Basketball legend Michele Timms says Australian Opals can bounce back from disappointment of Rio 2016 Olympic campaign

NEW FIBA basketball hall of fame inductee Michele Timms says Australia has the talent to be top-two in the world, despite their disappointing Olympic campaign.

Aussie legend Michele Timms said Liz Cambage dominated at the Olympics, but the Australians will need to rebuild to compete again. Picture: AP

NEW FIBA world basketball hall of fame inductee Michele Timms says Australia has the talent to bounce back from its disappointing Rio Olympic campaign.

Speaking with the Herald Sun following her hall of fame enshrinement ceremony in Switzerland, Timms, a two-time Olympic medallist, said many past Opals were “deeply saddened” for the players after their disappointing performance in Rio.

MORE: Trailblazer Timms honoured with hall of fame gong

The Opals had been tipped to challenge for the gold medal but, instead, were bundled out in the quarter-finals by Serbia, 73-71.

Penny Taylor finished her glittering international career on a disappointing note. Picture: AFP

“It was 20 years ago we won our first medal that put us on the map and (we) had medalled at every Olympics since then,” Timms said.

“(Now) it’s a time to rebuild and make sure that (Rio) doesn’t happen again.

“We definitely have the talent to be in the top two in the world.”

Timms said the Opals didn’t look “in-sync” during the Rio tournament.

“There were definitely some exceptional performances out there for the Opals, with captain Penny Taylor being outstanding until the last game and Liz Cambage proved she is unstoppable if she can stay out of foul trouble,” she said.

Michele Timms and her Opals teammates had a crack, but couldn’t quite get the job done against Team USA in the Sydney 2000 gold medal playoff.

Timms said she was in awe of Team USA and believed the Rio incarnation was better than the all-conquering team that claimed gold in 1996, widely regarded as the greatest of all-time.

“For my thinking, this was the best USA team ever to take the floor at an Olympics,” she said.

“Everybody talks about the USA ‘96 team, but this team was better.

“They were a pleasure to watch.”

She said, with the likes of Tamika Catchings (37) retired and both Diana Taurasi (34) and Sue Bird (35) undecided, Team USA’s air of invincibility could be under threat.

“I’d say three or four of those players will be retiring before the next Olympics and that’s going to prove interesting come the 2018 Worlds and the next Olympics,” she said.

Michele Timms knows a thing or two about winning Olympic medals.

Originally published as Basketball legend Michele Timms says Australian Opals can bounce back from disappointment of Rio 2016 Olympic campaign