LILLE, France -- The Opals put the finishing touches on preparations for their Olympic opener at practice on Sunday afternoon. The Australians meet Nigeria on Monday night, with tip off set for 7.00pm (AEST).
The Opals will enter the game as strong favorites against the Nigerians, who are ranked 12th on the official FIBA rankings, their Olympic qualification gained by virtue of winning the 2023 AfroBasket Women tournament.
"Nigeria, what do they do? They're very athletic, they're very aggressive," Opals head coach Sandy Brondello said.
"We have to handle the pressure well but also put our own pressure on and get some turnovers. We have more size, so hopefully utilizing that on both ends of the floor. We have to have respect for them but if we can get out and run and really protect the paint, we could be in good shape. I'm looking forward to the challenge."
Melbourne cool ahead of Olympic debut
To the surprise of absolutely no one, Jade Melbourne bounced around at the end of practice with a smile on her face.
The rising WNBA star with the Washington Mystics looms as a key part of the Opals guard rotation, with the game against Nigeria set to be her Olympic debut. After a solid rookie campaign with the Seattle Storm, Melbourne was traded to Washington on the eve of this year's WNBA season. The 21-year-old has since established an important role in the rotation, logging 13.6 minutes per game across 22 appearances.
"It opened up a lot of opportunities for me to get on the court," Melbourne said of the trade.
"I've been able to establish myself in the backup point guard position and really just showcase what I can do against the best players in the world. With more opportunities you learn more, that growth in my game over the last three months has been huge."
Melbourne joins Isobel Borlase, Sami Whitcomb, Kristy Wallace and Amy Atwell as first-time Opals Olympic representatives, with the idea of pregame nerves drawing a smile.
"To be honest, I'm just excited to get on the court. I think it will hit me tomorrow and I'll understand I'm at the pinnacle tournament representing my country, I think I'll have a moment tomorrow," she admitted.
"I'm just eager to get on the court, I'm excited, it's my first major tournament so it's been something I've been working for my whole life. Nigeria first up, massive crowd, I know what I have to do. I'm excited to go get some buckets."
Brondello highlighted Melbourne as one of the pre-Olympic standouts.
"Jade Melbourne has really grasped [the opportunity]. She's probably been our best performer with Alanna Smith in Spain," Brondello said. "Two players that weren't at the World Cup but will be key players for us here."
Exhibition games prepare Opals for what's to come
Unlike the Boomers, the Opals faced an interrupted leadup due to the heavy WNBA presence in the final squad.
The WNBA season did not reach its Olympic hiatus until July 19, giving a large portion of the group - including Brondello - just over a week to come together.
"It's what it's about. It's high stakes. You're on the world stage and the pressure is high but mate, we're ready for it. We're absolutely ready to go," Kristy Wallace responded when asked about the cutthroat nature of tournament hoops on a short lead up.
"We hadn't played together as this Opals group. To get full team together, get some up and backs and get through the sets and plays, it was good. I think we're ready to go."
Melbourne believes two warmup games with the full squad leaves the team in a strong position to start well in the must win matchup against Nigeria.
"We've just tried to make the most of it. We understood coming in that we were only going to have ten days to prepare as a group," Melbourne said.
"I think we've done everything within our power to be best prepared for tomorrow morning. We've had people sit out, we've had a few niggles and stuff, but at the end of the day, we've made the most of it. Games against Canada and Spain gave us information for what we had to do to get better. Looking forward to tomorrow."
Sources tell ESPN that a number of Opals have been limited in practice over the last week, with Steph Talbot, Isobel Borlase, Tess Madgen and Lauren Jackson among those who have not been full participants in stretches leading up to the Nigeria game.
"Seven players joined us from WNBA, a few of them came with a few niggles so we've been monitoring that," Brondello said.
"Just to get the opportunity to get back together. I think that's always good; we just continue to build from the World Cup. We have to dive into what we've done into the past."
Jackson is in line to once again create history on Monday night, with the Hall of Fame centre set to become the oldest basketball player in Olympic history when she logs her first minutes of the games.
"Lauren Jackson. Lauren gives everyone else around her more confidence because she loves this moment," Brondello said.
Heartbreak for Allen
It will be hard to watch the Opals and not feel devastated for star wing, Bec Allen.
Re-aggravating a right hamstring injury in the warmup game against Canada, Opals staff removed Allen from the squad after an MRI late last week.
A key cog on both ends of the floor, Australia will have to find a way to replace the 20+ minutes Allen would have provided the green and gold.
"It's heartbreaking," Melbourne said.
"Bec's been a part of this team for so long and done great things for us. We'll miss her presence on the defensive end, she's a great shooter, her length. Unfortunately, that's tough, we'll miss Bec.
"Amy [Atwell], we have no doubt can fill the void, I think she's one of the best shooters in the country. We'll miss our sister Bec, but we have embraced Amy with open arms."