MM
Years ago

Next Gen Opals

The female side of our National Program has been the stronger hence world ranking for the last decade but could we see a decline on the world stage coming?

It's great that some of the new names are getting a run as the older core ran their race as did Brondello and forget the results in recent days as there has been no prep for the tournament but we are severely lacking bigs who can compete at this level.

Wallace was a revelation last night and at 25yrs old fills an age gap missing in team profile.
Heal would be in the squad if she wanted to play which means Tiana Mangakahia probably misses with pg mins taken.
Whitcomb and Nicholson showed they should have been in the Olympic squad but Sami is already 33yrs old.
Froling plays hard as an undersized 4 but needs to be a 3 at this level which means developing perimeter game.

Of the bigs;
Garbin is still just a pick and pop 4, no post game or ability to even put it on the floor.
Scherf has developed nice touch but still raw.
Aokuso looks underdone and showing she’s played minimal basketball with the Melb lockdowns.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Likely the entire list of possibilities over next 3 years.

Opals 2022 SYDNEY - 2024 PARIS

95(27-29) 5'6 T.Mangakahia PG
98(24-26) 5’6 M.Rocci PG
01(21-23) 5’6 S.Heal PG
93(29-31) 5’8 T.Lavey PG
88(34-36) 5’10 S.Whitcomb CG - new captain / vet leader
90(32-34) 5’10 K.Ebzery CG
92(30-32) 5’10 R.Cole SG
02(20-21) 5’10 J.Melbourne SG
90(32-34) 5’11 T.Madgen SG
94(28-30) 5’11 A.Wilson SG
96(26-28) 5'11 K.Wallace CG
93(29-31) 5’11 L.Nicholson G/F
97(25-27) 6’1 A.Sharp SF
91(31-33) 6’2 A.Kunek SF
92(30-32) 6'2 R.Allen CF
93(29-30) 6’2 S.Blicavs CF
94(28-30) 6'2 S.Talbot G/F
94(28-30) 6’2 D.Garbin PF
96(26-28) 6’2 K.Froling CF
98(24-26) 6’2 A.Maley CF
96(26-28) 6'4 A.Smith PF/C
97(25-27) 6’4 M.Mckay C
98(24-26) 6'4 Z.Aokuso C
99(23-25) 6'4 E.Magbegor PF/C
94(28-30) 6’5 C.Ernst PF/C
96(26-28) 6’5 L.Scherf C
91(31-33) 6’8 L.Cambage C


The future 2026 WC, 2028 olympics will be made up of players born post 1995.
Only 10 or so in that age bracket so expect another 20 more added to the list after 2024.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Standouts I've seen looking into the future....

01
Heal
Amoore
Deegan
Anstey

02
Melbourne
Potter

03
Deeble
Swain

04
Loughridge
Borlase
Brazel
Puoch
Crawshaw

05
Clark

06
Shiels

07
Hall

08
Bond

Reply #872374 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Some legit talent coming through SA in the next few years on the girls side that could make the jump to junior national teams

05 - Eastern PF / SF
05 - Sturt PG / SG

06 - West Adelaide PG / SG
06 - Forestville SF / PF
06 - Sturt SG / SF

07 - Norwood PF / SF
07 - West Adelaide SG / SF
07 - West Adelaide PG / SG

08 - Forestville PF
08 - Norwood SF / PF
08 - Forestville SG / PG
08 - Forestville SF / PF

09 - Norwood PG

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Anonymous  
Years ago

I'm not from sa, I don’t know who they are

Reply #872383 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Queensland have plenty of top end talent as well.

Too early to judge anyone from 05 down.

SA, QLD and WA should see a jump due to limited lockdowns.

Poor kids from VIC and NSW have pretty much done nothing.

AFLW will also have a big impact on talent moving from state level to national level.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Heal shouldn't be in the conversation not sure she can guard at that level. Got to be more than 1 dimensional at the Olympic level

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Qld 05-06-07-08 talent, easy to spot those that have seperated themselves from the pack already.

Vic is the only state where you can't see a big gap of talent from the top 4-5 girls to the next 10-15.
Not until u16s where you get division.

The other states have clear standouts. Very noticeable from even u12s.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Agree that there are standouts even at U12's but girls that play the 3/4/5 sometimes dominate due to size and stop growing early in U16.

To be considered a big at national level they need to be 6’3 + and realistically most will not have the size to compete. Guards around the mark from U14 up will likely still be at elite level come U18.

Re Heal , plenty of time for her to develop her overall game and have another crack at WNBA. Terrible decision by dad to allow her to move so soon and at 19 y.o. Pretty sure even Ezi was drafted and stayed home that first year of eligibility.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

"Whitcomb and Nicholson showed they should have been in the Olympic squad"

yes Nicholson's 0 points at 0/5 and also amassing 0 rebounds really left egg on the faces of the opals Tokyo selectors. 25 minutes of amazing.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Whitcomb is the only one so far who has locked in a spot for 2022 from this team.
But... still 3 games to go.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

I think this is the likely 2022 WC team.

PG Lavey-(Heal, Rocci or Wallace)
CG Whitcomb
G/F Talbot-Ohea
SF Kunek
CF Allen
PF Magbegor-Smith
PF/C George
C Cambage-Tolo

Reply #872438 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Blicavs replaces smith if she doesn't do well in wnbl and after playing little in wnba also.

Reply #872439 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Do we *really* think Cambage would be selected for the 22 Worlds. Yeah don't think so there.

Reply #872455 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Already been established that she wants in and they ba are ok with it.
The issue in the u.s has been swepped under the rug.

Reply #872456 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Lavey? Hell No.

Wallace, Heal & Rocci all before her.

Kunek no as well. Nicholson in

Reply #872471 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Lavey played well at olympics, just wasn't given much gametime.

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Crackers65  
Years ago

Welcome back cabbage, all is forgiven.

Reply #872481 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Nicholson has been exposed, no way she makes the WC team now.

Reply #872482 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

This would be my camp list of 16, cut it down to 12 in camp.

Heal
Rocci
Lavey
Ebzery
Whitcomb
Wallace
Ohea
Talbot
Kunek
Allen
Blicavs
Smith
Magbegor
George
Tolo
Cambage


Not making the cut this time (those on previous lists)

Mitchell
Reid
Mangakahia
Mansfield
Shelley
Melbourne
Wehrung
Garrick
Swain
Cole
Madgen
Wilson
Nicholson
Sharp
Maley
Froling
Griffin
Brook
Garbin
Aokuso
Mckay
Scherf

Reply #872483 | Report this post


Cram  
Years ago

I think while Whitcomb is clearly the preferred option for th restricted Spitz Mitchell should still be in the squad right up until the final cuts in case Sammi gets injured or whatever. We should have learner from Liz's late withdrawl from the Olympics that we need contingency plans

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Anonymous  
Years ago

I wouldn't even take Mitchell if Sami was injured.

Reply #872486 | Report this post


MM  
Years ago

The lack of structure Goriss has been unable to implement on the fly in this tournament now three games deep is directly linked with a number of the girls production - good or otherwise.

Whitcomb's usage is a direct by product of this as we have no structure.

While NZ didn’t have the same talent the reason they stayed close is Molloy at least stands by his principles and they scored off 'we’ not ‘me’ in the half court.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Agree, odd seeing get Goriss get praised for defense but imo we have been woeful.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

For most people win and get put on pedestal, lose and you should be fired.

Reply #872490 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Qualified for 2022 WC qualifiers

2021 FIBA Women's AmeriCup
Brazil
Canada
Puerto Rico
United States

2021 EuroBasket Women
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
France
Russia
Serbia

2021 FIBA Women's Afrobasket
Mali
Nigeria

2021 FIBA Women's Asia Cup
Australia
China
Japan
South Korea


16 teams, will be split into 4 groups.
Bottom team in each group goes home(excluding hosts Australia)

Any 2 europe teams bar Belarus and the USA hopefully.



Hopefully we get hardest group possible to see where we are at.

Reply #872491 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Think we will see 4 of Puerto Rico, Brazil, Korea, Belarus, mali ousted.

Reply #872492 | Report this post


Cram  
Years ago

Seems such a contrived qualification process to just get rid of 4 of 16

Reply #872494 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Yeah, should be 24 to 16 at WC. Not 16 to 12.

Mens is 32 qualified, women's should be atleast half.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

2018 had 16 teams and more talent now and down to 12

Reply #872496 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

With Ebzery retired and Cambage likely banned.

As of this moment... team Id go with. But could change after wnbl.

Heal(pg)
Lavey(pg)
Whitcomb(cg)
Nicholson(sg)
Ohea(g/f)
Talbot(g/f)
Kunek(sf)
Allen(cf)
Blicavs(cf)
Magbegor(pf/c)
George(c)
Tolo(c)

Reserves
Rocci pg
Wallace cg
Smith pf
Scherf c

Reply #873106 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

24 player squad for WC released tomorrow.
Cambage booted from team.


24 player prediction

Mitchell
Heal
Rocci
Lavey
Whitcomb
Melbourne
Cole
Wallace
Madgen
Nicholson
Ohea
Talbot
Kunek
Allen
Froling
Garbin
Blicavs
Smith
Magbegor
George
Aokuso
Scherf
Bunton
Tolo

Reply #878090 | Report this post




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