SIX Bendigo Spirit players have been named in the Australian Opals extended squad of 34 to prepare for the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics.
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Belinda Snell, Gabe Richards and Tessa Lavey were part of the Opals squad which won a bronze medal at last year’s FIBA World Championships.
They retain their place in the Opals squad and are joined by Spirit team-mates Kelly Wilson, Sara Blicavs and Elyse Penaluna.
Wilson returns to the squad after missing the world championships campaign with injury.
Blicavs has been rewarded for her career-best WNBL season, while Penaluna has been included, despite missing the past 12 months because of a knee injury.
Penaluna, who is about to return to action, has previously been in Opals’ squads.
A squad of 24 players will be selected from the group of 34 players to attend an upcoming training camp at the Basketball Australia National Centre of Excellence in Canberra.
The Opals will play New Zealand in the Olympic qualifiers in August.
Opals extended squad - 1. Rebecca Allen - Melbourne Boomers. 2. Suzy Batkovic - Townsville Fire. 3. Sara Blicvas - Bendigo Spirit. 4. Abby Bishop - Canberra Capitals. 5. Alex Bunton - Canberra Capitals. 6. Natalie Burton - Melbourne Boomers. 7. Elizabeth Cambage. 8. Rebecca Cole - Melbourne Boomers. 9. Aimie Clydesdale - Dandenong Rangers. 10. Stephanie Cumming - Townsville Fire. 11. Katie Rae Ebzery - Sydney Flames. 12. Cayla Francis - Townsville Fire. 13. Laura Hodges - Adelaide Lightning. 14. Natalie Hurst Peac – Pecs (Hungary). 15. Lauren Jackson - Canberra Capitals. 16. Rachel Jarry - Melbourne Boomers. 17. Alice Kunek - Dandenong Rangers. 18. Tessa Lavey - Bendigo Spirit. 19. Tess Madgen - Melbourne Boomers. 20. Kathleen McLeod - Dandenong Rangers. 21. Leilani Mitchell - SydneyUni Flames. 22. Mia Newley - Townsville Fire. 23. Jenna O'Hea - Lattes Montpellier (France). 24. Erin Phillips - LA Sparks. 25. Elyse Penaluna - Bendigo Spirit. 26. Gabrielle Richards - Bendigo Spirit. 27. Lauren Scherf - Dandenong Rangers. 28. Belinda Snell - Bendigo Spirit. 29. Stephanie Talbot - Canberra Capitals. 30. Penny Taylor - Dandenong Rangers. 31. Marianna Tolo - Bourges (France). 32. Louella Tomlinson - West Coast Waves. 33. Kelly Wilson - Bendigo Spirit. 34. Hanna Zavecz - Canberra Capitals.
