The Australia Women's National Basketball Team (nicknamed The Opals) is the women's National Basketball team for Australia. They won Gold at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games 2006 defeating New Zealand's Tall Ferns in the final match with a score of 77–39. They then followed it up with a gold medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women

FIBA World Championship for Women

The FIBA World Championship for Women is a world basketball tournament for women's national teams held quadrennially...

, beating Russia 91–74. The Opals became the first non-American team since Brazil in 1994 to become world champions with their victory over the Russians.

The team's captain and star player is centre Lauren Jackson

Lauren Jackson

Lauren Elizabeth Jackson is an Australian professional basketball player. Jackson began her professional career at the Australian Institute of Sport in the WNBL before moving on to the Canberra Capitals. She is currently a forward/centre with the Seattle Storm of the WNBA and the Australian...

, a perennial WNBA All-Star team member.

Olympic history

Women's basketball was introduced as an Olympic sport at Montreal in 1976.

Year	Games	Result
1976	Montreal 1976 Summer Olympics The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...	Did not qualify
1980	Moscow 1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...	Did not qualify
1984	Los Angeles 1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...	5th
1988	Seoul 1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...	4th
1992	Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...	Did not qualify
1996	Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
2000	Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
2004	Athens 2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
2008	Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
2012	London 2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...

Past Olympics squads

1984 Los Angeles Roster

Jenny Cheesman (Capt), Robyn Maher

Robyn Maher

Robyn Maher is a retired female basketball player from Australia, who played for the Sydney Uni Flames. A three-time Olympian she was a member of the national women's team that won the bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.-Personal life:Maher is married to former Opals...

, Bronwyn Marshall, Patricia Cockrem, Donna Quinn, Patricia Mickan, Julie Nykiel, Kathy Foster, Marina Moffa, Karen Dalton, Wendy Laidlaw, Sue Geh, Brendan Flynn (Head Coach), Kay McFarlane (Assistant Coach), Lorraine Landon (Manager), Eddie Crouch (Referee).

1988 Seoul Roster

Jenny Cheesman (Capt), Robyn Maher, Sandy Brondello

Sandy Brondello

Sandra Anne Brondello is an Australian women's basketball player who played in Australia and the WNBA before retiring to become a coach, most recently with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA. The 1.70 m Brondello is one of Australia's all-time best shooting guards...

, Michele Timms

Michele Timms

Michele Margaret Timms is a retired Australian professional basketball player who played for the Phoenix Mercury in the Women's National Basketball Association...

, Donna Brown, Patricia Mickan, Julie Nykiel, Debbie Slimmon, Marina Moffa, Karen Dalton, Shelley Gorman, Maree White, Robbie Cadee (Head Coach), Ray Tomlinson (Assistant Coach), Michael Pattison (Assistant Coach), Lorraine Landon (Manager), Geoff Weeks (Referee.

1996 Atlanta Roster

Robyn Maher (Capt), Allison Cook, Sandy Brondello, Michele Timms, Shelley Sandie

Shelley Sandie

Shelley Ann Gorman-Sandie is a retired female basketball player from Australia, who played for the Canberra Capitals. A three-time Olympian she was a member of the national women's team that claimed the bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.-References:*...

, Trish Fallon

Trisha Fallon

Trisha Nicole Dykstra née Fallon is an Australian basketball player in the Australian Women's National Basketball League and the Women's National Basketball Association in the United States...

, Michelle Chandler

Michelle Chandler

Michelle Louise Chandler is a retired female basketball player from Australia, who played for the Melbourne Tigers. She was a member of the national women's team that won the bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.-References:*...

, Fiona Robinson

Fiona Robinson

Fiona Mary Robinson-Hannan is a retired female basketball player from Australia, who played for the Perth Breakers....

, Carla Boyd

Carla Boyd

Carla Maree Boyd is an Australian former professional basketball player in the WNBA as a forward for the Detroit Shock...

, Jenny Whittle

Jennifer Whittle

Jennifer "Jenny" Hazel Whittle is an Australian female basketball player who played for the Bulleen Boomers and the Canberra Capitals. Whittle was also a member of the Australia women's national basketball team that claimed the Bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympic games and the Silver medal...

, Rachael Sporn

Rachael Sporn

Rachael Pamela Sporn is a former Australian basketball player. She played for Adelaide Lightning in Australia's Women's National Basketball League where she was twice league MVP and seven times selected in the WNBL All-Star Five. She heads the all-time points scoring and rebound list for the WNBL...

, Michelle Brogan

Michelle Brogan

Michelle Brogan is a former basketball player from Australia, who won the bronze medal with the Australia women's national basketball team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia...

, Tom Maher (Head Coach), Jenny Cheesman (Assistant Coach), Carrie Graf (Assistant Coach), Marian Stewart (Manager), Robbie Barnett (Referee), Michael Butler (Referee).

2000 Sydney Roster

Michele Timms (Capt), Rachael Sporn (VC), Carla Boyd, Sandy Brondello, Trish Fallon, Michelle Griffiths, Kristi Harrower

Kristi Harrower

Kristi Harrower is an Australian professional basketball player, who three times won the silver medal with the Australian Women's Team at the Summer Olympics. She played in the Women's National Basketball Association from 1998 - 2005 for the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx...

, Jo Hill, Lauren Jackson

Lauren Jackson

Lauren Elizabeth Jackson is an Australian professional basketball player. Jackson began her professional career at the Australian Institute of Sport in the WNBL before moving on to the Canberra Capitals. She is currently a forward/centre with the Seattle Storm of the WNBA and the Australian...

, Annie La Fleur, Shelley Sandie, Jenny Whittle, Tom Maher (Head Coach), Jenny Cheesman (AC), Carrie Graf (AC), Marian Stewart (Manager), Carolyn Broderick (Dr), Jill Cook (Physio), Carolyn Gillespie (Referee).

2004 Athens Roster

Trisha Fallon

Trisha Fallon

Trisha Nicole Dykstra née Fallon is an Australian basketball player in the Australian Women's National Basketball League and the Women's National Basketball Association in the United States...

 (Capt), Suzy Batkovic

Suzy Batkovic

Suzy Batkovic-Brown is an Australian-Croatian women's basketball player who plays in Australia and the American WNBA. The 6'4", 195-pound Batkovic-Brown is a bruising center known for her physical play and dominance inside...

, Sandy Brondello, Kristi Harrower, Lauren Jackson

Lauren Jackson

Lauren Elizabeth Jackson is an Australian professional basketball player. Jackson began her professional career at the Australian Institute of Sport in the WNBL before moving on to the Canberra Capitals. She is currently a forward/centre with the Seattle Storm of the WNBA and the Australian...

, Natalie Porter, Alicia Poto, Belinda Snell

Belinda Snell

Belinda Snell is an Australian women's basketball player who plays for Australia and the WNBA in the United States....

, Rachel Sporn, Laura Summerton

Laura Summerton

Laura Summerton is an Australian professional basketball player. She is 1.88 m tall, weighs 75.7 kg and plays at the forward position. Summerton played for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA during the 2005 and 2006 seasons, and has played for the Adelaide Lightning in Australia's WNBL...

, Penny Taylor, Allison Tranquilli

Allison Tranquilli

Allison Petra Cook-Tranquilli is a retired female basketball player from Australia, who played for the Melbourne Tigers and PVSK Pecs in Hungary. A two-time Olympian she was a member of the national women's team that claimed the bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta,...

, Jan Stirling (Head Coach), Karen Dalton (Ass. Coach), Chris Lucas (Technical Ass.), Marian Stewart (Manager), Dr Scott Burne (Doctor), Annette Tonkin (Physiotherapist).

Current roster

This was the roster for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

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Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend:

• (C) Team captain
• nat field describes country
  of last club
  before the tournament
• Age field is age on 9 August 2008

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External links

• Opals Official Page
• Basketball Australia page
• Media Release referring to Opals Commonwealth Games team