Werribee-product Maddy Rocci is set to make her senior Australian Opals debut at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifying tournament in Belgrade, Serbia from February 10-13.
Rocci, who started playing competitively with the Werribee Devils as a child, now plays for the Dandenong-based Southside Flyers.
Fellow player Shyla Heal will make her senior Opals debut alongside Rocci, after they both impressed selectors during their latest respective WNBL seasons and at the Sydney-based Opals camp, which was held in the week leading up to February 4.
Led by the likes of dual Olympian Cayla George and FIBA Asia Cup bronze medal captain Sami Whitcomb, the Opals’ 12-strong World Cup squad will feature a mix of familiar and fresh faces.
A total of 16 athletes attended the pre-World Cup training camp.
Opals head coach Sandy Brondello said that condensing the selection team to the final 12 players was a challenge for her.
“We’ve learnt valuable lessons from 2021, we’ve reset, and it’s been a fantastic camp,” she said.
“It’s still very fluid but we’ve got a good mixture of veteran players, the core group who were in Tokyo (at the 2020 Olympics, which were held in 2021) but we also have some new faces as well so we’re excited to integrate them into the team and start our build-up to the World Cup.”
Returning to the Opals uniform, Olympians Steph Talbot, Alanna Smith, Sara Blicavs and Tess Madgen will reunite with Europe-based Opals Bec Allen and Marianna Tolo to don the green and gold once again.
Ezi Magbegor experienced an injury at training on February 2, and while medical tests cleared her to play, the decision was made that she will not travel to the World Cup event.
As the host nation of the FIBA Women’s World Cup in September, the Opals have automatically qualified for the event.
The FIBA qualifying tournament schedule includes Australia playing against Brazil on February 10, against Serbia on February 12 and against Korea on February 13.
The FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 will be held at Sydney Olympic Park from Thursday, September 22 to Saturday, October 1.
Returning to local shores for the first time since Australia hosted in 1994, FIBA’s flagship women’s event will see 12 nations compete in 38 games across 10 days, all vying for the world title.
The Opals, who are automatic qualifiers alongside rivals the United States, have medalled in five of the last six World Cups, including a gold medal in 2006.
