Sharing five Olympic Games and five World Championship appearances between them, Taylor (captain) and Hodges (vice captain) bring a wealth of experience to the team, earning the respect and admiration of their teammates and coaching staff.
Fans won’t miss a minute of the action from Turkey with all Jayco Australian Opals games to be broadcast LIVE and in full on ABC2 as part of their extensive 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women coverage.
Jayco Australian Opals Head Coach Brendan Joyce said in Taylor and Hodges, the team had two players who optimise what it means to be part of one of Australian sports most successful national teams.
“We have worked extensively in the past 18 months to give the players the opportunity to drive their own set of values and standards that reflect what it means to be part of the Opals program,” Joyce said.
“This player-driven focus extended to the selection of the captains for the World Championships and in Penny and Laura they have chosen two players who live and breathe these values.
“To see Penny back in an Opals uniform has given everyone a great boost. Her on-court ability speaks for itself, but it has been her leadership and mentoring that has gained the respect of the team.
“In my time with the Opals, Laura has been a constant – a player who has been a leader on and off the court. Her selection as co-captain is a glowing endorsement of her standing in the program.”
For Taylor the return to the Jayco Opals has been a long-time coming, after missing out on the 2012 London Olympic Games due a serious knee injury suffered in the months prior to the tournament.
The 33-year-old would play just 10 competitive games in the next two years, before returning to the WNBA to lead the Phoenix Mercury to the 2014 WNBA Championship.
Part of the famous AIS team that claimed the 1999 WNBL Championship, alongside Lauren Jackson and Belinda Snell, Taylor would become a star of the Jayco Opals program, winning two Olympic Games medals (2004 and 2008) as well as lead Australian to the Gold Medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women – taking out the tournament MVP.
After missing out on the 2010 FIBA World Championship team and playing a reduced role at the 2012 London Olympic Games, Hodges has remerged as a key piece of the Jayco Opals program under the leadership of Brendan Joyce.
Coming off a career-best Wattle Valley WNBL season that saw her claim WNBL All-Star Five honours, the 30-year-old has been a mainstay of the Jayco Opals preparation throughout 2014, attending all camps and tours leading into the World Championships.
Hodges burst on to the international scene back in 2002 as a shock selection for the Jayco Opals team for the 2002 FIBA World Championship for Women. From here the South Australian would become a mainstay, winning gold at the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women and three Olympic Games medals (2004, 2008 and 2012).
The Jayco Opals open their 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women in Istanbul against Cuba on Saturday night 27 September at 9:15pm AEST.
Based in the Istanbul, the Jayco Opals will also face Korea and Belarus in their Group C fixtures leading into the knockout rounds and eventually the tournament final in the early hours of Monday 6 October.
CLICK HERE to see the full schedule for the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women.
The 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women will be held in Turkey from 28 September to 6 October.
Jayco Australian Opals FIBA World Championship for Women – Group Stage TV Schedule
Jayco Australian Opals v Cuba
Saturday 27 September @ City Arena, Istanbul 9:15pm (All times AEST)
TV: LIVE on ABC2 Nationally 9:10pm (Vic, NSW, Qld, Tas, ACT); 8:40pm (SA, NT); 7:10pm (WA)
Jayco Australian Opals v Korea
Sunday 28 September @ City Arena, Istanbul 9:15pm
TV: LIVE on ABC2 Nationally 9:10pm (Vic, NSW, Qld, Tas, ACT); 8:40pm (SA, NT); 7:10pm (WA)
Jayco Australian Opals v Belarus
Tuesday 30 September @ City Arena, Istanbul 11:30pm
TV: LIVE on ABC2 Nationally 11:25pm (Vic, NSW, Qld, Tas, ACT); 10:55pm (SA, NT); 9:25pm (WA)
Jayco Australian Opals Team – 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women
Rebecca Allen – Melbourne Boomers
Natalie Burton – Melbourne Boomers
Cayla Francis – Townsville Fire
Laura Hodges – Adelaide Lightning
Rachel Jarry – Melbourne Boomers
Tessa Lavey – Bendigo Spirit
Leilani Mitchell – Sydney Uni Flames
Erin Phillips – Phoenix Mercury (WNBA)
Gabrielle Richards – Bendigo Spirit
Belinda Snell – Bendigo Spirit
Penny Taylor – Phoenix Mercury (WNBA)
Marianna Tolo – Bourges (France)
Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Brendan Joyce
Assistant Coaches: Damian Cotter and Lori Chizik
Technical Assistant Coach: Scott Butler
For all the latest on the Jayco Opals ahead of their journey to Turkey be sure to visit the BA website at www.basketball.net.au.
