12
Sep
In-Depth Analysis
Brondello reveals key weakness Opals must fix before LA28
The Australian Opals are now focused on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. Photo: FIBA.com
Press Conferences
Seven first-timers, 91 turnovers and no Magbegor: the Opals leave Berlin with a two-year rebuild
- Spain beat Australia 89-66 in the quarter-finals, ending the Opals' World Cup
- Brondello wants size solutions after losing Magbegor, Smith and Whitcomb from her front court
- Australia turned the ball over 91 times across its five games in Berlin
Australian Opals head coach Sandy Brondello – just minutes after being knocked out of the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup – revealed the price of admission for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
“A lack of size hurt us and, in the past, we’ve been extremely big,” Brondello admitted.
“We’ve got to find solutions for that.”
Related: Build your Opals team for LA 2028 Olympic Games
The Opals lost to Spain 89-66 in the quarter-finals on Friday, September 11 (AEST) – short-handed without new captain Ezi Magbegor, Alanna Smith and point guard Jade Melbourne.
Opals veterans Sami Whitcomb, 38, and Cayla George, 37, both missed the tournament. Whitcomb succumbed to a knee injury, and George is pregnant.
“We had seven first-timers in a major tournament,” Brondello said.
“Unless you’re in it, you have to go through it to learn. You have to be in the middle of it and understand the pressure that you’re under while trying to execute at a high level.
“What we’ve learned is that the lesson of the experience is always positive. We’ve learned a lot, but at the time it might not have always looked pretty.
“We’ve gone through a lot of learnings that we can take forward. As players, those are the areas we can all get better at, individually and collectively. That’s the goal.
“I don’t think we shot the ball really well. Losing Sami Whitcomb, Cayla George and Alanna Smith – they’re our best shooters – hurt us a little bit. That’s something we need to focus on.
“Defensively, I think we had some lapses too. A lack of size hurt us and, in the past, we’ve been extremely big. We’ve got to find solutions for that.
“There were too many turnovers – things that we can control – but I think we’ve learned so much too.
“We saw some growth.
“We didn’t play well against Belgium because we went away from what works best for us. The learning is staying true to our identity.
“The players got to play more minutes than they probably expected.
“They were thrown into the fire, and what a great experience. It’s going to help us as we move forward.
“We had so many injuries. It’s really hard to compete against the best in the world when you don’t have all your best players.
“But I think it was a great experience for all our younger players. We can take those as learnings as we move forward and look forward to LA.”
What it means for the Los Angeles Olympic Games
Athletic 1.89m forward Sitaya Fagan will be 20 years old and heading into her junior season at USC in NCAA Division 1 women’s basketball. She has the size that Brondello needs to “find solutions for.”
Fagan, who has moved to Los Angeles ahead of her freshman season at the Trojans, made her senior debut of the Opals against China in May.
“I was beaming, I was just so excited to be a part of the squad, it's a dream come true as a young Australian, and it just feels amazing,” she said.
Brondello’s search for size also brings Portland Fire and Canberra Capitals centre Nyadiew Puoch. The 22-year-old has had a breakout rookie season in the WNBA and stands at 1.91m.
Whitcomb will be on the verge of 40; George will be 39. Atlanta Dream guard and reigning WNBL26 MVP Isobel Borlase will be 23; Seattle Storm point guard Jade Melbourne – Borlase’s new teammate at the Bendigo Spirit – will be 26.
Australia’s front-court partners Magbegor (1.93m) and Smith (1.93m) are locks, as is “FIBA Steph” Talbot (1.88m), who will be 34 when the Olympics tip off on July 12, 2028.
Next cab off the rank is ball security, and Brondello is right – Opals players turned the ball over a lot – 87 times in five games, to be exact, plus four team turnovers.
- 22 turnovers vs Puerto Rico
- 18 turnovers vs Türkiye
- 11 turnovers vs Belgium
- 13 turnovers vs Italy
- 23 turnovers vs Spain
Brondello has Washington Mystics point guard Georgia Amoore, 25, waiting in the wings, a proven scorer and a developing floor leader, to play as a back-up to Melbourne. At the same time, Tasmania Jewels marquee Steph Reid, 30, did herself plenty of favours with a stand-out performance against Spain. But both are undersized.
Australian junior star Bonnie Deas, who transferred to national champions UCLA after her freshman season at Arkansas, is also waiting in the wings. She made her Opals debut with Fagan against China earlier in the year. She also stands at 1.75m tall but led all guards in her NCAA conference in rebounding. But Deas is more than likely a candidate for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.
Brondello had seven major tournament debutants in Berlin; it’s doubtful all seven will add a second major tournament to their resumes, especially when the head coach, at half-time against Spain – down 58-37 – revealed she asked her team: “How do you want to go out? This could potentially be our last game.
“I think we showed more of what it is to wear the Opals uniform. We’re not going to give up, regardless of the scoreline.
We had fewer turnovers, and they had fewer offensive rebounds, so we’re capable of it regardless of who’s on the court and who’s not.”
July 2028 seems like a long time away, but in reality, Brondello has just 670 days to prepare for a tournament the Opals have never won with a squad in transition and the next generation knocking on the door.
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