GOLD COAST, Australia -- Former WNBA center Liz Cambage has been included in a 12-strong Australian squad that is aiming to win a medal at a sixth consecutive Olympic women's basketball tournament.
This time, the so-called Opals want gold in Rio de Janeiro.
Cambage, Laura Hodges and Rachel Jarry return from the squad that lost in the semifinals to the United States at the 2012 London Olympics and finished with the bronze. Penny Taylor and Erin Phillips return after missing the London Games.
"Gold is always the goal -- but we know there is a long way to getting the chance," said Taylor, who has two Olympic silver medals and, at 35, will be the oldest member of the squad.
Another 35-year-old, three-time Olympic medalist Suzy Batkovic, was not named to the team.
Batkovic, a four-time MVP of Australia's WNBL, joined Tess Madgen and Rebecca Allen in being left off coach Brendan Joyce's final squad.
"It breaks our hearts to have to tell them, but we can only take 12 players," Joyce said. "As a coaching staff, we've got to pick a balanced team with team chemistry and also talent in order to achieve what we aim to achieve."
The complete roster: Liz Cambage, Marianna Tolo, Cayla George, Stephanie Talbot, Rachel Jarry, Nat Burton, Katie-Rae Ebzery, Tessa Lavey, Leilani Mitchell, Laura Hodges, Erin Phillips, Penny Taylor.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
