Fresh start: How Jade Melbourne is showcasing her game in Washington

Jade Melbourne is making the most of her opportunities in Washington and could be the X-factor the Opals need in their quest to medal in Paris.

Getting traded on the eve of your second WNBA season is far from ideal for most players, especially for athletes trying to find their footing in a competitive league with just 144 roster spots.

It might have been a case of sink or swim for Jade Melbourne, but she was absolutely ready to swim, and has taken her opportunity with both hands in Washington. Dealt from the Seattle Storm to the Washington Mystics for a third-round pick, Melbourne has found herself in a situation where she is able to showcase her immense talent having locked in key rotation minutes, instead of being stuck in a roster logjam on a star-studded Seattle squad.

I still find it baffling that Seattle basically gave up on Melbourne (there was room on the roster and payroll to keep her) after her terrific WNBL season with the Canberra Capitals, where she was selected to the All-WNBL First Team with averages of 16.3 points, 7.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game. On top of that, Melbourne is still the youngest player in the WNBA!

I get the feeling however, that Melbourne is already making Seattle second guess their decision.