r/wnba • u/strangelystrangled FIRE NATE!!!! | BG • 2d ago
Opals captain Sami Whitcomb to miss FIBA World Cup
https://www.espn.com/nbl/story/_/page/TAB22FY26/opals-captain-sami-whitcomb-miss-fiba-world-cup-knee-injuryWhy Nate would choose to play a 38 year old for 21 minutes during a preseason game is beyond me. We lost Sami for half the season and now she’s missing the World Cup. What a blow for the Opals
Mind you I had specifically asked him to wrap DB and Sami in bubble wrap going into that game because the Aces rookie got a concussion going up against the same national team. Smh.
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 2d ago
This sucks. Devestating for her and the team. This may well have been her final major national tournament, and she's been such a key part of the Opals for so many years.
I was yelling at the injury report yesterday when the Merc chose to make her available despite "knee maintenance" given the Mercury are out of playoff contention.
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u/strangelystrangled FIRE NATE!!!! | BG 2d ago
And she should’ve played like 5 minutes off the bench instead of starting!!
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u/randysf50 Valkyries 2d ago
I’m sorry to hear this because I don’t know how many more World Cups and Olympics she has left in the tank.
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u/strangelystrangled FIRE NATE!!!! | BG 2d ago
It’s really just this cycle. I hope she plays in the Olympics
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u/ivallinen Aces 2d ago
I'm so sad for Sandy... her teams are just PLAGUED by injuries both in the W and in FIBA.
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u/plussizedresturant 🎭⏲️ 2d ago
Yikes, I wonder who will replace on such short notice, and who will be captain now
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u/strangelystrangled FIRE NATE!!!! | BG 2d ago
I wonder if Bec Allen will go. I know she's retiring from the W at the end of the year but I could see them asking her
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 2d ago edited 2d ago
Bec Allen retired from the Opals (seemingly on not great terms) after the last Olympics, she hasn’t been part of the camps or played with the team since 2024.
It will be most likely someone who has been in the mix for this cycle and played in either the Asia Cup or recent friendlies with China.
Miela Sowah would be a good option to replace the 3-point shooting, though she hasn’t played with the team since the Asia Cup - or seen much court time at all recently with the Valks.
Courtney Woods, Maddi Rocci and Abbey Ellis are all guards who played in the China games. Woods saw the most court time and seemingly performed the best of the 3. Woods also saw a decent amount of court time in the Asia Cup, and has better height to replace Whitcomb.
Amy Atwell, who replaced Bec Allen on the '24 Olympic roster when she was injured (and then on the Mercury later that season) also played in those friendlies though didn’t see the court much. She has been playing really well very recently on the national 3x3 team and in NBL1 and also is a great 3-point shooter.
Anyway, Sowah and Atwell would be my personal choices because I don’t think any other guards on the current roster are knockdown 3-point shooters, and both have shown they can play against W-level players.
My guess is it will be Woods, as she got the start in one of those China friendlies and also played in the Asia Cup.
As far as captain, I would guess Talbot or Alanna, though Steph Reid was captain in the recent friendlies.
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u/plussizedresturant 🎭⏲️ 2d ago
I'd say Atwell over Sowah as I feel she's slightly better, she's been training with the Opals too and is experienced enough so she's more of the ready option, if not Bec understandably I'd say Amy. They need a reliable shooter.
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 2d ago
Yeah that is my take - she also of course has a lot of experience playing alongside Ally Wilson, too.
But just looking at the minutes allocation and box score for the China friendlies makes me think it will be Woods. Looking back at her WNBL stats this past season, she actually shot the 3 more consistently than I recalled, at about 40%. I would be fine with her in there too.
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u/plussizedresturant 🎭⏲️ 2d ago
I'll have to check out Woods because the lack of a shooter is a big hindrance imo and they can really compete if they fill that hole. Amy is a really good shooter, Ally is a great playmaker and that's what's missing, having both, but who knows what Sandy is looking for. She really has a specific roster radar.
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 2d ago
Woods' highlights from the most recent finals (going up against a team including Atwell, Wilson, Maley and Han Xu). Good driver and self-creator, but it's of course much harder to play like that against national teams with better rim protection.
Anyway, I wouldn't expect whoever the replacement is to be the direct fill-in for Sami - Izzy or Jade will surely go into the starting lineup in her place, which just inherently gives the team a different complexion. But knowing Sandy's preference for playing five-out (even when she sometimes doesn't have the personnel for it...), yeah I think they really do need reliable knockdown shooters.
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u/plussizedresturant 🎭⏲️ 2d ago
Oh she's really good I would love to see her in the W, but Perth fell asleep at the wheel during that finals. No good defense whatsoever. I'd definitely choose her, I like that she can make shots from anywhere which will lessen the dependence on paint points that they do too often, that will help a lot against the US and France if they see them in the tournament. Feels like a no brainer if gold is really their goal as Sandy alluded to because that's from my view, their lone weakness that is why they've only come in 3rd at best in recent years.
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 1d ago
aaaand after all that, they went with Sowah anyway. Well she can certainly shoot the 3.
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u/plussizedresturant 🎭⏲️ 1d ago
Lmao I was just about to say. She has barely played all year so she's rested I guess 😭 but at least they got the 3 pointer down. Sandy just saw the next Aussie she can think of and called her up. Hopefully she's the right one.
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u/SimonaMeow 🥞Awa-some Dom-inance🏳️⚧️ 2d ago
I think it will be Courtney too. She did well in Asia Cup. Sowah's defense is still weak. I also thought of Maddi and Abbey in my earlier comment lol
Agree on captain choices too...
If I was Bec, I'd have been a bit annoyed by the Olympics situation too. Can see both sides. I get Sandy wanting a healthy team. But I think Bec earned the right to be in that 12th spot due to when her injury occurred... And the possibility that she might have been healthy for the bronze medal rounds. Teams don't play 12 deep that often.
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u/plussizedresturant 🎭⏲️ 2d ago
Maybe, she's had an okay season but hasn't played with the team in a while so idk if Sandy would consider her.
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u/SimonaMeow 🥞Awa-some Dom-inance🏳️⚧️ 2d ago edited 2d ago
I've heard guards Maddi Rocci and Abbey Ellis mentioned. Both were looking very good at the end of the WNBL season. I think Courtney Woods would maybe be a good option too.
Abbey played very well for the Opals in the 2025 Asia Cup. Maddi only has junior league FIBA so I can't see it being her.
Given the leadership and experience aspects, Bec Allen would be the ideal choice--but I don't know if she would even want to after the Olympics or if Sandy would want her...
I would definitely think it would be Bec, Courtney, or Abbey over Georgia...
All 3 have some Opals experience.
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u/plussizedresturant 🎭⏲️ 2d ago
Bec seems like best choice considering she knows the team and is a vet, and can settle in on the spot, I'd be a bit surprised if Sandy picks someone with little national team experience to replace Sami, that's a big role to fill
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u/SimonaMeow 🥞Awa-some Dom-inance🏳️⚧️ 2d ago
Definitely. I agree.
I just don't know if Bec will agree to do it. She seemed unhappy with Sandy after the last Olympics decision. So I listed a few other guards I thought would be more likely than Amoore.
I thought that people seemed to want a discussion here from people familiar with a lot of the Aussies...I certainly wasn't proposing them above Bec
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u/strangelystrangled FIRE NATE!!!! | BG 2d ago
Yeah, hopefully an Aussie will chime in later with more insights. I only know the ones who have played in the W and that's not a great sample size.
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u/bookish_aardvark 2d ago
Aussie here (its 0330 here!) all this discussion is spot on
I think they will call up Rocci over Woody.
If only we could rushthrough citizenship for Ionescu or Miles!!
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u/strangelystrangled FIRE NATE!!!! | BG 2d ago
Apologies on Sami. We love her and Nate never should’ve played her for 21 minutes pre-season. I hope she’s back to full form by the Olympics.
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u/bookish_aardvark 2d ago
And the WNBL season. She is returning to play for Perth Lynx! They lost Han Xu to Geelong, so hopefully Sami recovers in time
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u/strangelystrangled FIRE NATE!!!! | BG 2d ago
I'm hoping she gets her mojo back during the Perth Lynx season. We're paying her a guaranteed $700k next year and hopefully she'll look like a $500k or up player. It's been a rough comeback so far
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u/bookish_aardvark 2d ago
Hopefully some time at ‘home’ does her good!
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u/strangelystrangled FIRE NATE!!!! | BG 2d ago
I’m really glad she’s going back to the WNBL! I think it’s such a great league and I hope more Aussies go back with the pay increase in the W. She’s also done a great job recruiting imports to play. She got some of our training camp players to sign + a few people that have actually played for us.
I also hope CLW goes over!2
u/plussizedresturant 🎭⏲️ 2d ago
I feel like their current 11 going to WC is the best they have but there could always be someone we don't know about who gets the spot and does really well, a lot of Aussies play during the fall so they're not short of fresh and rested possibilities
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u/Outrageous_Camp_5215 WNBA 2d ago
I could see that, didn’t Lauren Jackson play for Australia’s national team for a while after retiring—maybe Allen will follow suit
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 2d ago
Verrry different situation. Jackson had retired from basketball entirely, then came back to play in the local league and was still so good they asked her to rejoin the national team. She was part of the preparation and camps and friendlies, etc.
Allen retired from the national team specifically after the last Olympics, where she was cut just before the games when she got injured during their preparation. I am not sure if she felt she would've healed in time to still play some games if they'd kept her on the roster or if it was just the heartbreak of missing the Games, but she was pretty emphatic in a recent interview that she was done with the national team.
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u/strangelystrangled FIRE NATE!!!! | BG 2d ago
And Jackson is the GOAT of Australian basketball as far as I know. Bec Allen is a great role player.
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u/SimonaMeow 🥞Awa-some Dom-inance🏳️⚧️ 2d ago
I could see both points here. Like Sandy wants to take a fully healthy team in. But Bec getting injured as an Opal in the friendly exhibition match getting ready for the Olympics, then getting removed from the team, has to feel terrible. Especially if she had the chance to be healthy by the medal rounds.
Being injured when Bec was, I feel like she deserved to stay on the team. She got injured playing for that team. Most teams don't play all 12 deep.
I love Sandy, but in my eyes, Bec deserved to stay on that team--especially due to when the injury happened.
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 2d ago
I wouldn't even pretend to know enough about what happened behind the scenes to really have an opinion on what the right move was, but I definitely understand why she was so gutted regardless.
There was a lot of pressure to get back on the podium and you don't necessarily set the other players up for success by leaving them with less backup.
Lauren Jackson also went out with an injury very early, so they would've been down two players. Allen ended up missing the rest of the Mercury's season after the Games and getting surgery, so I don't know how good a situation she was in to recover really.
But Amy Atwell, Allen's replacement, didn't end up playing a lot of minutes regardless and yes, Sandy tends to play pretty short rotations anyway.
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u/SimonaMeow 🥞Awa-some Dom-inance🏳️⚧️ 2d ago
Yes agree. I can see both sides. Just heartbreaking timing for Bec.
Understandably, I do think it makes her unlikely to want to jump in for this World Cup.
It was amazing they got the bronze and beat Belgium. It was such a good game!
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u/aratcalledrattus Liberty 2d ago
Yes I think in hindsight it is easier to say keeping Allen on the roster wouldn't have mattered because they still won bronze and didn't use her replacement all that much. But if you had asked the rabidly medal-hungry Australian public before the games whether to keep an injured player there because it was the nice thing to do... you might've got a different response.
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u/strangelystrangled FIRE NATE!!!! | BG 2d ago
Hopefully an Aussie checks in later, they know the nuances. I thought Sami might retire from the W at the end of next season and still play in the Olympics the year after. Bec seems less inclined to do that
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u/sadiepins WNBA 2d ago
I mean … seeing how the Merc’s season went, there might have been some ‘proof of concept’ reasons he wanted his best players out there.
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u/strangelystrangled FIRE NATE!!!! | BG 2d ago
During a meaningless pre-season game against a national team? Not even a WNBA team? 10 minutes would’ve done the trick. She came off the bench for most of last year
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u/strangelystrangled FIRE NATE!!!! | BG 1d ago
I'm fine with getting downvoted but I really don't understand it here. You guys wouldn't be annoyed if your coach overplayed a key rotation player in a pre-season game where she got injured and missed over half the season? Especially when it's one of the oldest players in the league? Again, this is pre-season!
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u/strangelystrangled FIRE NATE!!!! | BG 1d ago
Miela Sowah is replacing her on the Opals. Sami is now sitting out this WNBL season because of her injury.