A pair of homegrown debutants, familiar faces and a wealth of international experience headline the Seven Consulting Opals squad selected for next month's series against China in Melbourne.
The Opals will face China on 7 and 9 July at John Cain Arena in their final home series before the FIBA Women's World Cup in Germany this September.
Victorian products Sitaya Fagan and Bonnie Deas have earned their first Opals call-ups and are set to make their senior international debuts on home soil in Melbourne.
The Frankston Blues juniors have progressed through Basketball Australia's pathway system and the Centre of Excellence before earning opportunities in the NCAA.
Fagan is set to commence her freshman season later this year at the University of Southern California (USC), while Deas has transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from the University of Arkansas.
Experienced forward Darcee Garbin returns to the Opals fold for her first appearance in the green and gold in two years after recently returning to the court following the birth of daughter, Rosie.
Cayla George, Steph Reid, Chloe Bibby and Zitina Aokuso headline a group boasting a stack of international experience.
The quartet were members of the Opals squad that swept through the FIBA Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Türkiye earlier this year, finishing with a perfect 5–0 record.
Championship-winning Townsville Fire trio Alicia Froling, Abbey Ellis and Courtney Woods also earn selection following a standout 2025–26 WNBL campaign.
Continuing her international rise, Isabelle Bourne returns to the line-up after making her senior debut and helping the Opals claim gold at the 2025 FIBA Women's Asia Cup last year.
Fresh from recent opportunities in the WNBA, Alex Wilson, Alex Fowler and Maddy Rocci will also join the squad.
Wilson recently spent time on the Washington Mystics roster, Fowler earned a development contract with the New York Liberty, while Rocci was part of WNBA expansion franchise Toronto Tempo's training camp under Opals Head Coach Sandy Brondello.
Amy Atwell is also set to arrive in strong form after helping the Australian Gangurrus claim a silver medal at the 2026 FIBA 3x3 World Cup in Poland. Atwell was recognised among the tournament's standout performers, earning Team of the Tournament honours.
Tickets for the Opals' two-game series against China are available now via Ticketek.
Fans across Australia will be able to tune in via the Nine Network.
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The Seven Consulting Opals will host China in a two-game international series at John Cain Arena on 7 and 9 July 2026.
The series will provide Australian fans with a rare opportunity to catch two of the world's leading women's basketball nations go head-to-head on home soil and marks the Opals' final home appearance before the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Germany this September.
The She Hoops Festival of Girls will be held alongside the Opals v China series in Melbourne, creating opportunities for women and girls to learn, connect and be inspired through basketball.
The festival will include She Hoops Community Clinics led by elite female coaches and supported by Opals and WNBL player appearances, alongside the inaugural She Hoops Cup featuring Under-18 athletes from across Australia.
The showcase match will be played as a curtain raiser ahead of the Opals' clash with China, while a range of development opportunities for coaches, officials and sports administrators will also form part of the week-long program.
For more information, visit shehoops.com.au
This is the bit where Melbourne roars. Where winter belongs to the crowd, the clash, the edge-of-your-seat moments you feel in your chest. It's the scent of fresh coffee drifting out of laneway roasters, the neon-lit glow of hidden bars that feel like secrets, the sudden warmth of a gallery, a gig, a perfectly timed bowl of something slow-cooked and soul-filling. At Melbourne's iconic sporting venues, the atmosphere is everything. It's the shared chants, the collective gasps, the thrill of being part of something bigger than yourself. Come winter in Melbourne, it’s every different.
