BASKETBALL

FIBA

BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

 

A SECOND medal is there for the taking.

Traralgon’s Jade Melbourne and the Australian Opals took care of business during their FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying campaign, going undefeated throughout their stay in Instanbul.

Taking place from March 11 to 18, the Opals weren’t to be denied in their journey back to the World Cup – where they’ve competed in every tournament since 1967.

While Australia was made to work in each game across the qualifying tournament, including their penultimate group stage against Turkey in which the Opals passed by three points.

The final match against Canada was equally as tough, with Australia breaking the game open slightly in the third quarter to hold on by six points.

To conclude that third quarter run, Melbourne hit a running shot well beyond the three-point line as the clock expired, to extend the Opals lead to seven points in time for the final term.

Just as she was called upon during Australia’s 2024 Olympic bronze medal run, the Traralgon star was utilised during her minutes for defensive purposes and unselfishness.

Melbourne’s best performance came in the Opals’ first game in Instanbul against Argentina, where she posted 12 points and three assists in a 26-point victory.

In Australia’s final game against Canada, Melbourne saw court time down the stretch, finishing with seven points, three assists and two rebounds.

She was limited in a lot of games due to foul trouble, in which Melbourne was equal-second in the qualifying tournament for total fouls.

The Opals had already secured World Cup qualification during the 2025 Asia Cup, which Melbourne did not play in due to still being in the thick of the WNBA season with the Washington Mystics.

Australia now moves their attention to Germany, where the FIBA Women’s World Cup takes place from September 4 to 13.

Sitting third for most medals in the tournament’s history, the Opals will be locking in and hoping to pull of their first gold medal finish since 2006.

That team featured the likes of basketball greats Lauren Jackson, Kristi Harrower, Penny Taylor, equal AFLW great Erin Phillips, and Mirboo North’s Belinda Snell.

As by far Australia’s highest ever achievement, in either men’s or women’s competition, the gold medal team was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.

This will be Melbourne’s first ever World Cup run, having previously missed the cut for Australia’s 2022 bronze medal.

In 2021, Melbourne captained Australia to a silver medal at the FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup, succumbing to the US in the final.

One of Melbourne’s direct opponents was WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark in the gold medal match.