TOKYO (2016 Rio Olympics) - The Rio de Janeiro Games won't tip off for another three months but there is something we can already bank on. Australia will be a force, and they'll be on a mission to reach the podium.

The Opals, No. 2 in the FIBA World Ranking, are also likely to be the biggest hurdle for the five-time defending champions United States to clear if they intend to keep their remarkable streak of gold medal wins alive.

Brendan Joyce's team provided plenty of evidence this week in the Far East that that will indeed be the case. Australia swept FIBA Asia Women's Championship winners Japan in a three-game series.

Liz Cambage, who missed the 2014 FIBA Women's World Championship through injury and did not play at last summer's FIBA Oceania Women's Championship, dominated when her teammates got her the ball. The 24-year-old pivot capped an impressive series with 26 points in an 84-73 victory on Wednesday.

Cambage had 26 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks

The Opals made it look easy in their first two triumphs over Japan but Game 3 was different. Japan actually led Australia at half-time.

"Tonight was a very high level game," Joyce said.

We expected them to be extremely physical after being 0-2 down and that is what we got. I thought our players did a great job playing through contact and finishing the game strong in the fourth quarter. - Joyce

Japan were blown out, 80-41, in the opener and then lost Game 2, 81-55. Cambage had 17 points and 8 rebounds in the first win and 20 points and 12 rebounds in the second.

Joyce emphasized that Australia were not a one-woman team. On Wednesday, he told FIBA.com that Natalie Burton and Tessa Lavey had been "great defensively" and that Cambage and Leilani Mitchell had been "great offensively".

The Australian boss added that Cayla George, Katie-Rae Ebzery, Steph Talbot and Rachel Jarry were "solid offensively".

FIBA