Australia Women's Basketball 2024 Paris Olympics: Full roster, schedule and more

Modified Jul 23, 2024 23:54 GMT

The 2024 Paris Olympics is set to begin in a few days, and the Australia Women's Basketball team remains eager to showcase their capabilities on the court. Similar to men's competition, USA Basketball remains a dominant ball club filled with several stars and versatile two-way athletes. However, this year's Australian roster is not short of WNBA talent in its depth.

Some players included in the roster are current players from the league, while some have played in previous years. Moreover, Australia Women's Basketball features a good mixture of adaptable forwards who can run center and guards who can play point and shooting.

Here's a look at the team's roster:

Player	Position
Lauren Jackson	Power Forward/Center
Cayla George	Forward/Center
Marianna Tolo	Center
Tess Magden	Guard
Rebecca Allen	Guard
Ezi Magbegor	Center
Alanna Smith	Power Forward
Steph Talbot	Forward
Kristy Wallace	Guard
Sami Whitcomb	Shooting Guard
Jade Melbourne	Guard
Isobel Borlase	Guard

Lauren Jackson, the 43-year-old forward/center, is no stranger to playing in the Olympics. Regarded as one of the prominent Australian basketball players, Jackson has won three silver medals and one bronze medal.

She will be joined by several WNBA players, who are all looking forward to competing at a high level in the much-anticipated international multi-sport event. Among the players included are Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, LA Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and Phoenix Mercury's Rebecca Allen.

The Australia Women's Basketball team is part of the Group B bracket alongside Nigeria, Canada and France. Here's a look at how their schedule will pan out:

July 29: Australia vs. Nigeria

August 1: Australia vs. Canada

August 4: Australia vs. France

Lauren Jackson talked about Australia Women's Basketball

Not many have the opportunity to continue representing their country in the Olympics long past the peak of their professional careers. When Lauren Jackson announced her retirement in 2016 after years of playing in the WNBA and the WNBL, life without basketball wouldn't last long.

She returned to the WNBL in 2022 and continues defying the limitations of time itself. In the process of qualifying for the Australia Women's Basketball team, she shared her thoughts about going into it as a former star and the work she put in to be selected.

"It's been a very different experience for me because I'm not anymore," Jackson said (via ESPN). "I'm a role player. So, for me, I had to work, more than anything, just to make sure I got selected and to put my best foot forward. It's very different to be in this situation but, again, I'm so proud of myself that I actually committed to the process. ..."

Not many professional athletes are willing to take a step back and hand over the reins to young stars of the sport. However, that wasn't the case for Jackson.

All that mattered to her was being able to play for the Australia Women's Basketball squad at one of the most prestigious international multi-sports events and being a stable presence for the team to latch onto.