The Australian Opals have recorded their first win of the FIBA Women's World Cup with a 70 - 54 win over Puerto Rico at Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin today.
Steph Talbot was enigmatic and was awarded the TCL Player of the Game. The Las Vegas Aces veteran recorded 19 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
Ezi Magbegor warmed into her first game as captain and finished with 11 points, nine rebounds. Alanna Smith was dominant in the first half but was pulled from the game as a precaution due to tightness in her lower leg.
The win was the sum of collective grit. There were gutsy performances from the likes Jade Melbourne, Chloe Bibby and Alex Wilson to name a few.
The Opals started well and found gaps in the Puerto Rico defense early. Australia led by as much as 13 before Las 12 Guererras made a stand to bring it back to eight after one quarter.
The second was an incredible battle. The Opals traded defensive stands and three pointers with Puerto Rico. Alanna Smith was brilliant in the second with the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year at her two-way best.
Unfortunately for Smith and the Opals, she was forced to come out of the game from half-time due to tightness in the lower leg.
An inevitable lift in intensity came at the restart.
Puerto Rico punished a couple of offensive turnovers to cut the lead back to one halfway through the third. Ally Wilson and Chloe Bibby responded from three-point range to settle the nerves.
The Opals were presented with a turning point moment and they responded with steel. The work of Steph Talbot was immense.
The Las Vegas Aces gun attacked the challenge with precision and physicality. Zitina Aokuso and Alex Fowler started to flex their talent. And Australia quickly kicked out to a 13-point lead at the last break.
It was a battle all through the fourth. Australia were far from their best, free-flowing basketball but they kept finding a way to keep Puerto Rico at bay. Talbot continued to drive the Opals and the ground out a gritty 70 – 54 win.
The team will recover, rest and turn their attention to Turkiye on Sunday.
