CANBERRA (2015 FIBA Oceania Women's Championship) - Australia reached the podium at last year's FIBA Women's World Championship in Turkey without Liz Cambage after she ruptured her Achilles tendon and now the Opals will attempt to qualify for the Olympics in Brazil without the giant center.

The 23-year-old needed to attend at least one of two team sessions in Melbourne this weekend to get medical clearance ahead of three warm-up matches against Japan, which starts on Monday, but she missed both while attending the Splendour in the Grass music festival at Byron's Bay. 

As a consequence, Australia have ruled her out of the Japan series, and the FIBA Oceania Women's Championship that is to be staged 15 August in Melbourne and 17 August in Tauranga.

The winner of the Oceania clash between Australia and New Zealand will qualify for the Rio de Janeiro Games while the loser will play at the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT).

Cambage had battled back from the Achilles injury and was poised to play for the Aussies but instead of the opening day of camp and Opals coach Brendan Joyce has decided to move forward this summer without her.

It's a decision that had to be made, not only for Liz but for the team. - Joyce

"We've got to put the team first and our goal is to use this Japan series with the players that want to be involved and are dedicated to represent their country, put their best foot forward and then we select a team to play against New Zealand," Joyce said to Australian Associated Press (AAP).

While Cambage is potentially one of the best players in the world, the Opals are not short of talent, something they showed in Turkey last year when 1.96m center Marianna Tolo and 1.94m forward Cayla Francis elevated their games to new heights.

However, both players are in the WNBA this summer, Tolo with the Los Angeles Sparks and Francis with the Phoenix Mercury.

Joyce has plenty of options.

Four players that did not feature at the World Championship last year are contending for spots in the team.

Veteran center Suzy Batkovic, fresh off her title-winning season with Townsville in the WNBL, is in the 16-member preliminary squad and looking to make it to a fourth Olympic Games.

Joyce is also high on 1.93m pivot Elyse Penaluna, who featured in the 2011 FIBA Oceania Women's Championship but did not play at the Olympics in London, as well as power forwards Tess Madgen (1.90m) and Sara Blicavs (1.88m).

FIBA