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WWC: Living legends and a promising draw
YOU know every time soccer has a draw for a World Cup, there's always a so-called "Group of Death". Tonight, as living legend Michele Timms fondled the appropriate balls for FIBA, the Opals drew the Group of "A Large and Painful Hickey," with several sleeper teams for the 2022 Women's World Cup in Sydney.
WCAQ: A-O-Kay as Boomers complete sweep
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NICK Kay went one step better again today with a super-rare international triple-double as he led Australia to a resounding 90-71 victory over a feisty Chinese Taipei to close this World Cup Asian Qualifying window with the Boomers completing a 3-0 sweep in Okinawa. Angus Brandt started strongly and finished with 13 points.
WCAQ: Bread-n-butter Kay toast of Boomers
PLYING his trade now in Japan as a quality international professional basketballer, Boomers centre Nick Kay had no qualms about his Japanese opponents in Australia's 80-64 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifying win tonight in Okinawa, dominating in myriad ways and closing the third quarter with a sizzling shot.
WCAQ: Boomers KO Chinese Taipei
CHINESE Taipei opened with a 3-point basket but from there to the end, Australia's "Baby" Boomers dominated their World Cup Asian Qualifier in Okinawa, Japan to win 98-61, a 28-11 first quarter book-ended with a 28-9 last to make it comfortable for interim head coach Rob Beveridge.
WCQ: Opals carve a Korean barbecue
WITH easily its best first half of the tournament, Australia today smacked Korea 79-61 in Belgrade, but had this FIBA World Cup Qualifier wrapped up 51-20 by the main interval through some intense defence and great offensive ball movement. Captain Sami Whitcomb and veteran Cayla George dominated the early going.
WCQ: Serbs served up a ticket to Sydney
SERBIA qualified today for the 2022 FIBA Women's World Cup in Sydney from September 22 when it surfed home on the back of a roaring home crowd in Belgrade to punch its ticket 78-71 over Australia, the Opals' cause set back by the unexpected loss of starter Steph Talbot to a notorious disqualifying foul.
WCQ: Slick Opals clean up Brazilians
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DEFENCE. Attitude. Aptitude. The Opals were back last night, erasing Brazil 65-52 in their FIBA World Cup Qualifying clash in Belgrade, and not even loosely resembling the lost and ageing combination which crashed to near desolation just six months ago at the Tokyo Olympics.
Lightning sparking the Storm
ADELAIDE LIGHTNING captain Stephanie Talbot will be back for the Seattle Storm in 2022, the WNBA club keen to reassemble as much of its 2021 team as possible now it has retained Breanna Stewart who was being heavily courted by Sandy Brondello's New York Liberty.
Opals squad about 'form'. Really?
THE latest Australian Opals squad announced this week by Basketball Australia for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Serbia allegedly has been selected "on form" and so yes, it is great to see Anneli Maley there as we suggested here. But where is Lauren Scherf? And Kristy Wallace?
B&B: Boomer Bevo in the Green-and-Gold
ROB Beveridge will take the reins of Australia's Boomers next month for FIBA World Cup qualifiers against Chinese Taipei and Japan so Brad Rosen and I swooped on the chance to revisit one of our favourite interviewees and great coaches for this week's Brad&Boti podcast. Hear how it all came about, and so much more.
