The Australia women's national basketball team, nicknamed the Opals after the brightly coloured

gemstone A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, semiprecious stone, or simply gem) is a piece of mineral crystal which, when cut or polished, is used to make jewellery, jewelry or other adornments. Certain Rock (geology), rocks (such ...

common to the country, represents

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

in international

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

. From 1994 onwards, the Opals have been consistently competitive and successful having won nine medals at official

FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French language, French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. FIBA defines the rules of basketball, specifies the Basketball equipment ...

international tournaments (

Olympics The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competit ...

and

World Cups A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

), highlighted by a

gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have b ...

winning performance at the 2006 World Championship in

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

.FIBA Archive. 2006 World Championship: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 12 August 2012. At the now-defunct regional Oceania Championship for Women, the Opals won 15 titles.FIBA Archive. 2011 FIBA Oceania Championship for Women
History
Retrieved 7 September 2012. In 2017, FIBA combined its

Oceanian Oceania ( , ) is a geographical region including Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Outside of the English-speaking world, Oceania is generally considered a continent, while Mainland Australia is regarded as its continenta ...

and Asian zones for official senior competitions; following this change, the Opals compete in the

FIBA Women's Asia Cup The FIBA Women's Asia Cup is an international basketball tournament which takes place every two years for women's national teams from FIBA Asia, and since 2017 FIBA Oceania. It was known as the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) Championship u ...

History

1950–60s: Beginnings

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

arrived in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

in 1905, but the first major international women's tournament was the 1953 FIBA World Championships held in

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...

.FIBA Archive. 1953 World Championship for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 14 August 2012. Although the Opals did not qualify for the first tournament, they did, however, qualify for the 1957 Championships held in

. Captained by

Lorraine Eiler Lorraine Melva Eiler (''née'' MacGuire; 9 December 1934 – 13 December 2021) was an Australian women's basketball player. Biography In 1957, at the World Championship for Women held in Brazil, Eiler was captain of the first national team t ...

, the Opals defeated

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

and

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

. Sixteen year-old Bronte Cockburn led the scoring for Australia with an average of 9.5 points per game, but the inexperienced team ultimately finished in 10th place.FIBA Archive. 1957 World Championship for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 14 August 2012. Since then, the Opals have helped increase the popularity of the sport in Australia.Basketball Australia
Opals History
Retrieved 28 July 2012. Australia would not get the opportunity to participate at the 1959 World Championship held in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

because at the time, the

Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national executive government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The executive consists of the pr ...

would not allow the team to travel to the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. The Opals would not qualify for a World Championship again until the 1967 contest in Czechoslovakia. With an entirely new team and a single victory over

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, Australia finished in 10th position for the second time.FIBA Archive. 1967 World Championship for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 14 August 2012. Team captain, Jean Forster, led the scoring for Australia with an average of 21.2 points per game, with a tournament high of 34 against

. Her 21.2 points per game would remain unchallenged for 35 years.

1970s: Early development

1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...

, the Opals travelled once again to Brazil. Led by new head coach Merv Harris, and featuring Jill Hammond, the team made several improvements with only three players from the 1967 squad selected. Although the Opals finished in ninth place, they had victories over

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

(twice),

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

.FIBA Archive. 1971 World Championship for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 14 August 2012. In 1975, the team headed to

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

with another new head coach, Jim Madigan. Despite a 74–25 confidence building win over

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

, as well as victories over

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

and

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

, the team finished in 10th place.FIBA Archive. 1975 World Championship for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 14 August 2012. The

1976 Olympics 1976 Olympics refers to both: *The 1976 Winter Olympics, which were originally to be held in Denver, United States, but relocated to Innsbruck, Austria *The 1976 Summer Olympics The 1976 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of t ...

held in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

marked the first Olympic medals awarded for women's basketball, but Opals did not qualify for the tournament.FIBA Archive. 1976 Olympic Games: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 13 August 2012. Their next major competition would be the 1979 World Championships in South Korea, which would prove to be their first taste of success. The coach again was Jim Madigan, and the squad featured some of the faces of the Opals for the next decade such as

Jenny Cheesman Jennifer Cheesman (born 2 November 1957) is an Australian former basketball player and coach. Biography Cheesman played 167 games for the national team between 1975 and 1988, competing at two Olympic Games, in 1984 and 1988. Cheesman describ ...

Robyn Maher Robyn Maher (born 6 October 1959) is an Australian former basketball player. A three-time Olympian, she was a member of the national women's team that won the bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. In the Women's Nation ...

Julie Nykiel Julie Dawn Nykiel (born 13 December 1958) is a former Australian women's basketball player. Biography Basketball Nykiel played for the national team between 1979 and 1990, competing at two Olympic Games; 1984 and 1988.

, Karin Maar and

Patricia Mickan Patricia "Pat" Mickan (born 12 March 1957) is an Australian former basketball player. Biography Mickan played 150 games for the national team between 1979 and 1989, competing at two Olympic Games; 1984 and 1988.Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, as well as thrashing

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

119–14. Australia would lose their next three games, but bounced back winning their final game over Japan to finish in fourth place, their best international result to that time.FIBA Archive. 1979 World Championship: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 13 August 2012.

1980s: Into the Olympics

In the early days of women's Olympic basketball, only six countries competed in the tournament, and the host country received an automatic entry. Therefore, there were 22 countries competing for the remaining five spots in 1980 Olympics held in

. In the preliminary tournament, the Opals fell to the US and Hungary, and did not qualify for the Olympics.FIBA Archive. 1980 Olympic Games: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 13 August 2012. Three years later, the team traveled to Brazil for the 1983 World Championships, looking to demonstrate that their 1979 success was no accident. Despite an early victory over

, Australia failed to advance and finished in 11th place.FIBA Archive. 1983 World Championship: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 13 August 2012. The Opals were not expected to participate at the

1984 Olympic Games The 1984 Olympics may refer to: *The 1984 Winter Olympics, which were held in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia *The 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and commonly known as Los Angeles 1984) were an i ...

held in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. However, following the decision by

to boycott the games, the door was opened for the Opals to compete in their first ever Olympics. Led by head coach Brendan Flynn, and

team captain In team sport, captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. In eithe ...

Jenny Cheesman, the Opals played competitively in every game, but finished fifth out of the six teams.FIBA Archive. 1984 Olympic Games: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 22 July 2012. The next tournament for the Opals was the 1986 World Championships in Moscow. The first game against Hungary was a two overtime thriller that the Opals lost 79–77. The game set the tone for the tournament, and despite some close finishes against the top rated teams, Australia finished in ninth place.FIBA Archive. 1986 World Championship: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 13 August 2012. The Opals then headed into the

1988 Seoul Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and officially branded as Seoul 1988 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were repres ...

with a medal hope, but they lost the first game to host nation

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

. The Opals bounced back and defeated

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

, meaning that only the powerful

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

stood between them and a semi-finals berth. In a major upset, the Opals defeated the USSR 60–48, setting up a meeting against

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

. In a memorable game, the Opals lost a closely contested game at the buzzer 57–56, sending them to a rematch with the USSR for the

bronze medal A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receives ...

. Motivated by the previous loss, the USSR came out determined and outplayed the Opals 68–53. Despite the loss, the fourth-place finish equalled the Opals’ previous best international placing.FIBA Archive. 1988 Olympic Games: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 22 July 2012.

1990s: Rise as an International force

Building from their success at Seoul, the Opals headed to

for the 1990 World Championships with high hopes. The team won their first two games against

and Italy, before suffering a string of losses to

, the

and

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

. In their final game, the Opals came back from seven-point halftime deficit to beat Bulgaria 73–71 and finish in sixth place.FIBA Archive. 1990 World Championship: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 13 August 2012. Fifteen teams competed for the five open spots at the

1992 Barcelona Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics (, ), officially the Games of the XXV Olympiad (, ) and officially branded as Barcelona '92, were an international multi-sport event held from 25 July to 9 August 1992 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Beginning in 1994 ...

, and despite a respectable 4–2 record at the preliminary tournament, the Opals did not qualify.FIBA Archive. 1992 Olympic Games: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 13 August 2012. Two years later, Australia played host to the 1994 FIBA World Championships.FIBA Women's World Championships
. Basketball Australia: WNBL. Retrieved 18 August 2012. Led by

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

Shelley Sandie Shelley Ann Gorman-Sandie (born 22 January 1969 in Melbourne, Victoria) is a retired female basketball player from Australia, who played for the Canberra Capitals. A three-time Olympian she was a member of the national women's team that claime ...

's 11.9 points per game, the team scored victories over

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

and

to set up a semi-finals match against

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. The Opals held an early lead, but China mounted a second half comeback led by

Haixia Zheng Zheng Haixia (; born March 7, 1967) is a Chinese retired professional women's basketball player for the China women's national basketball team and the Women's National Basketball Association. International career In 1983, Haixia made her debut ...

's 36 points, and Australia just lost by a single point 66–65. In the

game, Australia played the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, and despite a small halftime lead, the Opals lost a close game 100–95. The loss however, resulted in a respectable fourth-place finish.FIBA Archive. 1994 World Championship: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 13 August 2012. The young 1994 team featured the backbone of Australian teams over the next decade;

Rachael Sporn Rachael Pamela Sporn is an Australian former basketball player and three-time Olympian. Career Born in Murrayville, Victoria, Rachael Pamela Sporn debuted in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in 1986 with the West Adelaide Bea ...

Trisha Fallon Trisha Nicole Dykstra (; born 23 July 1972) is an Australian former basketball player in the Australian Women's National Basketball League and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) of the United States. She also played with the A ...

, Michelle Brogan,

Allison Tranquilli Allison Petra Cook-Tranquilli (born 12 August 1972 in Melbourne, Victoria) is a retired female basketball player from Australia, who played for the Melbourne Tigers and PVSK Pecs in Hungary. A two-time Olympian she was a member of the national ...

Sandy Brondello Sandra Anne Brondello (born 20 August 1968) is an Australian professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and the Australian women's nation ...

, Annie La Fleur and

Jenny Whittle Jennifer Hazel (Jenny) Whittle (born 5 September 1973) is a retired Australian women's basketball player. Whittle was a regular member of the national team for over a decade, from 1994 until 2006. Playing Centre, Whittle was a key contributor to ...

. At the 1994 tournament, the team also adopted the ''Opals'' as its nickname. At the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, the Olympic tournament was expanded to twelve teams, making an easier path for Australia to qualify. Captained by

, the Opals started off with strong wins over

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

Zaire Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire, was the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 18 May 1997. Located in Central Africa, it was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria, and the 11th-la ...

, and

before losing to eventual gold medalist United States and

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. Australia then persevered through an overtime game against Russia to set up a semi-finals match against the United States. The US won the game 93–71, sending the Opals to a rematch against Ukraine for the bronze medal. Australia held back a second half comeback by Ukraine to win the game 66–56, earning Australia its first ever international basketball medal for either men or women.FIBA Archive. 1996 Olympic Games: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 22 July 2012. In 1998, the Opals looked to build off the bronze medal at the World Championships in Germany. The team featured 17-year-old future star

Lauren Jackson Lauren Elizabeth Jackson (born 11 May 1981) is an Australian former professional basketball player. Arguably the most notable Australian women's basketball player, Jackson has had a decorated career with the Australia women's national basketb ...

, and was led by Michelle Brogan's average of 13.1 points per game. Australia put together a dominant performance, winning their first seven games before losing to

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

82–76 in a close semi-final match. In the bronze medal game,

Carla Boyd Carla Boyd (born 31 October 1975) is an Australian former professional basketball player in the WNBA as a forward for the Detroit Shock. She won a bronze (1996) and a silver (2000) medal with the Australian Women's Team at the Summer ...

's 26 points proved too much for Brazil, and the Opals won 72–67 to earn their second

in international play.FIBA Archive. 1998 World Championship: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 12 August 2012.

2000s: A decade of medals and World Champions

With

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

hosting the

2000 Olympic Games The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

, the Opals gained automatic entry into the tournament. Captained by

Michele Timms Michele Margaret Timms (born 28 June 1965) is an Australian basketball coach and former player. She played five seasons for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was inducted into the Women's Basketball ...

, the team started out with dominating performances winning all of their first seven games, sending them to their first ever gold medal match, against the US. The American team proved too strong for the Opals however, as they won 76–54. Australia won the

Silver Medal A silver medal, in sports and other similar areas involving competition, is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, ...

, their best result in international competition at the time.FIBA Archive. 2000 Olympic Games: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 22 July 2012. In 2002, the Opals looked to continue their success in China at the World Championships. Coached by Jan Stirling, captained by

Kristi Harrower Kristi Harrower (born 4 March 1975) is an Australian professional basketball coach and former player. She was a decorated player with the Australian Opals, winning three silver medals and one bronze medal at four Summer Olympics. She played in ...

, and powered by Lauren Jackson's 23.1 points per game (which led the tournament), Australia won its first five games all by double figures. In the second round the Opals lost to

, but bounced back with a 78–52 victory over

in the quarterfinal. In the semi-finals, the Opals lost to eventual

ist United States, but recovered the next day to capture the

with a convincing 91–63 win over

.FIBA Archive. 2002 World Championship: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 12 August 2012. 2006 World Championship for Women Australia

2006 World Championship for Women Australia

At the

2004 Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...

held in

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

, the Opals were led by Lauren Jackson's tournament best 22.9 points and 10 rebounds per game. With

Penny Taylor Penelope Jane Taylor (born 24 May 1981) is an Australian former professional basketball player and assistant coach. During her 19-year career, Taylor spent the most time with the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, where she won three championships. S ...

contributing with 14.8 points per game, Australia dominated early winning their first seven games, all by double digits. The Opals set up a rematch of the 2000 Olympic gold medal match against the US. The United States outlasted the Opals in the fourth quarter to win 74–63, giving the Opals their second straight Olympic silver medal.FIBA Archive. 2004 Olympic Games: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 13 August 2012. The Opals headed to

for the 2006 World Championships looking to win their sixth straight medal in international competitions. Led by Lauren Jackson's 21.3 points per game and

's 18 points per game, first and third best in the tournament respectively, the Opals played their best tournament to date. Australia began the tournament with a forfeit victory over

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

. They continued the trend by winning their next seven games decisively, with only one contest being decided by less than 10 points. In the

game against

, the Opals led throughout, paced by Penny Taylor's 28 points and Lauren Jackson's 11 rebounds. At the final buzzer, the scoreboard read Australia 91, Russia 74; a convincing victory that delivered Australia's first ever basketball

. Penny Taylor was named the

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...

of the tournament. At the

2008 Beijing Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fro ...

, the Opals looked to reaffirm their title as World Champions. In the lead up, Australia went undefeated against

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

, Brazil, South Korea,

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

and host

to set up a third straight

match against the

. The Opals had trouble hitting the basket and shot just 24% en route to a 92–65 defeat. The team earned their third straight Olympic silver medal, and their seventh straight international medal finish.FIBA Archive. 2008 Olympic Games: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 13 August 2012. The 2000s was a golden era for the Opals, winning at least a bronze medal at every official FIBA tournament.

2010s: Ushering a new era

In 2010, the 16th edition of the

World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

was held in the

. Pre-tournament favourites Australia, United States, and Russia, dominated play in the first two rounds. In the quarterfinals, however, Australia suffered a shock 79–68 loss to the Czech Republic. The loss meant that the Opals could not finish any higher than 5th place, its worst international result since the early 1990s.FIBA Archive. 2010 World Championship: Tournament for Women
Event Standings
Retrieved 13 August 2012. Elizabeth Cambage at day three of the Opals camp

Elizabeth Cambage at day three of the Opals camp

Looking to rebound from their disappointing 2010 result, the Opals qualified for the

2012 Olympic Games The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

by beating New Zealand three games to nil in the 2011

FIBA Oceania Championship FIBA Oceania Championship was the Oceania basketball championships that took place every two years between national teams of the continent. It was also the qualifying tournament for the Basketball World Cups and Olympic Games. The first editio ...

. They finished the Olympic preliminary series with a 4 – 1 record, losing to

in game 2, but after

Belinda Snell Belinda Snell (born 10 January 1981) is an Australian former professional basketball player. She played 10 seasons in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) in addition to the WNBA and Europe. She was a member of the Australia women's n ...

sank a well behind the

half-court line This glossary of basketball terms is a list of definitions of terms used in the game of basketball. Like any other major sport, basketball features its own extensive vocabulary of unique words and phrases used by players, coaches, sports journ ...

3-point shot A three-point field goal (also 3-pointer, three, or triple) is a field goal in a basketball game made from beyond the three-point line, a designated arc surrounding the basket. A successful attempt is worth three points, in contrast to the two ...

with less than one second on the clock to send the game into

overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...

. Against

Liz Cambage Elizabeth Folake "Liz" Cambage ( ; born 18 August 1991) is a British-born Australian professional basketball player for the Sichuan Yuanda of the Women's Chinese Basketball Association. She won the Women's National Basketball League in 2011 and ...

became the first woman in Olympic history to successfully

slam dunk A slam dunk, also simply known as a dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with on ...

a basketball. In the

quarterfinal A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, w ...

against

, Lauren Jackson became the Olympic Games record holder for points scored, overtaking

ian legend

Janeth Arcain Janeth dos Santos Arcain (, born April 11, 1969) is a Brazilian former professional women's basketball player. She played in the United States for the Houston Comets in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1997 to 2005. Arc ...

's tally of 535 points. The Opals accounted for China 75–60 to set up a

semi-final A single-elimination knockout, or sudden-death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of a match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final match-up, w ...

game with their long-time

rival A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...

. Despite holding a

half-time In several team sports, matches are played in two halves. Half-time (also written halftime or half time) is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match. Typically, after half-time, teams swap ends of the field of play in or ...

lead, the Opals again fell short losing 86–73. The Opals would however, win their fifth consecutive Olympic medal with an 83–74 win over Russia to claim the

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

. Leading up to the 2014 World Championship in

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, a number of long-serving players announced their

retirement Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

s or declared themselves unavailable. Those players included

, Jenni Screen, Kristen Veal,

Abby Bishop Abby Bishop (born 29 November 1988) is an Australian former professional basketball player. She played in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) between 2005 and 2025 for the Australian Institute of Sport (WNBL team), Australian Institut ...

Kathleen MacLeod Kathleen MacLeod (born 23 October 1986) is an Australian basketball player who was part of the Australian team that won the bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Personal MacLeod is from Melbourne. She has four siblings, two brothers and t ...

, Samantha Richards,

Suzy Batkovic Suzy Batkovic (born 17 December 1980) is an Australian professional basketball player and politician. Suzy played her junior basketball with the Port Hunter Basketball Club in Newcastle. She has played basketball for several European clubs inclu ...

and

Jenna O'Hea Jenna O'Hea (born 6 June 1987) is a former Australian professional basketball player and former captain of Australia's national team, the Opals. O'Hea was the captain of the Australian Women's basketball team (Opals) at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic ...

. Three weeks before the start of the tournament,

withdrew from the team because of a knee injury. Two weeks later

ruptured her

achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcane ...

during a pre-tournament game and was ruled-out because of the injury. This resulted in the selection of seven debutants into the squad of 12, a move seen as ushering in a new era of Opals basketball. Despite the loss of veteran players, the Opals went through the preliminary rounds and quarter-final undefeated, setting up a semi-final clash with the US. In a hard-fought game, the Opals cut the lead from 16 points to just six early in the final quarter, before losing 82–70. The Opals would however claim their third bronze medal at world championships with a comfortable 74–44 win against host nation

was named to the tournament All-Star Five. The Opals qualified for the

2016 Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...

following a series win against New Zealand in August 2015. On 31 March 2016, Lauren Jackson announced her retirement from basketball, citing a chronic knee injury as the reason for her decision. The Olympic squad was announced on 12 July 2016 and included seven Olympic debutants and only three players from the 2012 squad. Notable exclusions included three-time Olympic medallist

, reigning WNBL MVP

and Rebecca Allen. Despite slow starts which had plagued Australia throughout the tournament, the Opals finished on top of their group with a 5–0 record, outscoring

33–15 in the final quarter to win by six points. In the Quarter-final, the Opals suffered a shock 73–71 loss to

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

, conceding 26 turnovers and eliminating them from medal contention. This ended a run of five successive Olympic medals dating back 20 years. One highlight was

breaking Lauren Jackson's Australian Olympic record of points scored in a single game with 37 against Japan. It was the third-highest haul by a woman in Olympic history, and the highest in 28 years. Following the early exit from the Rio Olympics,

Brendan Joyce Brendan Joyce (born December 1960) is an Australian professional basketball coach. He has coached all levels of the game. He has been to 3 Olympic Games with both the Australian men's Boomers team 2004, 2008 and women's Opals team 2016 and 2 wor ...

was replaced in April 2017 by former Opals player and

Phoenix Mercury The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. One of eight original franchises, it wa ...

head coach,

. Unlike previous years, the Opals qualified for the

2018 World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded the hosting rights in l ...

through the

held in India where they won a silver medal.

Kelsey Griffin Kelsey Michelle Griffin (born July 2, 1987) is an American-Australian professional women's basketball player. She was drafted 3rd overall in the 2010 WNBA draft. Griffin played college basketball with the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Griffin was named ...

was named tournament

most valuable player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...

. With basketball returning to the

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games is a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, which consists mostly, but not exclusively, of territories of the former British Empire. The event was first held in 1930 ...

for the first time since

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, the Opals easily accounted for

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

in the final winning the gold-medal game 99–55. At the

held in Spain, the Opals led their group with a 3–0 record. They then defeated

83–42 in the quarter-final and

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

72–66 in the semi-final to set up a gold-medal final with their long-time rivals United States. The Opals lost the game 73–56 with head coach Sandy Brondello stating a lack of offence proved their downfall.

led the tournament scoring with an average of 23.8 points per game and was named to the All-Star Five.

Competitive record

Olympic Games

Women's basketball was introduced as an Olympic sport at

in 1976. From 1976 to 1992, only six countries (teams) participated in the Olympic tournament. However, in 1996 at Atlanta the tournament was expanded to twelve teams. Through the 2016 Olympics, Australia qualified for the Olympic Games through competing in the FIBA Oceania Basketball Championship held each four years in the year preceding the games. Typically, this tournament featured either a two or three-game series between Australia and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. With the Oceania Championship having been discontinued after its 2015 edition, and FIBA having removed all women's continental championships except for

EuroBasket Women EuroBasket Women is a biennial international women's basketball competition held between the nations of FIBA Europe for women's national teams. EuroBasket Women is also used as a qualifying tournament for the FIBA Women's World Cup and also the ...

from the Olympic qualification process in 2017, Australia will qualify for future Olympics through a two-stage process, starting with an Olympic pre-qualifying tournament involving Asian and Oceanian national teams in the year before the Olympics and followed by a worldwide Olympic qualifying tournament held in the year of the Games.

FIBA Women's World Cup

The first official Women's World Cup, known as the Women's World Championship through its 2014 edition, was held in

in 1953.USA Basketball
First World Championship for Women – 1953
Retrieved 21 August 2012. The tournament was expanded to 16 countries (teams) in 1990. Since 2017, Australia qualifies for the World Cup through competing in the

, held each four years in the year preceding the Women's World Cup. Before then, Australia qualified through the

. Typically, this tournament featured either a two or three-game series between Australia and

.Opals thump Tall Ferns to win Oceania Championship
Basketball Australia (2 September 2009). Retrieved 18 August 2012. FIBA discontinued the Oceania championships for both women and

men A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy. Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the fa ...

after their respective 2015 editions, combining FIBA Asia and FIBA Oceania into a single zone for purposes of World Cup and Olympic qualification.

FIBA Women's Asia Cup

Commencing in 2017, teams from Oceania and Asia zones competed together for the first time ever with the top four finishing teams qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.

Statistics

Team

Current roster

Roster for the

2024 Summer Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...

Past World Cup squads

Past Olympics squads

International caps

The following is a

chronological Chronology (from Latin , from Ancient Greek , , ; and , ''wikt:-logia, -logia'') is the science of arranging events in their order of occurrence in time. Consider, for example, the use of a timeline or sequence of events. It is also "the deter ...

list of Australian players who have played at official senior

international tournaments (

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...

and

). The list includes both past and present players. Active players are shown in bold. Where two or more players debuted in the same series, their cap number is determined by their official

uniform number In team sports, the number, often referred to as the uniform number, squad number, jersey number, shirt number, sweater number, or similar (with such naming differences varying by sport and region) is the number worn on a player's uniform, to id ...

(and not alphabetically). As of the 2020 Olympic Games, 112 players have represented Australia at Olympic Games and World Cups. There were no debutants at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Deceased

Individual achievements

Opals all-time games played

Legend * Games played is current as at the completion of the London Olympic Games in August 2012. * (*) denotes the player is a member of the

Australian Basketball Hall of Fame The Australian Basketball Hall of Fame was instituted by the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1998 as the ''NBL Hall of Fame'' as part of their 20th season celebrations. The NBL initiated the Hall of Fame to recognise the outstanding players ...

. * ''Italic'' denotes the player is still active.

Opals Team Captains

Legend * Tournaments are those officially sanctioned by FIBA.

References

External links

*
FIBA profileAustraliaBasket.com – Australia Women Current Squad

at FIBA Archive {{FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup winners

Women's national basketball teams

History

1950–60s: Beginnings

1970s: Early development

1980s: Into the Olympics

1990s: Rise as an International force

2000s: A decade of medals and World Champions

2010s: Ushering a new era

Competitive record

Olympic Games

FIBA Women's World Cup

FIBA Women's Asia Cup

Statistics

Team

Current roster

Past World Cup squads

Past Olympics squads

International caps

Individual achievements

Opals all-time games played

Opals Team Captains

See also

References

External links