PARIS (France) – The upcoming Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament Paris 2024 will see Australia trying to recapture the glory days when they went on a run of five consecutive podium finishes.
Their last medal was 12 years ago at London 2012, but after a creditable bronze in front of their own fans at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022, hopes are high they can hit the medal trail again.
But have they got what it takes?
The Roster
When it comes to the rotation in the frontcourt, there is probably no other team in the tournament aside from USA that can match the Opals. The experience is absolutely enormous with Cayla George, Marianna Tolo and the legendary Lauren Jackson.
Ezi Magbegor was brilliant at the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament as MVP and looking more and more like this team's go-to. With Alanna Smith and Bec Allen as well, the options are pretty endless.
The backcourt has experience too, with Sami Whitcomb, Steph Talbot and Tess Madgen, while Jade Melbourne is really beginning to move up the gears.
The Question
What is the actual best starting five - or perhaps more importantly 'finishing five' for Australia down the stretch in the big games? Especially if they want to really push for a return to the top.
Australia have a depth of options which is right up there with the best and the team-centric approach is very much their strength.
Some might (rightly) argue that having choice and depth is a good headache to have for head coach Sandy Brondello, or not even a headache at all.
But you can also argue that not having a standout and established 'five' that other teams might truly fear is an interesting dimension around this Opals' group.
The Hope
Basketball Australia continues to do an amazing job with the talent pipeline and there is a seemingly never ending conveyor belt of rising stars coming up.
Those young guns become leaders and it feels like this is a tournament where the veteran players like Jackson, Tolo, George and Whitcomb can hand over the baton with confidence and pride.
We could possibly be seeing a changing of the guard and the hope is that whilst this process is taking place, this fusion delivers success.
Isobel Borlase is a perfect example of this and having impressed at the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 in Brazil, as well as in the preparation games, is this young gun going to break out?
The Fear
If Australia are truly gunning for a medal after taking bronze on their last global outing, do they really have the clutch deal-breakers needed?
Do they have the one game-winning player especially in the backcourt that can dictate and make the big plays in tournament crunch time?
Who is getting that call and will they deliver?
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