Basketball Professional Teams • Equipos Profesionales de BaloncestoAustralia’s unassuming champion

It’s been just over three and a half years since Australia played in that famous Semi-Final of the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women against the host nation, Brazil.
The game was played on September 21, and it was one of the most important in the history of the international game.
Brazil, looking to win their second gold medal in the competition, led the Opals 68-64 with 7:49 remaining.
Backed by a raucous crowd, the South Americans ran up and down the court like whirling dervishes and looked to be on their way the title game.
That was before a star was born for Australia.
The unheralded Belinda Snell, having spent countless hours in the gym honing her shooting skills over the years, buried a three-pointer and then made a lay-up for a 69-68 advantage.
The five consecutive points sparked Australia on a big run and they would go on to win the game, 88-76.
Snell and Co followed that up with a 91-74 triumph over Russia, who had upset the heavily-favored United States in the other Semi-Final, to capture their first gold medal in the competition.
“It's something that I'll never forget and something that hopefully we can repeat,” Snell said to FIBA.com.
A silent assassinMention Australian women’s basketball and there’s a pretty good chance the names Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor will come up.
Jackson has been one of the world’s best players for several years, as well as Taylor, the MVP of the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women.
Both are still in their prime and always in the limelight wherever they play.
Then there is 35-year-old Kristi Harrower, the veteran point guard of Australia.
A tough-as-nails performer if ever there was one, the combative, never-say-die Harrower remains as effective as ever.
She was MVP of the Australian WNBL this season.
Snell is inconspicuous.
The 29-year-old is reserved.
She is, however, as lethal as any of them.
Snell is a silent assassin.
In that famous win over Brazil four years ago, Snell was three of five from long range and finished with 22 points.
She won’t sneak up on anyone at the FIBA World Championship for Women this year because on too many occasions, the unremarkable Snell has been, well, remarkable.
She’s had great games in the WNBA and also with all of the clubs she’s played for in Europe.
At the 2008 EuroLeague Women Final Four in Brno, the Czech Republic, Snell played for Bourges and made the all-tournament team.
This year, she’s was steady Ros Casares in Spain and Europe.
It is because of her commitments with Ros in the Liga Femenina play-off finals that she won’t be able to travel home to be at the Opals’ training camp this weekend.
But she will eventually link up with her teammates.
“It's going to be interesting when we all get together for the preparations for the Worlds,” she said.
“Everyone is still hungry and everyone is excited about trying to defend the title we won at the last World Championship.”
From One Stop To The NextAustralian backpackers are all over Europe.
Snell isn’t one of them, but nevertheless gets to travel and see different cities and soak up various cultures.
By playing basketball, she’s seen the world.
Now Snell’s in Spain, but last year it was Russia and the year before, France.
“It's difficult, especially early when you first arrive at a new club,” she said with a laugh.
“Once you get settled in, it's okay.
“I like it here in Valencia.
“I don't know about next year but we'll see what happens.”
Snell has fit right in at Valencia, a team loaded with international players.
There is Brazil center Erika, former Team USA star Delisha Milton-Jones, Czech national team forward Jana Vesela and Spain internationals Elisa Aguilar, Laia Palau, Anna Montanana and Amaya Valdemoro.
Ros Casares won the Copa del Rey, lost in the EuroLeague Women Final to Spartak Moscow Region and now face Perfumerias Avenida in the Liga Femenina title series.
“It's gone very well,” she said.
“We've got a strong group of girls and I've really enjoyed it. The girls get along well and we have a great chemistry.”
Snell’s arrival at Ros was welcomed by everyone.
"Belinda is a great player and also a great person and it's easy to play with her,” Valdemoro said.
"She is a great shooter but she is also a great passer.
"Snell helps the team a lot when she is on the court because she opens up the zone.
"They need to guard her."
In the EuroLeague Women, Snell shot 35.7% from long range.
She had two early three-pointers against Wisla Can-Pack Krakow at the Final Four that sparked Ros on an early run and helped them take command of that game.
Snell also hit a couple of treys against Spartak in the title game that kept Ros within striking distance in the second half.
They ultimately lost that contest, 87-80.
In the Spanish league, Snell has hit 44.7% of her shots from behind the arc.
She takes pride in doing other things that often go unnoticed.
“I just try and get out there and do whatever's needed, whether it's rebounding or coming up with a defensive stop,” Snell said.
New AustraliaBy the time Australia run onto the floor in Ostrava, the Czech Republic, where they will go up against Belarus, Canada and China in Group A, they will have undergone some changes from 2006.
For starters, Jan Stirling is no longer the coach.
Carrie Graff is now in charge of the Opals.
“I played for her in Phoenix,” Snell said.
“She's a very talented coach and I look forward to playing for her again.”
There is also the possibility that Liz Cambage, an 18-year-old center that everyone is talking about Down Under, will be in the side.
Cambage was the leading scorer at 20.4 points per game at the 2009 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women in Thailand.
She also averaged 20 points and six rebounds for the Opals in last year’s two FIBA Oceania Championship wins over New Zealand.
The 2.03m pivot was in the Bulleen Boomers side that reached the WNBL Finals earlier this year.
She nearly averaged a double-double with 20.1 points and 9.8 rebounds.
Snell says it will be great to see Cambage and the rest of the players.
“I haven't actually seen her (Cambage) in person, but I've heard a lot about her and how talented she is,” Snell said.
“She's a very tall girl and very strong. I've heard she's got a lot of ability so I can't wait to get back to the Opals camp, see all the girls and see what newcomers we've got."
Jeff Taylor from
FIBA