Basketball Australia has announced the Final 12 athletes selected to represent the Australian Opals at the FIBA Women’s World Cup set for Berlin from 4 – 13 September.
Six members of Australia’s bronze medal team from the Paris 2024 Olympics will return with the selection of Alanna Smith (Dallas, WNBA), Ezi Magbegor (Seattle, WNBA), Jade Melbourne (Seattle, WNBA), Isobel Borlase (Atlanta, WNBA), Sami Whitcomb (Phoenix, WNBA) and Steph Talbot (Las Vegas, WNBA).
Head Coach Sandy Brondello will lean on the leadership of captain Sami Whitcomb and the bronze medal stars from Paris to guide the Opals into one of the toughest tournaments in basketball.
“I'm very confident in this group. We have a great mix of experience, talent and chemistry,” said Brondello. “Sami is the Opals captain and is an amazing leader. She will well supported by Ezi, Alanna, Steph and Jade,”
“While our preparation is short with this full group, we trust the work we've done over the past few years, we believe in each other, and now it's about being at our best when it matters most. If we play to our identity, we know we can compete with anyone.”
Brondello will be flanked by Associate Head Coach Paul Goriss and assistants Renae Garlepp and Kennedy Kereama.
Brondello is preparing for her third FIBA World Cup campaign and stands as the longest-serving Opals coach in the history of the program. The two previous endeavours resulted in a silver in Spain 2018 and bronze in Sydney 2022.
The Toronto Tempo coach credited the work of her staff across the globe for their scouting and analysis to build a roster that will chase success in Berlin.
“Our staff have done an outstanding job tracking players around the world since Paris. Australia is fortunate to have incredible depth, so selecting the Final 12 is never easy,” said Brondello.
“We weren't just looking at talent - we were looking for players who fit our style of play, embrace what it means to represent Australia, and put the team first,”
“With only three days together before the World Cup, continuity was an important factor. We felt that players who already understood our system, had built chemistry within the program, and could hit the ground running. We believe this group gives us the best opportunity to be successful in Berlin.”
2026 FIBA Women's World Cup Team
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22
Zitina Aokuso Centre
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55
Chloe Bibby Forward
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20
Isobel Borlase Guard
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34
Isabelle Bourne Forward
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23
Alex Fowler Forward
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13
Ezi Magbegor Forward
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2
Jade Melbourne Guard
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12
Steph Reid Point Guard
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11
Alanna Smith Forward
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6
Steph Talbot Guard
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32
Sami Whitcomb Guard
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4
Alex Wilson Guard
Guard Steph Reid has been rewarded for a solid three-year stint playing across Australia, China, and Hungary. Reid was recently announced as a marquee signing for the incoming Tasmania Jewels franchise and played a leading role in Australia’s breakthrough Asia Cup campaign.
Ally Wilson’s selection marks another major milestone in her journey with the Sydney Flames recruit enjoying a meteoric rise. Wilson was a central piece to the 3x3 Gangurrus on their Paris Olympics run in 2024 and has found new levels playing 5v5 in the WNBL and WNBA.
Chloe Bibby provides a powerful scoring option to the Opals with recent experience playing for Uni Girona CB in Spain and currently Chicago in the WNBA. Alex Fowler has been rewarded for her outstanding form, highlighted as FIBA Asia Cup MVP and a central piece to the Townsville dynasty in the WNBL.
Isabelle Bourne adds length and defensive strength to the Opals roster and will complement the work of Zitina Aokuso. Bourne and Aokuso present a versatile and dominant tandem, which was on display at the Asia Cup and recent Opals vs China series in Melbourne.
The campaign for the Opals will tip off against Puerto Rico on Friday, 4 September at 5:30pm AEST. Check the full schedule of group stage games here.
The first mission for the Opals will be to progress from Group C, pooled with Belgium, Puerto Rico and Turkiye.
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