Ranking Australia's greatest naturalised national team players

From Sami Whitcomb to Leroy Loggins, here are the best naturalised Australians that have played in the green and gold.

Every generation of hoops in Australia always has a few long-term imports whose names garner national team interest through possible naturalisation.

Fans only have to think as recently as the 2020(1) Olympics, with Bryce Cotton’s name constantly thrown around in Boomers discussions.

It never eventuated, which meant Australia didn’t have to try to decide between the Perth superstar and eventual bronzed Boomer Matisse Thybulle, as FIBA’s rules state you are only allowed one naturalised player in a tournament team.

Thybulle comes from the other portion of what FIBA classifies as ‘naturalisation’. That is, players who obtain their passports for the country they go on to play for after the age of 16.

Although from all reports, Thybulle and the likes of Leilani Mitchell did have their Australian passports prior to that age, they have since been classified by FIBA as naturalised players.

So from across the years, who are the best naturalised Boomers and Opals?

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Credit: FIBA

1. Sami Whitcomb

She may not have appeared for the Opals as many times as Leilani Mitchell, but Sami Whitcomb’s record for Australia is impressive.