Opals depart for Oceania Champs

The Australian Price Attack Opals follow their male counterparts to New Zealand this weekend, ready to take on the Tall Ferns in next week’s Oceania Championships.

Veteran centre Jenny Whittle rejoins the team after a three-year absence, having last played with the Opals in the 2002 World Championships, where the Australians finished with a bronze medal.

Whittle will add much-needed height and plenty of international experience to the team, which features the best players from Australia’s Price Attack Women’s National Basketball League.

Game 1 of the best of three series tips off in Palmerston North on Wednesday, August 24. Games 2 and 3 will be played in Napier (August 27) and Te Awamutu (August 28).

The Opals fly from Sydney to Wellington on Sunday morning to allow them to train and prepare for the important qualification series.

Unlike the men’s competition, which has seen the number of participating countries increase from 16 to 24, the women’s competition will still only see 16 competing teams, and only one from Oceania. This means this series is do-or-die for the Opals’ 2006 World Championship chances, which will be played in Brazil from September 12-23.

Even without 11 of their Athens Olympic team, the Opals will be red-hot favourites against the Tall Ferns in the series. There is plenty of talent among the 12 athletes, including exciting youngster Renae Camino, who was named in the All-Star 5 at last month’s FIBA World Championships for Junior Women.

Olympic captain Leanne Walker is the notable addition to the Tall Fern squad who have been in camp ahead of the Oceania series. WNBL players Donna Loffhagen and Angela Marino are also likely to be chosen for the team on the eve of the Championships next week. They will be up against their 2004/05 Canberra Capitals teammate Jenny Whittle.

After training in Wellington on Sunday and Monday, the teams will move onto Palmerston North where they will train for another couple of days before the first match tips off in the Arena at 7:30pm* on Wednesday.

These Championships are the last outing for the Opals for the 2005 international season. They will regroup for a camp later in the year, ahead of the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne next March.

The Boomers play their second match of their qualification series against New Zealand in Manukau at 3:00pm* on Saturday afternoon, after winning their first match on Wednesday night, 82-69. The match will be broadcast live on TV2 in New Zealand. The final match of the series will be played in Dunedin at 3:00pm* on Sunday afternoon and will also be broadcast live on TV2.

*New Zealand is two hours ahead of Australian Eastern Standard Time.

Opals Team:
Jae Cross, Deanne Butler, Alicia Poto, Carly Wilson, Emma Randall, Jacinta Hamilton, Erin Phillips, Katrina Hibbert, Renae Camino, Jenny Whittle, Emily McInerny, Hollie Grima.

Staff: Jan Stirling (head coach), Gary Fox (assistant coach), Cheryl Chambers (assistant coach), Amanda Berntsen (physio), Dr Scott Burne (doctor), Marian Stewart (manager), Carolyn Tsakalos (referee).