The WNBA has an elite collection of international talent from around the world, enriching the league’s level of competition among its 12 teams. However, there is one nation that takes most of the credit in that direction. The engagement between the WNBA and Australian basketball athletes dates back to 1997 when the WNBA signed Australian Guard Michele Timms to play for the Phoenix Mercury.

Since then, the majority of WNBA’s international talents including Sandy Brondello, Penny Taylor, Lauren Jackson, and Cayla George among others belonged to Australia. Now, this being the Olympic year, it is the Australian national women’s basketball team that features the maximum number of WNBA players, apart from Team USA. So, let’s take a closer look at one of the most skilled and talented teams set to compete at the Olympics.

Meet the Australian women’s national basketball team, the Opals

There is an age-old concept of sports teams having catchy nicknames or monikers that create a unique persona for teams and inspire loyalty among fans with a long-lasting connection. Hence, ‘the Opals’ has been inspired by the gemstones common to the Australian waters.

Earlier this month, the Australian Opals announced their 2024 Olympics squad which features the most elite cluster of the WNBA talent to don the green and gold jerseys. Among them is the 2020 WNBA champion and 2023 All-Star Ezi Magbegor, who plays for the Seattle Storm. Followed by Minnesota’s Alanna Smith, Phoenix’s Rebecca Allen, Los Angeles’ Stephanie Talbot, Indiana’s Kristy Wallace, Seattle’s Sami Whitcomb, and Washington’s Jade Melbourne. Moreover, the Opals also include two former WNBA players.

The first one is the Sydney Flames’ and 2023 WNBA champion Cayla George, who previously played for the Phoenix Mercury, the Dallas Wings, and the Las Vegas Aces. The second one is 7x WNBL champion and 2x WNBA champion, Lauren Jackson.

Significantly, Jackson’s selection to the Opals marks a historic return to the Olympics.

Jackson back for unfinished business

Selected to the national team for the fifth time, Jackson’s return has the fans excited. She announced her retirement in 2016. However, she came out of retirement in 2022 and played for the NBL1 team, the Albury-Wodonga Bandits. Eventually, she returned to the WNBL with the Southside Flyers and got in gear for the 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Sydney, where she successfully led the Opals to a victory over Canada and won a bronze medal.

Earlier this year, Jackson brushed passed a similar situation after leading the Opals to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics, she again went into a brief retirement. Fortunately, she came back again and was named among the Opals to compete in Paris.

In her basketball career of 27 years, Jackson has represented Australia at the Olympics 4 times, namely in Sydney in 2000, Athens in 2004, Beijing in 2008, and London in 2012, and has won medals in all four.

After missing two Olympic Games between (2016 and 2020), Jackson has her sights on returning to the podium alongside the Opals who seek redemption after leaving empty-handed in Japan.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr