"We want to be the best defensive team in the world"

The Australian Opals suffered their first loss of the 2026 FIBA World Cup on Monday, losing by 12 points to Belgium.

One of the biggest factors in that defeat for Sandy Brondello's side was on the defensive end.

Not only did they concede their highest total for the tournament (80), the Opals allowed Belgium to hit 36.8 per cent of their shots from downtown and score 15 fastbreak points.

Opals star Steph Talbot, competing at her third World Cup, knows to return to their own style of play if they are to keep their tournament alive.

"Their (Belgium's) experience and their chemistry, particularly on the offensive end, really showed [on Monday]," Talbot said during the post-game press conference.

"We want to be the best defensive team in the world, and they kind of won that battle.

"We missed shots we would probably normally make, a lot of layups, and a lot of foul shots that maybe would have had the game a little bit closer.

"They definitely beat us at what we want to be good at."

Echoing Talbot was Brondello, who said the Opals "we went away from what [our] identity is".

"We needed a little bit more ball player movement and being more intentional [with our possessions]," Brondello said.

"There were too many early possessions where it probably would have been better for us to move it, so that's an easy adjustment.

"We can learn a lot from this [result] and [at the end of the day] we're still alive.

"We just have to get ready for the next game, learn, move forward, and be better."

That next game is a sudden-death Qualification Round fixture with Italy on Thursday, with the winner progressing to play Spain in the quarter-final.

"European teams have spent a lot of time together, [and] they're very gritty," Brondello said.

"They're going to play hard and with great emotions.

"I've played this game, and been in these tournaments for so long, but the gap has gotten closer [across the board].

"You see the WNBA, we're very global now, with players from all around the world.

"Yes, the Americans are great players, but there are so many great teams, and they continue to get better; the athletes get better, and everything gets better.

"The gap is closing, which is, in the end, great for basketball."

Thursday's fixture tips off at 4.45am AEST, live on ESPN via Disney+ and Kayo.

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