Australian Opals head towards Paris Olympics with momentum

It's official: next up, Paris.

Image credit: FIBA

The Opals officially punched their ticket to the Paris Olympics by sweeping their group in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Brazil. With wins against Brazil, Germany and Serbia, the Opals can now look ahead to the Games, which commence in late July.

Each win told a different story.

The Brazil game was an all-out battle and escaping with a 60-55 win was thanks to both team and individual defensive brilliance. You get the sense this squad can rely on their defence getting stops when they need it most. While the offence might go stagnant and shots not fall, the ability to rely on defence as time winds down in the clutch, will be absolutely vital in the cutthroat Olympic format.