Opals Notebook: What we learned from the Asia Cup

• Opals claim first gold at FIBA Asia Cup
• By The Numbers: Opals' 2025 Asia Cup snapshot
• 2025-26 WNBL Team Lists and Roster Tracker
• Geckos SOS: Australian deaf team needs $25,000

The Australian Opals entered the 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup with golden dreams and put together a tournament to remember as they claimed the Gold medal and in doing so, importantly gained direct qualification for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Germany.

It was a business-like performance from top to bottom as the Opals dominated inferior opponents and wore down the upper echelon teams, going undefeated through five games. After a silver medal in 2017, followed by bronze medals in 2019, 2021 and 2023, finally the Opals broke through and claimed that elusive Asia Cup Gold.

From captain Cayla George, head coach Paul Goriss, and every player who stepped foot on the court, there was a very real and visible connection within the squad. We saw the very best from Alex Fowler and Steph Reid, both of whom were named to the tournament All-Star Five, with Fowler being crowned tournament MVP after a stunningly consistent campaign.

Frontcourt Firepower

Fowler rose to the occasion time and time again, including in the Final where she finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. She led the Opals in scoring (11.8 points per game), and was second in rebounding (7.2) and assists (3.8).

Fowler epitomised this Opals group. She’s a player who has put in the effort and continually improved, to the point where she is now among the top players in the country. Think of players like Courtney Woods, Alex Wilson, Miela Sowah and Chloe Bibby – they have all secured their spot in the Opals program after showing significant growth in the past 12-24 months.

A strong tournament from the Opals front court was always going to be needed and with Fowler leading the way, they did just that.

George had monster stretches, Zitina Aokuso's bully ball gave the Opals a consistent look inside that most teams couldn’t handle, Sara Blicavs continues to be a marvel in her comeback from spinal fusion surgery, while Issie Bourne and Chloe Bibby showcased their interior presence throughout the tournament.

Depth Shines Through

Not enough has been made of the absolute depth and star power currently within the Opals program. Without 10 of the 12 2024 Olympic bronze medallists, not to mention the likes of Bec Allen, Georgia Amoore, Shaneice Swain, Maddy Rocci (the list goes on), the Opals just continued about their business

China was missing two key players – Li Yueru and Li Meng - and rightfully entered the tournament as favourites, but they slipped up against Japan in the semi-final.

The Opals, without arguably 10-15 players that would’ve been strong contenders to make the final squad, were able to overcome any obstacles, including a hot-shooting Korea squad in the first half of their semi-final clash and of course the fast-finishing Japan in the final.

They did it as a team and a lot of credit has to go to coach Paul Goriss who continues to prove himself as one of the best coaches in Australia.

He led an undermanned Opals squad to a memorable bronze medal in the 2021 Asia Cup, just a couple of months after the disastrous Tokyo Olympics campaign, and now adds Asia Cup gold to his resume.

Steph Reid Has To Be In The 2026 World Cup Squad

The 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup is just over a year away, and as it stands today, Steph Reid might just be the best pure point guard for the Opals.

She was outstanding in Shenzhen and simply doesn’t waste possessions, which has been a weakness for the Opals in previous years – including last year’s Paris Olympics – as intense defensive pressure has caused increasing turnovers in key games. She led the tournament in assists per game(7.4), and equally impressive was the fact that she only committed one turnover per game.

She’s the perfect complement point guard to a team that has shooters, which the Opals did at the Asia Cup and there will be even more of that at the World Cup with a full strength squad.

She controls the tempo of the game, doesn’t force things and her uncompromising defence makes her a complete player.

Alex Wilson Stands Tall

With the Opals leading Japan in the Final by 11 points early in the fourth quarter, they looked well on their way to claiming the trophy. To Japan’s credit, they came roaring back and leveled the scores at 70, thanks to a 11-0 run in less than two minutes of game time.

Everything was on the line and someone needed to stand tall.

That someone was Alex Wilson, as she answered the call in emphatic fashion by scoring 13 of the Opals final 18 points to put Japan to the sword. Outscoring Japan by herself in the final seven minutes, 13-9, Wilson put on a masterclass; scoring from deep, forcing turnovers, driving hard to bucket and getting to the line.

After being forced to miss the group phase games due to a knee injury, she made up for lost time by putting the team on her back, grabbing a Gold medal and booking the Opals a ticket to the World Cup.

A Stress-Free World Cup Preparation

It’s such a (well-earned) luxury for the Opals to know more than a year out from the World Cup that they will be there and not have to worry about relying on those stressful World Cup Qualifying Tournaments.

While it will be anything but stress-free for the players competing to make the final 12-woman squad, there will be no need to risk or rush underdone players back for those games and Brondello will have more time to experiment with line-ups without the stress of needing to bank wins.

Get Excited WNBL Fans

If this tournament didn’t get you excited for the WNBL season, then that’s on you! The talent within the WNBL was on full display in Shenzhen, with 10 of the 12 players in the squad set to suit up in the 2025/26 WNBL season.

Canberra and Southside will have front court duos that are going to be a handful for opposing teams across the league. Aokuso and Blicavs joining forces with Jade Melbourne at the Capitals is going to be trio to watch out for, while George and Bourne are going to form a one-two front court punch for the Flyers.

Last year’s runners-up Townsville boasts a four-pronged Opal contingent that will have them in just about every game they play. Fielding a starting five that includes Abbey Ellis, Miela Sowah, Courtney Woods and Alex Fowler is a scary proposition for the rest of the league.

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