Bishop and Kunek: in form but on the outer again

Despite starring in Europe and in peak form, Abby Bishop and Alice Kunek are on the Opals outer yet again and what they have to say is concerning.

Credit: Michelle Couling Photography (Bishop) / FIBA Euroleague Women (Kunek)

Basketball Australia recently announced a 24-player squad ahead of the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournaments to be played from 10-13 February 2022. Despite having already qualified for the World Cup as host nation, the Opals will head to Serbia in February where they will face Qualifying Tournament hosts Serbia, Asian rivals Korea, and South American superpower Brazil.

On paper the squad looks promising. There is a chance for the established stars to make amends for a less than ideal Olympic campaign, while the young rising stars have the opportunity to force their way into the team. However, to steal a line from an infamous Tourism Australia advertising campaign (funnily enough from 2006 when the Opals broke through to win the World Cup in Brazil), where the bloody hell is Alice Kunek and Abby Bishop?

It’s a topic that Hayley Wildes explored previously when both were left out of the Opals squad for Tokyo. Seemingly on the outer yet again, we caught up with both Bishop and Kunek who spoke candidly on their omission and their desire to push their case for Opals selection.