As the sun sets on a challenging week for the Opals at the FIBA Women’s World Cup there is a need to sift the meaningful parts from the mayhem.
An earlier than anticipated exit against Spain in the quarterfinals left a lot to digest for Sandy Brondello.
“Berlin gave us a lot of clarity. We faced significant adversity, but we also saw what our best basketball can look like when we play with pace, move the ball and stay connected,” says Brondello.
“Defensively, we know we need to be better, particularly with our rim protection, which was obviously impacted by the absence of Ezi and Alanna for much of the tournament,”
“Overall, it highlighted areas we need to improve and gave us some valuable learnings as we continue building toward LA.”
A variety of the happenings during the tournament which were unpredictable and unfortunate.
Other learnings can be used to guide the success of a program in transition.
THE UNPREDICTABLE
First, let’s break down the injuries & illness
The challenges in Berlin started for the Opals with Alanna Smith hobbling to the bench in the first quarter of Game One against Puerto Rico with a lower leg injury. Smith wouldn’t return and team doctors would eventually rule her out for the remainder of the tournament.
After the group stage had concluded, a wave of illness emerged. The most impacted was starting point guard, Jade Melbourne, who tried to get up but was forced to exit three minutes into the Italy matchup. We wouldn’t see Melbourne again. Other players had to quarantine themselves at the team hotel and manage symptoms to not impact others.
A final punishing blow was delivered with a serious injury to inspirational captain Ezi Magbegor in the qualification final. Magbegor went down after a contested drive to the basket against Italy and walked off in the arms of the medical team. Scans would reveal a rupture of Magbegor’s anterior cruciate ligament.
The collective fight of the team to the final buzzer was admirable and any assessment of this Opals campaign should be presented with an asterisk.
The reality is that major tournaments are incredibly difficult to win at. Take out three of your best players and it nears impossible.
THE UNFORTUNATE
An unfortunate, but a consistent challenge. Short preparation time.
All teams and players have a fractional window of time to prepare for national duties.
This is a consistent factor for international windows and it impacts every team in a variety of ways. You won’t ever hear the players or coaches selling this as an excuse for a poor performance or to dodge accountability.
Regardless, a lack of preparation time is a major factor that all teams must contend with. The Opals managed only three sessions together before their first game against Puerto Rico. Other nations had more, some had less.
Our geography typically doesn’t help either. But a lack of preparation time is something that Australian teams have had to adapt to.
The good news (for the WNBA contingent anyway), is that the next FIBA Women’s World Cup will be shifted into the off-season in November to avoid clashing schedules. It also means that any coaches or staff that are plying their trade in the USA will have greater availability for a proper preparation window.
This doesn’t help with the LA28 Olympic Games which again, will overlap with the WNBA season in July 2028, but a greater rationale to player and team preparation is starting to be applied by the cooperating bodies.
Now we've tabled the factors out of the Opals control.
What areas of adaption could Brondello and the team make to enhance their chances of success in the future?
REFINE THE THREE
A part of the picture in the future is proficiency of the three-ball.
The Opals have never been a high-volume three-point shooting team in the Brondello era, but they have prided themselves on potency when they do use it.
At the recent World Cup, Australia’s three-point make percentage of 29.4% lagged well behind comparative contenders France (44.4%), Belgium (35.6%). The Opals sat on the same tier of attempts as the Belgian Cats, ranked 8th in total 3PA with 102, which is in an ideal range for Brondello.
The improvement will come with quality.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily about taking fewer threes, but about taking the right ones and becoming a better shooting team,” says Brondello.
“The three-point shot is an important part of the modern game, so for us it’s about continuing to create quality looks through our ball and player movement and having the personnel who can consistently knock those shots down.”
A trio of Isobel Borlase, Ally Wilson and Chloe Bibby had the lion’s share of three-point attempts in Berlin. The trio are more than capable and had phases where they threatened a run.
Steph Talbot was the epitome of taking the opportunity when it presents, finishing 7/11 at 63.3% from beyond the arc. Steph Reid also flashed her potential with three consecutive makes in the early minutes against Spain.
The absence of Cayla George and Sami Whitcomb should be taken into consideration. That’s two experienced veterans who have been relied upon to make hit the big-time daggers in the past.
Regardless, George and Whitcomb won’t be around forever. And long-range shooting remains an area of refinement.
PLAYER / BALL MOVEMENT
There were some very positive visions into the future of the Opals offense.
When at full strength, spearheaded by Jade Melbourne, the ball movement was fast, aggressive and played out like poetry in motion. It was the same blueprint that fuelled a historic 30-point night from Borlase against Italy.
Throughout the group stages, Opals were ranked #2 in total field goal percentage at 47.4%. This measure was driven by a 57.8 completion percentage from two-point range, which was only behind eventual silver medallists France.
This damaging efficiency was generated by player / ball movement, a principle that Brondello referenced on repeat when speaking to media throughout the tournament.
“When we had good player and ball movement, we played some really good basketball and created the quality of shots we want,” added Brondello.
“It reinforced our belief that playing with pace, space and movement needs to be a foundation of how we play moving forward.”
As the Opals continue to transition a roster of youth, a commitment to a fast and aggressive offense is likely to be a core component of their DNA.
INSURANCE OF SIZE
What is the optimal size profile for the Australian Opals?
The Opals were ranked as the 6th tallest team in average height in Berlin, just behind bronze medallists Spain. Being upper-mid in total size is nothing new to the Opals and Australian basketball teams, who typically rely on other edges to win.
The injuries to Smith and Mabgegor shouldn’t be understated. The loss of two of their tallest talents reduced the Opals average size to 9th below Hungary.
Length is a requirement to win in modern women’s international basketball. It’s an essential component for offense as well as a counterbalance to negate opposing threats.
“Our size and length were obviously impacted by playing most of the tournament without Alanna Smith and Ezi Magbegor, who are two of our biggest and most versatile players. So I don’t think it’s simply about getting bigger,” says Brondello.
“It’s about continuing to build depth and finding the right balance of size, versatility and shooting as we assess different combinations in 2027.”
This may allude to Brondello and the Opals trialling different roster composition in the windows ahead which includes a FIBA Asia Cup in Philippines and all things going to plan; Olympic qualifiers and LA28.
SIGNING OFF
The Opals will undoubtedly carry questions about what could have been from Berlin. It will forever be a tournament with a 'what if’ hovering above it.
Brondello’s and the program have navigated the highs and lows in the past. There is no doubt that the Opals will be able to transform any disappointment from the 2026 World summit into motivation.
Luckily we don’t have to wait long to see how they respond.
