Tokyo Olympics 2021: Liz Cambage saga condemned Opals to early Games exit

In reality, the Opals’ Tokyo campaign was over before it had really begun with Liz Cambage’s messy pre-Games exit “draining” the team tipped to medal.

The Australian Opals’ Tokyo campaign was over before it had really begun. Even if they didn’t know it.

Unable to ever recover from Liz Cambage’s withdrawal on the eve of the Games, the Opals were finally put out of their Olympic misery on Wednesday by a ruthless Team USA. The final score was 79-55 in a game the Opals struggled for ideas; at least ones that worked against the best team in women’s basketball.

In some ways lucky to have qualified for the knockout stage at all after finishing third in their group, the Opals were well and truly outclassed inside the Saitama Super Arena as their disappointing tournament – that included three losses and just one win – came to a brutal end.

“It was really hard,” Opals centre Marianna Tolo admitted of dealing with Cambage’s exit.

Devastated Opals after the crushing loss. Picture: Thomas Coex/AFP

Cambage pulled out of the Games, citing mental health issues, after reports of a Las Vegas altercation between the WNBA All-Star and members of the Nigerian women’s team turned the Opals’ tournament upside down.

“Especially being so close to the Olympics, we didn’t have much time to adjust,” Tolo added, while choking back tears. “I think that was the biggest thing. We’re used to playing with her and playing a certain way and then finding our feet after that didn’t feel as comfortable.”

It was a far cry from the Opals’ win over the United States just last month when Brondello’s team convinced us they were a medal contender, even without Cambage.

That concept was dealt a blow when they were dominated by Belgium, hurt even more by a close defeat to China, kept alive against Puerto Rico, before being squashed by America.

In a game the United States won in a canter, Brittney Griner’s dominance in the paint was a stark reminder of what Australia was missing. The American centre finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, and a couple blocks as she did what she wanted.

“[Losing Cambage] wasn’t easy. I think I was pretty drained, to be quite honest,” Brondello conceded of an ordeal that became a national news story.

“It’s hard as a coach when you prepare to have a player in and at the last minute it’s taken out, especially with the limited preparation we had.”

Against a USA team that hasn’t lost at the Olympics since 1992, the Opals were always expected to struggle. Maybe not as much as they did, though.

The Opals had no answers for Team USA. Picture: Adam Head

“We didn’t have a good preparation,” Opals veteran Leilani Mitchell said.

“Just with the drama and things that were happening leading into it and obviously Liz, who is arguably the best post player in the world, all of a sudden she’s not here with us where we’ve built our system around her.

“Obviously it was a lot of adjusting we had to make in a few days, and it didn’t really work out for us.”

With the World Cup just a year away, and Paris in three years’ time, the Opals have a lot to figure out.

“Liz, she’s one of the best players in the world,” Brondello said. “We took a big player out, and we’ve just got to find the best way that we can play and learn from every experience we have moving forward.”

‘Give her a statue’: Praise for Opal after miracle win

A nightmare quarter-final match-up against Team USA will have done little to squash the relief the Opals felt after a less-than-conventional thrashing of Puerto Rico secured their place in the knockout stage of the Tokyo Olympics.

Going into Monday night against Group C minnows Puerto Rico, the Opals knew they needed to win by 25 or more points (or 24 if they scored more than 65 for the game) to qualify for the quarter-finals.

By the end of one quarter, they were down 24-22. At halftime, they had a slim one-point lead. They didn’t reach the required mark until the dying moments of a game that had a little bit of everything. An incredible 13-2 run to close the fourth quarter ultimately proved enough as the Opals finished 96-69 winners.

Leilani Mitchell and Cayla George celebrate Australia’s late escape from their group.

“Obviously very relieved,” Opals head coach Sandy Brondello said post-game after Australia finished as one of two third-place teams to qualify for the next phase of the competition.

“It wasn’t the way we wanted to start. But the result was what we wanted. I don’t know. I asked Cayla [George] before what happened in that first quarter.

“We didn’t come out with the energy that we needed. We weren’t as aggressive as we’d spoken about. But we made some adjustments, went to our bench, and I think that really helped.”

Knowing going into the game what was required of them, Brondello’s team came out half-asleep in a late tip-off against Puerto Rico, and very nearly paid the price.

China had beaten Puerto Rico by 42 points. Belgium was 35 better points better than them. But Australia allowed their opposition to get hot early, and by the time the Opals woke up, they had a massive task on their hands.

Opals forward Cayla George said Brondello gave her team a “rocket” at halftime.

“I basically said, it comes down to this here,” Brondello said, pointing to her heart. “To how badly you want it.”

It did the trick as the Opals held Puerto Rico to just eight points in the third quarter.

With the Opals up 68-52 to start the fourth, the job was far from done, and a Puerto Rican team determined to play spoiler made Australia work for it, before finally relenting with time running out.

Marianna Tolo was the star of the show for the Opals.

Marianna Tolo was the standout for the Opals on her way to 26 points and 17 rebounds, while Cayla George added 19 points and seven rebounds.

“I think in that first quarter we started the game a bit panicked that we weren’t up by 25 already,” George admitted.

The Opals were handily beaten by Belgium in their opener, before a heartbreaking defeat to China left them with work to do against Puerto Rico.

It certainly won’t get any easier on Wednesday when they face the United States, a team that hasn’t lost at the Olympics since 1992.

Five things we learnt: Opals v Puerto Rico

1- That is the Opals culture we all know and love:

Turnovers and poor defence threatened to end the Opals’ Olympic campaign, but the Aussies showcased incredible fight to build a big lead in the second half before finishing with a 27-point win to qualify for the quarterfinals.

The Opals’ spirit has been questioned all tournament, but the Sandy Brondello’s side stepped up when it mattered most with a memorable victory.

Jenna O'Hea produced an impressive performance against Puerto Rico/

2- Tolo is a star:

Build a statue for Marianna Tolo now.

Those were Andrew Gaze’s words after Tolo dominated for the Opals in a remarkable performance.

Cayla George also starred for the Aussies while captain Jenna O’Hea was showcased her leadership with several clutch plays down the stretch.

3- Mitchell aims up:

Guard Leilani Mitchell produced her best performance of the Olympics, especially from range, but where was this scoring form in the opening two pool games?

The Opals desperately needed Mitchell to step up in the absence of Liz Cambage and Steph Talbot (foot injury).

Instead, the diminutive guard struggled to produce her finest throughout the Games.

Hopefully this changes for Mitchell moving forward.

Leilani Mitchell produced her best performance of the tournament.

4-Opals show life without Cambage:

Remarkable result aside, the impact of Liz Cambage’s Olympic withdrawal on the Opals can’t be understated.

The Aussies have struggled to adjust without Cambage, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder.

But the team’s brilliant win over Puerto Rico will give them much-needed confidence moving forward.

Too be fair, Cambage’s last-minute withdrawal was disastrous preparation for an Olympic campaign.

5- Magbegor and Allen limited minutes creates confusion-

Stars Ezi Magbegor and Rebecca Allen received limited minutes in such a big game, prompting Aussie fans to blow up on social media.

Magbegor’s limited time was particularly puzzling given she has been Australia’s best player, although the WNBA star came up big in the fourth quarter to help the Aussies claim a sensational win.