ANALYSIS: Worrying Tokyo trend rears its ugly head again in Opals' World Cup opener
Sharpshooter Bec Allen will be the key to everything Australia does in this tournament, but she will need teammates to help share the load on offence.
The likes of Sami Whitcomb, Steph Talbot and Darcee Garbin are all world-class shooters from deep, but they didn't hit a single triple in the game, going a combined 0/10 from long range. This typified Australia's night, with players unable to make the most of what are usually their strengths on the court, and Ezi Magbegor also struggling to finish around the basket.
Worryingly, this game had a similar feel on the offensive end to the Tokyo Olympics campaign where the Opals couldn't get anything going offensively for much of the tournament and finished ninth overall. Perhaps the biggest positive was that for large parts of the game, Australia's defence held strong. It was a defensive battle for much of the game, and Steph Talbot led Australia on that end of the floor with all-out effort and hustle.
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