Opals avalanche into WNBA continues
TweetEXPECT Marianna Tolo to be the next Opals star from last year's Bronze Medal FIBA World Championship campaign to be recruited into the WNBA.
Two prominent WNBA outfits are in hot pursuit of her signature after she stepped into the breach left by Liz Cambage's late injury and had an outstanding World Championship.
A WNBL All Star Five selection in 2011, Tolo (pictured above) has been playing with Bourges Basket in France.
The Aussies performed so well in Turkey at the Worlds, today Cayla Francis and Leilani Mitchell were revealed as signings by reigning champion Phoenix Mercury.
Mercury are in something of a "rebuild" mode with Diana Taurasi taking the 2015 season off.
Taurasi's Russian team, UMMC Ekaterinburg - where she plays in the WNBA off-season - is paying her more than her Mercury salary to skip the season.
It's fairly ironic given Phoenix's Aussie coach, Sandy Brondello is assisting at UMMC Ekaterinburg where her husband is coach.
The Russians pay Taurasi $1.5 million, while her 2015 WNBA salary would be close to the $109,500 maximum.
So Mercury has openings and also is expected to pressure draft choice Stephanie Talbot to forego Basketball Australia's Centre of Excellence and try her hand at the next level.
So will Leilani Mitchell now back up Erin Phillips in Phoenix, as per the Opals?
Or, more likely, is Phillips on the move?
The Opals look set to have eight of their World Championship contingent in the WNBA.
That's without Lauren Jackson and Liz Cambage, who would be automatic selections for Rio, if/when fit.
After Tolo's news breaks, do not be surprised if Melbourne Boomers' versatile Tess Madgen is invited for a try-out with a WNBA outfit, her WNBL teammate Rebecca Allen already secured to join New York Liberty.
Just as Australia is experiencing unprecedented representation in the NBA through Andrew Bogut (Golden State), Patty Mills (San Antonio), Aron Baynes (San Antonio), Matthew Dellavedova (Cleveland), Dante Exum (Utah), Cameron Bairstow (Chicago) and Joe Ingles (Utah), our women too are being recognised for their outstanding ability to compete at the highest levels.
For the NBA's "Basketball Without Borders" Camp, Aussies Dejan Vasiljevic, Isaac Humphries, Thon Maker and Tom Wilson are tipped to be on the invitees list.
The future, assuredly, looks bright.
"I’m so excited to have this opportunity,” Francis (below) told BA's website of her chance to suit for the Mercury.
“I feel super blessed and am really looking forward to getting over there and facing all challenges head on.”
Mitchell said she had been driven to bigger and better performances by Opals boss Brendan Joyce at the Worlds.
"It was great to be able to work with Brendan and his assistants, who really pushed me defensively and to be more aggressive offensively,” Mitchell said.
Joyce said he was "happy and excited" for the latest crop of Opals pursued by the WNBA.
"Although it does create accessibility issues leading into Rio," he warned of next year's Olympics.
"The collective bargaining agreement in the WNBA makes it difficult.
"But we'll have four-five camps during the year, before and after the WNBA and we'll be looking for two commitments at least.
"Most of the girls' agents have been pretty good but we'll need the commitment to beat the USA."
The other upside, of course, is the demystification of the US team, with more of our players competing against them on a daily basis.
TOMORROW: NBL and WNBL rankings and this week's tips.