Canberra Capitals headline Opals squad
They're nearly unstoppable when they suit up for the Canberra Capitals - now a superstar quintet is set to take on the world.
Kelsey Griffin, Marianna Tolo, Leilani Mitchell and Lauren Scherf have been rewarded for their stellar WNBL form while Kristy Wallace has been earmarked as a player of the future by Opals coach Sandy Brondello.
The Capitals stars headline Brondello's 22-player Opals squad ahead of a bumper schedule including the 2019 FIBA Asia Cup and the launch of qualifiers for the 2020 Olympic Games and 2022 FIBA World Cup.
The Opals will go into camp on the Gold Coast from April 12-18 and again in Phoenix, Arizona from July 20-31, before Brondello selects her squad for the Asia Cup in August.
Wallace is unlikely to be fit for the Asia Cup after she tore her anterior cruciate ligament in December - just one week after returning from an ACL injury.
"I am most happy to see the injured players like Tolo, Mitchell and Sara Blicavs return to the squad," Brondello said.
"We faced a lot of adversity in 2018 with all of the injuries we encountered and even though we had a great experience at the World Cup, having these players back will only make us a better team moving forward.
"I think the overall standard of the WNBL has gotten better. I am seeing more improved skills as individuals and as a team. The competition is fierce and the physicality and speed continues to get better which are all pleasing aspects for me.
"Following the Asia Cup in September, we have the very important qualifiers for our region in November.
"A top-four finish during that qualifier will see us advance to the pre-Olympic tournament in February where we will play against the qualifiers from the rest of the world to determine the final 12 spots for Tokyo.
"With so much at stake, every camp and the games we have together will be crucial to continue our development and chemistry as a team so that we are performing at our best when it matters."
Opals squad: Rebecca Allen (Basket90 Gydinia, Poland), Abby Bishop (PEAC Pecs, Hungary), Stephanie Blicavs (Adelaide Lightning), Sara Blicavs (Jayco Rangers), Alexandra Bunton* (Sydney Flames), Elizabeth Cambage (Shanxi Xing Rui Flame, Taiyuan, Shanxi China), Rebecca Cole (Dandenong Rangers), Katie Ebzery (Perth Lynx), Darcee Garbin (Townsville Fire), Cayla George (Melbourne Boomers), Kelsey Griffin (Canberra Capitals), Tessa Lavey (Dandenong Rangers), Tess Madgen (Townsville Fire), Eziyoda Magbegor (Melbourne Boomers), Lauren Mansfield (Perth Lynx), Leilani Mitchell (Canberra Capitals), Lauren Nicholson (Adelaide Lightning) Jenna O'Hea (Melbourne Boomers), Lauren Scherf (Canberra Capitals), Nicole Seekamp (Adelaide Lightning), Alanna Smith (Stanford University), Stephanie Talbot (Melbourne Boomers), Marianna Tolo (Canberra Capitals), Tahlia Tupaea (Sydney Flames), Kristy Wallace* (Canberra Capitals), Sami Whitcomb (Lattes Montpellier, France) Alex Wilson* (Brydens Sydney Uni Flames).
*denotes injured at time of squad announcement.