been amazing. I have loved every moment of the tournament. Bring on the quarter finals.
Scott Rea
Roar Pro
Great article Paul. The Opals have been one of the best performed Australian teams over the last 20-odd years. The mainstream media have definitely not given them the love they deserve.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
If the Opals want to beat the US they need to forget Lauren Jackson and start fight club. In 2016 Olympics , when the Opals were looking good , Serbia did them over with fight club. That would be I dont know what the story is with the bodysuits, they were too soft in Tokyo, I think in a rough game the bodysuits are going to be harder to grab, cant see what else would be different. In 2006 Australia relied on Russia to knock off the USA.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Is it a coincidence that an article on the Opals only appeared after they worked out having a video and article on the womens brawl and nothing else is not a good look.
James
Roar Rookie
Love watching the Opals. Very pleased to see Lauren Jackson step in to cove for the loss (?) of Cambage. We need another big body. So pleased they are not wearing the figure hugging uniforms too. Can't see them knocking over the Americans but maybe we can knock over the Chinese. I'll be watching
PeterCtheThird
Guest
Let’s hope that the next time you write a story about the Opals, The Roar’s powers-that-be can find it in their hearts to put the story higher up your front page, not stuck invisibly behind ten stories about League or Affel. I do NOT care how much boob, leg or other skin League players’ trophies choose to show off. Or how blind drunk Geelong players wish to get. Or how much “ powdered milk” the Penruffians’ captain chooses to inhale. But I would like to know what’s happening with the Opals.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Shame to hear that. The highlights I’ve seen looked like there was a good crowd there. They have played well and certainly deserve support.
josh
Roar Rookie
have the assume the 1st match v. France was a slip up. The other games have been outstanding. Went to last Friday's game was very. Crowds are very low. but that's Sydney for you. Had a laugh when the in house ads are talking up Sydney as the sporting capital in a stadium lucky to be 30% full.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
My fingers have a mind of their own, once I typed Cabbage instead of Cambage.
PeterCtheThird
Guest
Oh dear. I do hope you follow football as well. Otherwise how to explain confusing the Matildas and Opals? Other than that, Go Opals!
Steven Harris
Saturday after Parramatta v Cowboys and the morning of the AFL grand final the Sydney Morning Hearald front page was a photo of 2 AFLW players The media is obsessed with the sport.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Women’s basketball has been a genuine and popular sport for a long time and our women have been outstanding over many years. We are one of the few countries to push the USA over many decades, but you’d think AFLW and NRLW were our long-standing sports and not just marketing exercises!
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Liz Cambage was getting too slow and stationary, even if she didnt go off the rails. Her WNBA team had one of the worst defensive records, they are better off without her. This MAtildas team you have more movement more defense . Allen and Talbot are also effective in the paint and on the boards , in addition to Tolo, George,Mcgregor . the weakness apart from involving Cambage in the lead up in Tokyo as well was Leilaini Mitchell in defense, the totals they concedeed at the Olympics were high, even Puerto Rico layed the poiint on them and they have tightened up the defence here.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
This country is becoming a sporting joke, I remember when they actually televised the local womens WNBL. The idea that AFL has its supposed rival NRL but in reality henchman/accomplice/partner NRL if they can totally dominate the media and do these fake code war stories they can dominate the landscape, instead of investing in womens sport properly they are avoiding investing proper money and resources in womens sport, just using womens sport to market their male competitions and avoid covering other womens sport.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Such a shame it’s not free to air on an SBS or Channel 2. Everyone should be able to watch our women’s team in action in a genuine World Cup.