The Gliders have returned from Japan after a challenging hit-out at the 2026 Osaka Cup, held in Japan over the weekend.
Taking on Germany, Thailand and host nation Japan across four games, the Gliders were tested by experienced international opposition. While the results didn’t fall Australia’s way, there were clear signs of progress throughout the tournament, including two narrow one-point losses to Thailand.
“Our biggest takeaways really centred around developing athletes in line-ups that we haven’t previously explored,” said Interim Head Coach Jeremy Synot.
“A big part of international basketball is having a whole squad that can perform across the course of a tournament. As you get deeper into the week, you need to maintain a high level of execution and continue delivering on your systems and processes.
Synot said that the tournament also provided valuable exposure for athletes who are still relatively new to the international environment.
“Premierships are rarely won in February and being able to expose players to high-pressure moments where their decisions directly impact the game is invaluable.
“We lost two games to Thailand by a single point on each occasion, so the learnings around game management, execution under pressure and handling big moments will be extremely important as this group continues along the journey.
One of the brightest moments for the Gliders across the tournament came through 16-year-old Ebony Stevenson, who earned selection in the All-Star Five after a standout week.
“Ebony is an extremely professional and driven young athlete, and her application during the tournament, and just as importantly her preparation leading in, allowed her to perform at the level she did,” said Synot.
“From a basketball perspective, we trusted her with the ball in her hands as a playmaker, and her improvement throughout the week was immense.
“The word ‘potential’ can sometimes put a ceiling on an athlete, but if Eb continues to work hard on her craft and keep building her skillset while bringing others into the game, it’s really exciting what she could become. We’re probably just scratching the surface.”
The Gliders will regroup at a selection camp in May as athletes compete for places at the Women’s Repechage Tournament in Spain in June, a critical opportunity to secure qualification for the World Championships in Canada later this year.
“We have a solid base, but we need to work very hard over the next four months in our training environments to give ourselves every chance of success at repechage,” added Synot.
AloJapan.com