Rio Olympics 2016: New-look Opals basketball team chasing history as gold medal first-timers

SHE was part of an Opals outfit which created history as the first Australian basketball team to win a world crown and Laura Hodges says the team heading to Rio has a “similar vibe’’.

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SHE was part of an Opals outfit which created history as the first Australian basketball team ever to win a world crown back in 2006 and multiple Olympian Laura Hodges says the team heading to Rio has a “similar vibe’’ to the champions side.

The Brendan Joyce coached Opals have their sights set on picking up a medal at their sixth successive Games while breaking their gold medal duck in the Olympic arena.

And Hodges, heading to her fourth Games, believes on their day the team named on Tuesday to play in Rio has the ability to beat anyone in the world — even the mighty US who have won Olympic gold at every Games since 1984 except Barcelona in 1992.

Opals Laura Hodges and Step Talbot chasing gold in Rio.

“There is only Penny Taylor and Erin Phillips and me left from that 2006 team,’’ said Hodges, who admitted it felt “strange’’ to be going to a Games without the recently retired Lauren Jackson.

“It was such a special team. There was a great feeling about it.

“But I definitely think there is something about this Opals team that can make it just as special.’’

While triple Olympian Suzy Batkovic missed the cut along with Tess Madgen and Rebecca Allen, seven Games debutants will join some of the most experienced players in the game when the Opals take the court in Rio in their tournament opener against the host nation Brazil.

The Opals after winning the Rio Test event.

Coach Joyce made his “heartbreaking’’ team selection two days ago with the Opals named at a training camp on the Gold Coast on Tuesday.

The Olympic debutants for Rio are Marianna Tolo, Katie-Rae Ebzery, Natalie Burton, Tessa Lavey, Leilani Mitchell, Stephanie Talbot and Cayla George.

Joining the Olympic rookies are Hodges, Elizabeth Cambage and Rachel Jarry, who all played in London where the Opals won bronze, with superstars Phillips and Taylor making their return to the Olympic arena.

Taylor, who tore her ACL in the lead-up to the London Olympics, was captain of the Jan Stirling coached side which won the historic 2006 world basketball crown.

The Phoenix Mercury and WNBA star believes the US are the team to beat again in Rio.

Laura Hodges is heading to her fourth Olympics.

“They are the defending gold medallists and are the pinnacle of our sport,’’ said the 35-year-old. “They’re always who we see as our biggest competitor and we just want to give ourselves another chance to get in a position to be able to face them.”

The Opals have won medals at five successive Olympics and go into Rio off a bronze medal at the 2014 world championships and as one of the favourites to make the podium.

Originally published as Rio Olympics 2016: New-look Opals basketball team chasing history as gold medal first-timers