Basketball On The Internet.

EXPECT the Opals to again shake the FIBA World Championship for Women to its foundations, despite the absence of many of its long-revered faces.

Yes, Lauren Jackson, Suzy Batkovic, Abby Bishop and Jenna O'Hea are all absent from Brendan Joyce's first team for a FIBA international but the new faces and returning stars are exciting and the future looks bright and promising.

Tess Madgen's absence? Well, that is a surprise but as Joyce told me today, his team is well-served at the two-three spot.

"Tess was our toughest decision," Joyce candidly admitted of her omission.

"We talked about her the longest.

"All the players who missed out, like Tess, or Gabe Richards or Nat Hurst did such a good job for us along the way - they've been a very important part of the program.

"Gabe is unlucky but she is undersized for international basketball.

"But so many girls have helped us get to where we are - they've done such a great job as Opals."

Phoenix Mercury's WNBA-title-bound pair Penny Taylor and Erin Phillips - who with Laura Hodges and Belinda Snell are the last links to Australia's 2006 World Champion - are the big "ins".

And Liz Cambage - the first (and only) woman to dunk in a game at an Olympics - is the pillar around which to build the Opals' future.

I do like that five - Phillips, Snell, Taylor, Hodges and Cambage - as a starting quintet but in saying that, you only have to look at the work done by Rebecca Allen and Rachel Jarry to know there are players waiting in the wings ready to bring their unique talents to the floor.

Australia is grouped with Cuba, Korea and Belarus in Istanbul and should advance.

ABC-TV again will show all the games live.

And ahead of the Worlds in Turkey, the Opals will take on USA in Paris on September 20, then France and China in a mini-tournament in the French capital.

It will be interesting to watch Leilani Mitchell's continued evolution from WNBA to WNBL to international player and how Cayla Francis handles the makeshift LJ role.

Realistically, this should be a gutsy and highly entertaining team.

It is: Rebecca Allen (Melbourne Boomers), Natalie Burton (Melbourne Boomers), Elizabeth Cambage (Dandenong Rangers), Cayla Francis (Townsville Fire), Laura Hodges (Adelaide Lightning), Rachel Jarry (Melbourne Boomers), Tessa Lavey (Bendigo Spirit), Leilani Mitchell (Sydney Uni Flames), Erin Phillips (Phoenix Mercury, WNBA), Belinda Snell (Bendigo Spirit), Penny Taylor (Phoenix Mercury, WNBA), Marianna Tolo (Bourges, France).

HOW we reported it at News Corp today: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/basketball/phoenix-makes-it-20-in-wnba-final-and-mercurys-penny-taylor-and-erin-phillips-make-it-into-opals-world-championship-team/story-fnii09gt-1227054115836