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OPALS coach Sandy Brondello really must have tossed and turned in her New York home before signing off on the totally predictable, completely unsurprising, risk-free Australian team selection for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Anyone who claims "reputations did not count" wasn't paying attention.

If they truly did not, Darcee Garbin would be wearing the green-and-gold in France, not sitting in front of a TV somewhere cheering for a team she should have been in.

While the week of FORD Ballin'24 in Melbourne was an unqualified success, the earlier Basketball Australia claim citing the importance of the series with China was shown to be a total crock.

There's no way this Opals team for Paris wasn't already selected.

The seven players active in the WNBA - Ezi Magbegor, Bec Allen, Steph Talbot, Kristy Wallace, Jade Melbourne, Alanna Smith, Sami Whitcomb - were near enough certainties for selection.

That left five spots. Now did anyone seriously believe Brondello would leave out the current captain Tess Madgen if she could make it up-and-down the floor?

BA is currently running a series called "Cayla" so now, seriously, was the warhorse Cayla George going to be left out?

Having been a fan of Marianna Tolo since she stepped into the breach and played her heart out at the 2014 FIBA World Cup, her selection is not one to be quibbled over.

But there go three of the five available spots.

Unless you have been living under a rock, you could not have failed to be dazzled by the return and second (third?) coming of our G.O.A.T. Lauren Jackson.

A recent pair of 50-point hauls in NBL1 East aside, she looks fitter, stronger, faster and more athletically able than she was two years - and another serious injury ago - when she knocked down 30 points to beat Canada for the World Cup bronze.

This version of Jackson would kick that one's butt - not that we expect 30-point games at the Olympics from our unique superstar 43-year-old. But what an asset!

She scares the hell out of reverential opponents and most importantly, still has game.

And that left one spot, not that it really did because Isobel Borlase had that wrapped up a while ago. She only showed any doubters - if there were any - that like Jade Melbourne, she is already ready to make a contribution.

So it was relatively easy to select this Opals team considering how conservative Brondello has always shown herself to be.   

How has Whitcomb been playing? How consistent has Wallace been? Isn't Garbin a younger version of George and also in form?  

Questions aside, this is our team and the reality is Australia's group in Paris - Canada, Nigeria, France - is well within the Opals' capability.

They only have to finish top two - best third overall also gives them two shots to progress - and once they're out of the group phase, a medal is two wins away.  

Jackson, in her fifth Olympics - joining Andrew Gaze, Patty Mills and Joe Ingles - has won a medal in her past four. Along with her myriad others, it's a nice historical stat to have in your favour.

The Opals open against Nigeria on July 29 in the "Liz Cambage Memorial" game, then face Canada on August 1 and France on August 4.

Very do-able.

First the final 12 finally meet in Spain for an invitational tournament this month against the hosts and Canada, before heading to Paris in search of a return to the dais.