Report: Opals skipper Sami Whitcomb to miss World Cup

• Who's in, who's out: Opals' playoff picture as Cup looms
• Reid all about Opals winning the World Cup‍
• Opals omission has Jewel fired up for WNBL return

The Australian Opals have been dealt a major blow on the eve of the FIBA World Cup in Germany with captain Sami Whitcomb withdrawing from the team due to on-going management of a knee injury, reports ESPN's Megan Hustwaite.

Whitcomb was named skipper of the Opals, who are ranked third in the world by FIBA and are considered one of the contenders t challenge the USA, when the team for the upcoming tournament from September 3-14 was announced in late July.

However the 38-year-old has been managing a knee issue all season after she was injured at a Phoenix Mercury practice in May, forcing her to have arthroscopic knee surgery to remove a loose body and play just 15 games so far this WNBA season.

Whitcomb didn't play a game for the Mercury until July 7 and is averaging just 16.4 minutes per game compared to almost 24 minutes last season, where she helped Phoenix make it all the way to the WNBA Finals before going down to the Las Vegas Aces. She is averaging 4.6 points, 2.1 assists and 1.7 rebounds while shooting the three at 28.1% in those minutes.

The two-time WNBA champion's absence will be a major blow for the Opals, who were building nicely towards the World Cup after going 5-0 in a qualifying tournament in Turkiye earlier this year, where Whitcomb started in each game and led from the front for the green and gold. She won tournament MVP and was named in the All-Star 5.

If confirmed, the news leaves coach Sandy Brondello with less than 10 days to name a replacement for their tournament opener against Puerto Rico on September 4.

Whitcomb, who made her Opals debut in 2018, has been a mainstay of the team ever since the 2022 FIBA World Cup in Sydney and has been a leader of Brondello's squad in that time as she helped the rebuild of the program after the 2021 Olympics to capturing a bronze at the Paris Games in 2024.

While the sharpshooting combo guard, who won a WNBL championship and WNBL MVP with the Bendigo Spirit in 2025, will be dearly missed - the Opals do have several young stars who will be asked to step up in her absence, including Jade Melbourne who is in the middle of a career year with the Seattle Storm in the WNBA. Isobel Borlase is also coming off her rookie season with the Atlanta Dream after winning WNBL MVP, also with the Spirit.

But the question that will need to be answered soon by Brondello and her staff is - who replaces Whitcomb?

Is it Maddy Rocci or Abbey Ellis? Could Georgia Amoore work her way in after a rookie season with the Washington Mystics? Or do you go for shooting in Amy Atwell or can an SOS go out to Rebecca Allen before she hangs up the boots?

Brondello has plenty of options but who she chooses, could have a major impact on Australia's chances for success in Germany.