WARM WELCOME FOR OPALS ... NO DJOKE
THERE has been no backlash, no open jeering, not even a side eye from an overzealous border official as the Opals entered Serbia this week. Our national women’s basketballers have become the first Australian sporting team to head to the country since Novak Djokovic’s visa was cancelled before the Australian Open.
The Opals opened their campaign at the women’s basketball World Cup qualifying tournament in Belgrade on Thursday night, against Brazil.
As the host nation, the Aussies have already qualified for the World Cup in Sydney in September. But results at the qualifying tournament will help determine seedings.
The Opals are also set to play Serbia on Saturday and Korea on Sunday.
Serbian president Aleksander Vucic said his country would not mistreat visiting Australian athletes.
“We will show that we are better than the Australian government,” Vucic said.
Guard Kristy Wallace said the Opals had not experienced any negative feedback since arriving in the country.
“It hasn’t been like that. Everyone here has been super welcoming and super kind. We’ve really been looked after here,” Wallace said.
“Thankfully, none of that (Djokovic backlash) has come up at the moment.”
But in a country renowned for its passionate support of its sporting stars, the Opals are in for a vocal reception, at the very least, on Saturday night.
“That’s Serbia - they’re very passionate about their basketball, very passionate about their sport in general. So that’s an environment we’re really looking forward to getting into, and the challenge that comes with that,” Wallace said this week.
“What a cool opportunity to play Serbia in Serbia. All the girls are really looking forward to it. It’ll be tough, they’re a tough team. The crowd will definitely be backing them, so we’re all just really excited to play the home team on their home soil.”
Nothing likely to faze Wallace, though, following three years of injury and rehab that had her on the verge of quitting the sport. “It’s hard to even describe the feeling,” Wallace said of working her way to within reach of a World Cup spot.
“I was rehabbing for three years and I was almost at the point of retiring. “Towards the end of my rehab, I thought I just want to be healthy and I just want to be able to run again without pain.”
But the support of Victorian Institute of Sport strength and conditioning guru Ben King and physio Steve Hawkins not only restored Wallace’s health and fitness, but her confidence to be able to take the “baby steps” needed to return to basketball again.
“To get to this point, I really didn’t expect it,” she said.
“A year ago I was still recovering from my last (knee) surgery. So to get to this point, I’m just speechless.”
A WN BA draftee out of Baylor
University in 2018, despite having ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament at the end of her college career, at 25, Wallace is taking her game back to the elite level her promise always showed.
And she has thrown herself into the task wholeheartedly, despite her past injury woes.
“I did struggle coming back into game play because I do play really hard and I play really physical,” she said.
“So that was quite daunting for me. It took a bit of time and some psychology sessions and lots of chats with my support team back home just to get to the mental state of throwing myself in there because if you’re second guessing, questioning any of it, then that’s when you do injure yourself.
“It did take some time, but I’m comfortable now.”
After missing a medal at the Tokyo Olympics, the Opals are writing a new chapter in their history - and Wallace is keen to be front and centre.
“It’s almost like we’re starting with a clean slate with this team,” she said.
“We’re really focusing on our culture and our values ... and the fact that we’re focusing so much on it is a testament to where we want to be and who we want to be as a team.
“It will serve us well for the coming years for Australian basketball.”