FIBA Women\u2019s Basketball World Cup \u2013 Qualifying Tournament<\/a> to be hosted by Istanbul, T\u00fcrkiye in March 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\nThe Opals have already qualified for Germany\u2019s FIBA World Cup in September, but the preparation opportunity aligned with off-seasons and greater availability for Head Coach, Sandy Brondello.<\/p>\n
\u201cAvailability is hugely important and honestly, a luxury we don\u2019t often have in the international space. Having full access to the talent pool gives us real clarity and confidence,\u201d said Brondello. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt allows the staff and I to evaluate the group together, accelerate connection and trust, test roles and versatility, and ultimately strengthen the foundation we\u2019re building toward the FIBA Women\u2019s World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n
The greater level of availability presented pressure on selection, and Brondello says the Opals program analysed a variety of factors in deciding the 19-player roster.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur selection methodology is always layered. We looked at sustained performance over time, including Asia Cup and WNBA play, current form in 2026 in respective leagues, and how players fit within our system,\u201d said Brondello\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust as important was role clarity, versatility, and the ability to impact winning in a FIBA environment. We also valued the connection and chemistry that\u2019s been built within the group over the past few years,\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a difficult process given the depth we have, but we believe this roster gives us the best balance to compete in Turkey while continuing to build toward the World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n
Australia\u2019s Opals will face five opponents in the tournament, including Argentina, Japan, Hungary, T\u00fcrkiye and Canada.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMarch is about clarity and connection for us. We want to be really clear on our identity, how we play, and the standards we bring every time we step on the floor,\u201d added Brondello.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDefence, role clarity, and execution under pressure will be critical in Istanbul. With tough competition ahead, this tournament isn\u2019t just about winning \u2014 it\u2019s an important step in building toward the World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Final 12 for the Opals will be announced in the New Year in preparation for the meet in Istanbul.\u00a0<\/p>\n
FIBA BASKETBALL WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT<\/p>\n
Zitina Aokuso\u00a0
\nCanberra Capitals, WNBL\u00a0<\/p>\n
Amy Atwell\u00a0
\nPerth Lynx, WNBL\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chloe Bibby\u00a0
\nUni Girona CB, Liga Femenina de Baloncesto\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sara Blicavs\u00a0
\nCanberra Capitals, WNBL\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isobel Borlase\u00a0
\nBendigo Spirit, WNBL\u00a0<\/p>\n
Issy Bourne\u00a0
\nSouthside Melbourne Flyers, WNBL\u00a0<\/p>\n
Abbey Ellis\u00a0
\nTownsville Fire, WNBL\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alexandra Fowler\u00a0
\nTownsville Fire, WNBL\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cayla George\u00a0
\nSouthside Melbourne Flyers, WNBL\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ezi Magbegor\u00a0
\nSeattle Storm, WNBA<\/p>\n
Jade Melbourne\u00a0
\nCanberra Capitals, WNBL\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stephanie Reid\u00a0
\nDongguan New Century, WCBA\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maddy Rocci\u00a0
\nSouthside Melbourne Flyers, WNBL\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alanna Smith\u00a0
\nMinnesota Lynx, WNBA\u00a0<\/p>\n
Miela Sowah\u00a0
\nTownsville Fire, WNBL\u00a0<\/p>\n
Steph Talbot\u00a0
\nAdelaide, WNBL\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sami Whitcomb\u00a0
\nBe\u015fikta\u015f, Turkish Super League\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alex Wilson\u00a0
\nPerth Lynx, WNBL\u00a0<\/p>\n
Courtney Woods\u00a0
\nTownsville Fire, WNBL\u00a0<\/p>\n
QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT DETAILS<\/p>\n
11 \u2013 18 March, 2026\u00a0
\nTurkcell Basketball Development Centre Istanbul, T\u00fcrkiye
\nSchedule<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Basketball Australia is announcing the first Seven Consulting Opals roster ahead of a massive year for the senior…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":359715,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85,83],"class_list":{"0":"post-359714","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-basketball","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-basketball","11":"tag-sports","12":"tag-text"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=359714"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359714\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/359715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=359714"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=359714"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=359714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}