Five takeaways from the Opals’ win in the Trans-Tasman series

With an eye on the upcoming FIBA Asia Women’s Cup, the Opals introduced some new faces with outstanding results.

Photo credit: Dan Cowley/Images by Dan

At a glance, the three-game Trans-Tasman series was a one-sided affair. On either side of the game two blowout, however, the Tall Ferns had moments of pushing the Opals out of the comfort zone: the Adelaide opener was a one possession game deep into the fourth and in Hamilton, the Tall Ferns led in the third quarter in their home game before Australia’s greater depth and experience won out.

While Australia was always expected to win the series, these were important and instructive games as the Opals transitioned some new faces into the team and looked to lock in their squad ahead of the FIBA Asia Women’s Cup, which tips off in Shenzhen, China on July 13. Host nation China (currently ranked fourth) and Japan (ninth) will be their main competition as they try to improve on their third-place finish at the past three iterations of this tournament.

In the bigger picture, the 2026 World Cup in Berlin is just 15 months away, and the Opals are likely to look a lot different than they did in Sydney last time around.

Here are our key takeaways from the Trans-Tasman Showdown.

The debutants looked ready to contribute at this level

It’s something of a transition period for the Opals program in general, with captain Tess Madgen and the GOAT Lauren Jackson stepping down after the Paris Olympics. Only three players from the 2023 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup squad – Maddi Rocci, Lauren Scherf and Keely Froling – played in these fixtures.