Opals coach Brendan Joyce has announced his final 12 for the Rio Olympics and there is no place for three-time Olympic medallist Suzy Batkovic.
Alongside Batkovic, Tess Madgen and Rebecca Allen are the unlucky few to miss out, as seven Olympic debutants come into the side.
“It’s tough for them,” Joyce said.
“It breaks our hearts to have to tell them but we can only take 12 players.
“As a coaching staff, we’ve got to pick a balanced team with team chemistry and also talent in order to achieve what we aim to achieve.”
The Opals have never won gold at the Olympics, collecting instead silver or bronze over their last five attempts.
With star player Lauren Jackson retiring, it may be a tough ask for this young Opals squad to unseat defending gold-medallists the United States.
Meanwhile, the inclusion of Andrew Bogut continues to raise hopes that the Australian men’s basketball team, the Boomers, could this time be a chance to finish on the podium.
The Boomers have never won a medal in thirteen Olympic appearances and after the non-availability of high profile NBA hopefuls Ben Simmons and Thon Maker, as well as Dante Exum hopes were flagging.
But with NBA final series players Matthew Dellavedova and now Bogut both available alongside fellow NBA players Aron Baynes and Joe Ingles, San Antonio Spurs point guard Patty Mills remains confident a medal remains within reach.
“That is our goal and that is what we set out to do and we all believe in it which is obviously key,” said Mills.
“We all understand it is going to be a very hard task but the belief in each other that we can get it done is very exciting.
“This is certainly one of the strongest teams I’ve been a part of.”
Opals squad:
Liz Cambage, Marianna Tolo, Cayla George, Stephanie Talbot, Rachel Jarry, Nat Burton, Katie-Rae Ebzery, Tessa Lavey, Leilani Mitchell, Laura Hodges, Erin Phillips, Penny Taylor
Boomers squad:
David Andersen, Cameron Bairstow, Aron Baynes, Andrew Bogut, Ryan Broekhoff, Matthew Dellavedova, Chris Goulding, Joe Ingles, Kevin Lisch, Damian Martin, Patty Mills, Brock Motum
