'Get a better one': Sandy's advice for star guard Jade

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“Third time’s a charm” is how the saying goes – but for Seattle Storm and Australian Opals point guard Jade Melbourne, we’re hoping her “luck” has finally run out.

Melbourne, 23, chipped her tooth for the third time, this time against the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday (AEDT) in the Storm’s 91-80 loss at home.

She hopped up off the floor, picked up the chip and almost casually handed it to the Storm coaching staff – and stayed in the game.

"It’s good," Melbourne said in the post game press conference.

"I’ll head to the dentist. It’ll be good."

Australian Opals and Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello told Toronto Tempo beat reporter Chelsea Leite today: “She's an Aussie. We don't complain.

“We just get up. I think we've all lost a tooth, me included.

“I just told her, ‘wear a bloody mouthguard.’ She goes, ‘I was’, and I went, ‘Well, you need a better one.’

“She just plays so hard. She plays with joy, you know.

“That's what I love about Jade. She's still very young. She's going to keep getting better.”

The first chip was with the Canberra Capitals in the WNBL, then the Washington Mystics in the WNBA and she hit the trifecta in her first game back with the Storm, who drafted her in 2022.

Melbourne has been Brondello’s starting point guard for the Opals since the 2024 Olympic Games.

Melbourne’s third chip happened as she dived on a loose ball at half-court and was landed on by former Bendigo Spirit star guard Veronica Burton. Her face hit the floor.

This was the exchange between commentators Jordan Kent and Morgan Ragan.

Kent: “Burton, with the high screen, ball loose on the floor. You know Jade's gonna go down to the floor and get it, but they're gonna call a loose ball foul on Melbourne.”

Ragan: “And only Jade would get up smiling from that after."

Kent: “And Jade just lost a tooth.”Ragan: “Oh no, Jade just lost a tooth."

Kent: “Wow.”

Ragan: "Her head went straight into the court. Look at her, she's completely fine, she wants to stay in the game.”

Kent: “No big deal, let's go, let's play ball.”

Ragan: “Did she chip it, or did she lose one. Are you kidding?"

Kent: “Let’s see if we can get a look at this.

Ragan: “(She) goes to the ground."

Kent: “Oh, she got landed on, too. So a foul on Jade, she gets landed on and loses a tooth. That is a rough five seconds.”

Ragan: “About as tough as it gets, and we can only laugh about it ‘cause she's still out there laughing herself.”

"From Day 1 we established that we want to play fast," Melbourne said of the Storm in 2026.

"We have the most athletic front court in the league, I think. We have youthfulness. Flau’jae (Johnson) reminds us all the time.

"The energy in the building is fantastic, so we all bounce off each other really well and we want to play that up-tempo game.

"Like I said, if we’re giving up 91 points, you can only see glimpses of it because you need to be getting stops on the defensive end to allow yourself to push it. If you’re constantly taking it out of the net, you’re not going to get that fast-paced game.

"But when we do push it, that’s my favourite thing to do. I’m not someone that loves to call sets every single time.

"If we can play free-flowing basketball, get (Dominique Malonga) easy looks at the rim, get Zaya open layups in transition, get Lexie wide open threes, that’s when we’re going to be playing our best basketball.

"There were glimpses of that tonight, but once we piece it all together and continue to focus on the defensive end and getting stops, you’re going to see a lot more of that.

"Hopefully I can push the pace even more."

And with a full set of teeth.