Top takeaways from the Opals and Akatsuki Five mini-series

SYDNEY (Australia) - There were many talking points from Japan's hard-fought 2-1 mini-series success against Australia as both teams gained valuable preparation for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup.

The Opals won the opening contest 72-66, only for Japan to tie things up 56-55, prior to taking a slender series victory with a 69-67 triumph in the decider.

 But what did we learn from the games?  Our women's basketball specialist, Paul Nilsen takes a look.

The Opals are future proof

While fans of the Opals' might prefer to have the most positive angle skewed towards a big bonus ahead of the flagship event in Sydney later this year, the series actually served to confirm that Australia are very much future-proof. Not in terms of the next 4-5 months, but for a long time after this. 

There are so many players who are still taking their first steps at this level and look set to have a potentially great international career ahead of them. It feels like locked-in compensation for if the Opals fall short in this edition of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. While the host nation is capable of a deep run if things click, if they do miss the podium, you feel that any sense of disappointment will be sweetened by the long list of ballers who have shown the future is bright. Jade Melbourne, Shyla Heal and Anneli Maley to name a few.

Is Japan suffering from a slight Tokyo hangover?

Is Japan coach Toru Onzuka dealing with a 'post-Tokyo hangover' as his team tries to maintain their legendary intensity?

Yes, they won the FIBA Women's AsiaCup last year after that historic and pulsating Olympic silver medal, but broadly, Japan do not look the same team that they were building up to Tokyo 2020 and obviously at the showpiece event itself. Have they lost their mojo and was this post-Olympics 'hangover' inevitable?

Even for a group of staff and players with a strong appetite for hard work, everything for four years was 'Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo' and so mentally, you do wonder if (even sub-conciously) they have taken their foot off the gas because that main goal has passed. They just don't seem to have that same verve, in terms of defensive intensity and shooting focus.

They obviously lost the highly-rated head coach Tom Hovasse to the men's national team, but even taking into account this change of leadership and the need for time for Toru Onzuka to establish his own way, is it a wider issue? Yes, they sneaked this series win 2-1, but they were mediocre during the Qualifiers in Osaka back in February as well. It will be interesting if they can get back to last year's form in Sydney. They will need to. 

The team way is the only way for Australia

Last time the Opals stepped out at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, they made that glorious run to the Final behind the unstoppable play of a centerpiece superstar in Liz Cambage. This time around, that option of focusing primarily on a tour de force like she was in 2018 is simply not there. It means the team ethic has become Australia's mojo. 

Sandy Brondello made the point in Belgrade at the Qualifying Tournament and it was interesting that the Opals did tick all the right boxes in these three games against Japan. Defensively they slowed down a potent offensive force in a big way and while they sometimes struggled to execute themselves on offence, they were looking to move and share the ball. They look like they are on the right track and that is a huge positive. 

Both teams need their big-hitters back

Olympic record-breaker Rui Machida was not with the Japan team for this mini-series

As a preparation tool, this mini-series has served both nations very well. Not least, giving those 'fringe players' a chance to push their case for inclusion in the final rosters for Sydney. But, it was very evident that each team were missing their elite stars (mostly on WNBA duty right now). If you threw in even just a couple of ballers for each team, suh as Sami Whitcomb and Bec Allen for the Opals and Ramu Tokashiki and Rui Machida for Japan, it would have elevates the quality levels considerably.

In terms of huge levels of experience and class, the absences underlined that this mini series was very much an audition rather than having a direct correlation as to what might happen between these teams at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. 

FIBA