Liz Cambage says the Opals are ready to win gold in Tokyo after regaining lost ‘spirit’ and ‘sisterhood’

From the outside basketball star Liz Cambage’s outspoken ways seem to ruffle feathers but bonded by the Opals coach a gold medal in Rio is now firmly in the team’s sights.

The Opals have got their “spirit” and “sisterhood” back and superstar Liz Cambage hailed rookie Olympic coach Sandy Brondello for reviving both to put a gold medal in Tokyo within their grasp.

A week after Cambage threatened to boycott the Olympics following a “whitewashed” Australian Olympic Committee photo shoot, Brondello surprised the Aussie star who has made a full and strong commitment to helping the Aussies win gold.

The pair hugged and chatted excitedly about the Olympics after their two WNBA teams – Phoenix and Las Vegas - clashed earlier this week, showing no signs of any tension.

The AOC have since apologised for the image which moved Cambage to speak out, and vowed to be more inclusive in the future.

Cambage will now focus on the Opals’ gold medal assault in Tokyo after a disappointing campaign at Rio in 2016 under then coach Brendan Joyce.

Opals Head Coach @SBrondello surprised soon-to-be 3x Olympian @ecambage with her official Happi Coat & Boarding Pass for her #Tokyo2020 Team selection, following the clash between Liz's @LVAces & Sandy's @PhoenixMercury in the @WNBA this week.#TokyoTogether
🎥 Phoenix Mercury pic.twitter.com/JKXlUDS4KK

— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) May 28, 2021

The Australian women missed a medal after bombing out in the quarterfinals against the 14th ranked Serbians in a huge surprise given their talent and pre-tournament expectations.

Cambage credits Brondello’s appointment as national coach in 2017 as key to the revival of the Australian team’s culture following a string of poor performances in Rio.

“Brondello coming back to the Opals, as an ex-player with experience is the best thing,” Cambage said about Brondello, who represented Australia at four Olympics and collected two silver and a bronze medal.

“Getting Sandy as the head coach was one of the best things for me as well to get the group back together.

“Because we did lose the Opals sisterhood and that spirit leading up to Rio, but we’ve got it back now and it starts at the top and it works its way down.

“Rio wasn’t the best, so I’m excited just to get another chance with such a great group of girls.

“So having Sandy back is the best.

“I’m just really excited to have another opportunity to get out there with my sisters and girls that I have been playing with since I was 10 years old.

“So, I’m really excited to have another crack.”

Brondello has the Opals full of confidence heading into this year’s Olympics after guiding the team to a second-placed finish behind the USA at the 2018 World Cup in Spain.

Cambage will be Australia’s most experienced player in Tokyo (third Games), but she insists the Opals will lean on captain Jenna O’Hea to steer the side.

“I’m lucky that I have Jenna with me because she is a true leader, and she is going to run the show and keep everyone together,” she said.

“I might be the most experienced as my third games, but I don’t have the mentality that she does. We missed her in Rio, so I’m so excited to be on the court with her.

“I know what that first Olympics feels like and it is a lot, so I’ll be there to support and guide them.”

Liz Cambage says Opals ready to fire in Tokyo after regaining lost “spirit” and “sisterhood”. Photo: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images.

Cambage feels like the Opals are primed to win a gold medal if they maintain their strong team chemistry.

“Just being together,” she said simply.

“It is day by day and game by game and coming in mentally prepared. Then once we group together, we’ll get it (the gold).”

Cambage is also pumped to wear the traditional bodysuits, which will return in Tokyo after the Opals players lobbied for its inclusion.

“Yes, I would like to say that I was the annoying, driving force behind that, but a lot of the girls did want it back,” she said.

“The older generations got rid of it and weren’t really into it, but us young ones we wanted it back.

“We’ve been without it since Beijing (2008), and as I was coming into the Opals that is when they got rid of it.

“I was like, ‘I need that back’, and we did petitions, group emails and getting everyone to sign everything.

“So, I’m just super excited to have it back and we are going to look really good in it.

“You can’t hold our jerseys; you can’t pull on us and it makes you want to be in tip-top shape as well.”