Brondello’s 3rd quarter timeout proved crucial as the Opals go on 14-2 run to fight of Puerto Rico

The Australian Opals is sweating on the fitness of star centre Alanna Smith after last year’s WNBA Defensive Player of the Year left the team’s 70-54 win over Puerto Rico in their FIBA World Cup opener in the second quarter return.

Smith was dominating with 10 points and eight rebounds in just 12 minutes but suffered a lower leg injury on a defensive rebound.

The 29-year-old Dallas Wings star left the game and was late to join the Opals bench after the halftime break. She returned in a hoodie and missed the second half.

Opals head coach Sandy Brondello said in the post game press conference: “I don’t have a status report on Alanna.

“Obviously we’re praying that she’ll be okay. She’s such a big part of what we do, and she had played great in the 12 minutes that she did play.”

Basketball Australia said Smith’s absence in the second half was “precautionary due to lower leg tightness”.

Back-up centre Zitina Aokuso started in her absence as Australia fought off a plucky Puerto Rico side in game one in Berlin and responded after coach Brondello took aim at her Opals in the third quarter.

“Take a breath, we’re playing scared. Relax and we’ll be alright,” Brondello said after Puerto Rico closed to within a point with five minutes left in the third quarter.

The Opals responded and went on a 14-2 run, sparked by back-to-back threes from Alex Wilson and Chloe Bibby, damaging Puerto Rico’s zone after it proved challenging for Australia to overcome in the second and start of the third periods.

Australian starting forward Steph Talbot was elite, making crucial plays at both ends of the floors to lead her team to a 16-point victory.

Talbot connected on consecutive triples to put the game out of reach as the Las Vegas Aces starter and Adelaide Lightning skipper led the Opals in scoring with 19 points, including 4-from-6 from beyond the arc, while also grabbing eight rebounds in 33 minutes.

New Opals captain Ezi Magbegor had an inspired second half, stepping up in Smith’s absence with 11 points and nine rebounds, including a crucial three-pointer – off a Talbot drive-and-kick assist, to allow Brondello’s side to extend their lead to double digits.

Aokuso also played a critical role with her physicality in the paint in her first major tournament for Australia.

“Z came in and was unbelievable,” Opals point guard Jade Melbourne said.

“That’s Zitina. I thought she came in and was great, just her ability to get seals down low.

“But, like, Alanna, Sami (Whitcomb), they’re two people you can’t replace. But it’s always about who can step up and fill the void. So it’s a collective effort.

“Shout-out to Z today. I think (Alex Fowler) came in, did a really good job defensively as well.

“So, we’ve just got to continue to step up.

“It’s always next, next girl up mentality. That’s how we’ve always played.

“We’re tough and we’re going to fill the voids for one another. That’s sport, just continue to find ways to win.”

It was clear the Opals missed injured veteran guard  Whitcomb, who withdrew from the World Cup last week due to issues arising from a knee injury during WNBA preseason, after Australia struggled to take care of the ball with 22 turnovers for the game.

Australia’s young guards, such as Melbourne and Atlanta Dream wing Isobel Borlase, will need to step up and cover Whitcomb’s absence as they progress in the tournament.

“It’s always good to get the first one out of the way,” Melbourne said.

“As a group that’s been together for three days, we’ve got a lot of continuity, but it’s jus kind of getting the rust out a little bit.

“But, quality, quality hit-out. I thought Talbs came up huge.

“Everyone made big plays when they had to. So, we’re just finding that chemistry again. Each quarter we got a little bit of it back.

“It’s always good to start with a win. So proud of the group and happy with that.”

Brondello said the Opals had to do a much better job of protecting the ball to make a deep run toward the podium.

“Obviously hard-fought,” she said.

“Probably not what I’d love to have played the first game, but we’ve had some tough first games in previous major tournaments.

“I think everyone knows we have a lack of preparation, and we lost Alanna Smith during the game.

“But I think we found more of our identity. Our defence was there, and that’s what we have to hang our hat on.

“But we’ll be better from this game. We know we can’t turn the ball over or give up so many offensive boards, and that’s an area that we’ll focus on.

“The most important thing: we won. And now we have to get ready for the next battle.”

Whether Smith will play is the only question ahead of Turkiye on Sunday at 7.30pm AEST.

Australia’s side of the official box score. Players who started carry a “Started” chip.

Where these numbers come from, and how they were checked

Steph Talbot led the scoring with 19 and was the most efficient player on the floor, 3 of 3 inside the arc and 4 of 6 beyond it. Four players reached double figures.
Australia shot 49 per cent on two-pointers and 28 per cent from three, so the margin was built inside the arc. Some rebounds belong to the team rather than to any player, 2 offensive and 1 defensive here, which is why the twelve player rows do not reach the rebound totals on their own. Minutes come to 200:00, the five-on-the-floor figure, which is the check that the sheet is complete.
We work the percentages back out of the makes and attempts on each line, to the whole numbers this source uses, and they agree with the printed figure on every split. A shot type with no attempt shows no percentage, because none from none is not nought per cent.
The plus-minus column was checked rather than copied. It comes to +80, exactly five times the +16 margin, because five players are on the floor at all times. That confirms Puerto Rico’s 54 from a sheet that does not contain it.
This is one team because one team is what the source published, and there is no quarter-by-quarter breakdown for the same reason.