Australia’s Opals desperate for elusive Olympic basketball gold medal at Tokyo Games

There is no argument, the Australian Opals are one of this country’s finest teams.

Five consecutive Olympic medals between 1996 and 2012 alongside five World Cup medals — including gold in 2006 — over three decades makes them a team to be reckoned with.

Coach Sandy Brondello, an Opals player for 17 years, has picked a team she can trust to continue the Opals legacy in Tokyo.

Dual Olympian Jenna O’Hea will captain the side and Liz Cambage will head to her third Olympics.

They will be joined Rio Olympians Katie Ebzery, Cayla George, Tessa Lavey, Leilani Mitchell, Stephanie Talbot and Marianna Tolo, while Rebecca Allen, Tess Madgen, Ezi Magbegor and Alanna Smith will make their Olympics debut.

Tokyo finally became a reality for this team when Olympic Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman read their names individually.

“I don’t know if I thought it was coming, to be honest — it’s just taken so long,” O’Hea said.

“But as Ian started presenting us up on stage I just got goose bumps and felt my eyes watering but it’s finally announced and finally real … we’re going to the Olympics.”

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Asked if there will be shift to a ’24-7′ focus from today, O’Shea said: “I feel like I’ve been like that for about 15 months.

“It’s been a long time coming and the focus remains the same, that’s to go over to Tokyo and do our best and hopefully bring back that gold medal.”

Olympic Gold has been elusive for this team.

While the Opals won the 2006 World Cup, two bronze and three silver medals at the Olympics can be seen two ways — an incredible achievement but frustratingly disappointing.

Australia has been churning out top female basketballers for more than half a century.

No country in the world would deny they deserve an Olympic title.

Despite all of its challenges, Tokyo might prove to be the best Games yet for the Opals with its perfect blend of player experience topped off with a coach who knows what it is like to be there.

“Sandy … went to four Olympics herself, she’s played all over the world,” O’Hea said.

“For her to be able to coach she understands what we’re going through and I think we have just so much respect for each other — she has respect for us, we have respect for her — and the working relationship is so strong.

“We’ve all known each other for a really long time and so to bring all that together it’s always a joy to go into camp, and Sandy really tries to make sure it is that way, and then when we get on court we are as competitive as hell.

Brondello’s skill is her ability to pick a team of individuals and create an environment where they play as one.

“We have so many unique personalities that all come together so beautifully,” O’Shea said.

“We have some introverts, some extroverts, we have some loud ones, some quiet ones, some who like to dance, others who just want to listen to music.

“We have a full array of personalities, but I think what comes together is the respect we have for one another … that’s what makes us come together so well.”

Opals not making up the numbers

Liz Cambage is one of the most recognised extroverts on the team but could not be at today’s launch because of her WNBA commitments in the United States.

Another is Cayla George.

“I am the extreme on the hyper side I would say, which I don’t think is a negative thing,” George said.

“But I’m also really aware and respectful of people that aren’t that way.

“In pre-games [preparations], if I’m jumping around dancing just getting my pre-game ritual on, just making sure I’m getting hyped and other people don’t like to do that, I don’t disturb them.

“I am very aware of how people are, we’ve playing together as a core group for a while now, I’ve known some of these girls, a lot of them since we were 14, 15.”

George said the team in Tokyo that could best deal with the challenges of the pandemic and make the mental adjustments necessary in an environment with so many unknowns would be the team that would succeed.

The Opals are not going to Tokyo to make up the numbers, they are going to win gold.

And where would that rank amongst all the other teams achievements?

“It would be absolutely number one,” George said.

“But I think for us we’ve got to enjoy the process and know what it’s taken to get to this moment and enjoy that.”

George said Tokyo gold had a currency of its own because of the circumstances around these Games.

“Especially [because] the ripple effect of our families and Australian people, I think it would do great things,” she said.

“To take the attention off what’s going on right now and even to have an Olympic games I think in itself is really special — for the world.

“To bring home a medal, to continue the Opals legacy, to show how we fight as Aussies and represent that side of us … the grit and determination … to come back with a medal after everything that’s happened … I think people would be proud.

“I mean, an Olympic gold before the COVID pandemic would be great, but I just think it has this special meaning, even more so, for sure.”

Not that there was any such thing as an ordinary Olympic gold medal.

“No, there’s not,” George laughed.

 “But [it will] add a little bit of spice to this one, I think.”