Al-anwar Newspaper English news in Australia
Team USA captain Breanna Stewart has hailed the Opals more feared following the return of the legendary Lauren Jackson, but the Australians are refusing to look past Thursday’s World Cup opener against France to avoid a repeat of their Tokyo Olympic disaster.
The Opals face their most important game since the 2016 Rio Olympics when they take on an understrength French outfit at the Sydney SuperDome.
France will field a youthful line up with big names – guard Marine Johannes, centre Sandrine Gruda and guard Bria Hartley not playing in Sydney.
Johannes’ absence is particularly a big blow for the French. The New York Liberty WNBA guard was ruled out on the eve of the Cup with a thigh injury.
Johannes, Gruda and Hartley amassed 41 points combined in their last game against the Opals in Bourges, France.
On that day, Les Bleus defeated Australia 72-63 in an Olympic Qualifier for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
France may be missing its star trio in Sydney, but the Opals are refusing to take their European rivals lightly.
Australian captain Tess Madgen remembers the pain of dropping their opening Tokyo Olympic group game against Belgium, and she doesn’t want to see it happen again at the World Cup.
“We saw what happened in Tokyo when we lost that first game, and it was a bit deflating,” Madgen told News Corp.
“I mean, I don’t want to say it, but we are prepared for all situations.
But to have that first up win it will take the pressure off, and it will be a big tick for all the preparation that we’ve done.
“It’s not dire straits if we don’t start off with a win, but it will be nice to start off with an air of confidence.”
As Madgen fully understands, a first up win over France will be crucial for the Opals given the strength of their Group B rivals.
The Australians face formidable tests against Serbia, Canada, and Japan- and must finish in the top two to progress to the quarterfinals.
The Opals played France in their final World Cup warm-up game earlier in the week, recording a 92-88 win.
Madgen says the victory has given her Australian teammates vital confidence, but she is concerned about her team’s slow start in the practice game.
The Opals found themselves in a 10-4 hole early against the French before recovering.
“We had a really slow start, so we definitely can’t do that again,” she said.
“The first game of the World Cup you don’t want to give the rivals any momentum.
“We will make adjustments, but I think the main one will be being ready to go from the tip-off.”
The Opals have the rest of the World Cup teams on guard, with Australia’s greatest player in Jackson returning to the fold.
