Joe
Basketball legend Lauren Jackson has expressed her frustration over the poor performance of her teammates in Australia’s 75-62 loss to Nigeria in their Group opener which has left her team on the verge of elimination.
Ranked No. 3 in the world, the Opals were expected to dominate but were outplayed by Nigeria, who hadn’t won an Olympic game since 2004. The Australian team struggled throughout the match, committing 26 turnovers and converting only eight of their 18 free throws.
Jackson, returning to the Olympics for the first time since 2012, managed six points and two rebounds in her 12 minutes on the court. However, her individual efforts were overshadowed by the team’s overall disappointing performance, putting her aspirations for a fifth Olympic medal in jeopardy.
Reflecting on the game, Jackson did not mince words: “That was a really poor showing. It’s going to take a lot of work, a lot of introspective work,” she said. “The turnovers killed us.
It was really difficult to get the ball inside and then when we did, we didn’t do anything with it. We’ve dug ourselves a bit of a hole here … we’ve got to do better, each and every one of us.”
She emphasized the importance of free throws, stating, “Free throws will win or lose you the game. We make our free throws, it’s a different ball game. It’s a momentum changer as well.”
The road ahead is challenging for the Opals. They face world No. 5 Canada on Thursday and No. 7 France on Sunday. Only the top two teams from the pool will advance to the quarter-finals in Paris. After Monday’s disappointing performance, many Australian fans are skeptical about the team’s chances of advancing.
The Opals initially appeared strong, starting the game with an 8-2 lead. However, their momentum quickly dissipated as turnovers plagued their play. Now, they must regroup and deliver flawless performances in their upcoming matches to keep their Olympic dreams alive.
