Saturday 4 September 1999

Opals begin countdown to Olympics

By STEPHEN HOWELL

The American women's basketball team, which had a perfect 60-0 record leading up to, and including, the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, next week begins a similar 12-month journey to Sydney 2000. And Australia's Opals will be among its initial top-drawer opponents.

The Opals, Atlanta bronze medallists, leave for the United States today to play tournaments in San Diego and San Francisco that also include European champion Poland and South America's best team, Brazil.

Twelve months out, Opals coach Tom Maher and his players regard the seven US games the best possible sounding board for their golden dreams at Sydney.

The US, basketball's richest nation financially and in talent, is sticking as close as possible to the year-together routine that worked so well in Atlanta.

The difference this time is that the core group of 10 will break for the next WNBA season from June to August. Despite that, Maher counts the time the Americans will have together as ``five months worth of training days'', much more than the Opals, whose preparation will be more intense as home nation than in 1996, and who are considered a clear second best.

The WNBA began after Atlanta, its success fuelled by the effort of the female dream team. The new team's top 10 are the stars of what has become the world's best league and three of them - dual MVP Cynthia Cooper, Lisa Leslie and DeLisha Milton - will help decide its championship.

Sheryl Swoopes, once touted as the female Michael Jordan, appears certain to be one of two additions closer to the Olympics.

With only guards Michele Timms and Sandy Brondello regarded as stars in the WNBA, Australia does not have the names to match the stars and stripes. But it does have a game that worries the Americans, as shown by the 3-2 win when a near full-strength US team toured here late last year.

The Opals are at three-quarter strength for this tour, missing Olympians Brondello (resting a shoulder injury before beginning her European season), Rachael Sporn (recovering from a knee reconstruction) and Michelle Brogan (pregnant). But they will be competitive in tournaments that feature what could be the final four in Sydney in 12 months. Russia appears to be the other main contender.

The Opals arrive in California tomorrow and play Poland next Thursday.

CYNTHIA COOPER scored 20 of her game-high 29 points in the second half and the two-time defending champion Houston Comets pulled away for a 73-60 victory over the New York Liberty in game one of the WNBA finals.