Opals Kick Off FIBA Asia Cup Tournament

Photo: Basketball Australia

The biennial FIBA Women’s Asia Cup kicked off in Sydney this morning, and the Opals will be hoping a homecourt advantage will help them earn their maiden gold medal at the tournament.

Australia won bronze at the last edition of the tournament – which was held in Jordan in 2021.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">GAME DAY. <br><br>The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsiaCupWomen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsiaCupWomen</a> 2023 starts today! Who’s taking home the hardware in Sydney? ? <a href="https://t.co/ikXgDv6xF5">pic.twitter.com/ikXgDv6xF5</a></p>&mdash; FIBA Women&#39;s Asia Cup (@fibasiacupwomen) <a href="https://twitter.com/fibasiacupwomen/status/1673104184378548225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The format
Australia is one of eight sides hoping for gold medal glory, alongside China, South Korea, New Zealand, Chinese Taipei, the Philippines, Lebanon and reigning champion Japan.

These eight teams have been split into two groups of four. Each team will play the other members of its group once in a round-robin format, to determine which two sides enter the semi-finals.

Once the final four teams have been named the remainder of the tournament is a straight knockout format.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lots of action in store right off the bat in Sydney ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsiaCupWomen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsiaCupWomen</a> <a href="https://t.co/E8VZAjmolj">pic.twitter.com/E8VZAjmolj</a></p>&mdash; FIBA Women&#39;s Asia Cup (@fibasiacupwomen) <a href="https://twitter.com/fibasiacupwomen/status/1673118913498865664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

What happened last time?
Australia has won three medals at the Asia Cup – all of which have come in the last three iterations of the tournament.

The 2017 edition of the tournament ended in heartbreak for the Opals, who lost the decisive gold medal match by just one-point to Japan in Bangalore.

Australia has since won bronze in both 2019 and 2021, by overcoming traditional powerhouse South Korea in Bangalore and Amman.

The Opals won the '21 bronze medal match by 30 points and guard Sami Whitcomb was named to the All-Tournament team.

Opals guard Sami Whitcomb poses with the 2021 FIBA Women's Asia Cup All-Tournament Team.

The rivals
The four teams to contest the medal matches at the Asia Cup have been the exact same in the last three iterations of the tournament. Japan, China, Australia and South Korea.

Japan has won the last five tournaments, with their last non-gold medal performance coming in their third-place finish in 2011.

China has won the past two silver medals, while South Korea has medaled in all but three Asian Cups - with two of those misses coming against Australia in successive tournaments.

Japan has won the last five FIBA Women's Asia Cups.

The team
The Opals’ extended squad that will be looking to make history on home soil was revealed back in May, and has since been trimmed to 12 members.

Amy Atwell
Chloe Bibby
Keely Froling
Darcee Garbin
Shyla Heal
Chantel Horvat
Alice Kunek
Tess Madgen
Anneli Maley
Lauren Nicholson
Maddy Rocci
Lauren Scherf

Kunek’s admission to the squad will see her suit up for her country for the first time since 2018 – when she was a member of Australia’s gold medal winning side of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Local star Lauren Scherf is primed to play a starring role in any potential run by the side in the absence of WNBA-based Cayla George and injured Marianna Tolo.

Maley was a member of Australia’s historic 3x3 World Cup bronze medal triumph, and will be hoping to add a different shade of medal to her rapidly growing cabinet through her performances at the Asia Cup.

Australia’s group for the tournament contains five-time reigning champions Japan, 2005 bronze medalists Chinese Taipei, and the Philippines.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Final for the FIBA Women&#39;s Asia Cup has SOLD OUT ?<br><br>Anticipation is building for the event, which tips off on Monday, and Sydney Olympic Park is buzzing!<br><br> Read more ??<br><br> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreBasketball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreBasketball</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/OOSNSW?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OOSNSW</a></p>&mdash; Basketball Australia (@BasketballAus) <a href="https://twitter.com/BasketballAus/status/1672031721368457217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>