Tess Madgen will captain the Opals at the upcoming FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Key points:
- Tess Madgen was part of the Opals team that won World Cup silver in 2018
- Madgen has played 65 times for the Opals since 2011
- The FIBA Women’s World Cup gets underway in Sydney on September 22
The 32-year-old said it was a “huge honour” to captain her country.
“I’m going to be the best captain I can be,” Madgen told Basketball Australia.
“We [the leadership group] wanted to lead by empowering everyone to be a leader and that’s something I’m extremely passionate about.
“It’s a huge honour and I’m really overwhelmed. I love the team, let’s do this.”
Madgen is a veteran of 65 matches since making her debut at the 2011 Oceania Championships.
She made her Olympic debut in Tokyo, where Australia reached the quarter-finals, losing to eventual gold medallists, the USA.
Opals coach Sandy Brondello said Madgen, who was part of the team that won World Cup silver in 2018, was a natural choice.
“This is a proud moment for Tess, not everyone gets to captain their country so I’m happy for her and I know that she’ll do a great job in Sydney,” Madgen said.
“The culture work that we’ve done has been so important to the team and Tess has been a big part of that.
“She has the respect from her peers, she fills whatever is required from the team and that shows a lot about the person she is.”
Madgen will captain a squad that includes former skipper Lauren Jackson, who was named in the 12-player squad last month.
The Opals will play France in a pre-World Cup test event at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre on September 16, followed by a match against Belgium — who beat Australia at the Olympics last year — on September 18.
The 2022 World Cup campaign will start in Sydney on September 22.
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