Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
When Sitaya Fagan was a starry-eyed student wiping floors at her local Victorian basketball court, she often watched Opal Steph Reid dominate her opponents.
It only added to the teenage sensation’s desire to play basketball with the hope of one day lighting up the court with her idol.
“I was 11 or 12, or maybe even younger, when she (Reid) had a 50-point game playing for Frankston,” Fagan told AAP.
“Just her skill set and her mindset … was definitely something I looked up to.
“Now being her teammate is definitely a surreal feeling.”
The 18-year-old is in line for an Opals debut after being called up for two matches against Asian powerhouse China on Tuesday and Thursday in Melbourne.
She will link up with a plethora of WNBL stars such as Reid, with the team building towards the Women’s World Cup in September.
Fagan, who received an Australian women’s record 27 scholarship offers from some of the best college basketball programs in the US last year, thought she would earn a spot on the national team in her later college years.
Regardless, the freshman is looking to get everything she possibly can out of the experience.
“I’ve been around young basketball, where people are a couple of years younger,” she said.
“Just to see how different people are and how different the game is will be a very good thing going back into college.”
One player that has the World Cup front of mind is sharpshooter Amy Atwell, although she must capitalise on one piece of advice to keep her dreams alive.
“I’ve gotten some feedback in the past from the coaching staff,” Atwell told AAP.
“It’s no secret for me that my defensive side of the ball has needed some work and needed some attention, and that’s what I’ve been focusing on.”
Atwell is riding high in the Opals camp after helping Australia finish second in the 3×3 World Cup in June, which earned her a spot on the Commonwealth Games team.
But the 28-year-old currently has her sights set on China, knowing several Australian WNBA stars are out as they are in the midst of their season.
“This just gives all of us a bit more opportunity to show and represent Australia and play in the green and gold,” Atwell said.
“If I can get selected for that (the World Cup squad), then that’ll just be the icing on the cake.”
