Australia's hopes of ending a 20-year title drought at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup have suffered a blow, with star guard Sami Whitcomb ruled out with injury.
Ahead of the tournament, which begins on September 4 in Berlin, the Opals were shaken by news that Whitcomb wouldn't be fit to play after battling a persistent knee injury while playing in the WNBA.
The 38-year-old missed a chunk of the start of the season because of the inflammation, but returned in July and played 16 minutes for Phoenix Mercury against the Washington Mystics on Wednesday (AEST).
However, the decision to rule Whitcomb out of the World Cup, which Opals assistant coach Paul Goriss said was made just days ago, was a precautionary measure.
Regardless, it's a mammoth blow for Australia, who are looking to claim their first title since 2006 and make the podium for a fourth consecutive time.
"Sami's experience and leadership, we're going to miss that a whole lot," Goriss told AAP on Thursday.
"She's just a global talent. Everyone knows who she is and what she can do, how quickly she can get a shot away and score the ball.
"This is something that she's always been working towards, and she really takes to heart representing the Opals. It's just devastating news."
Whitcomb's injury will take a huge toll on the side's experience, with veteran Cayla George also not taking part because of pregnancy.
Goriss expects the rest of the group to be fit and firing for their first clash against Puerto Rico next Friday, before facing Turkey and Belgium to round out the group stage.
It's a welcome relief considering both star forwards Alanna Smith (face) and Ezi Magbegor (foot, facial fracture) dealt with injuries earlier in the WNBA season.
But the team is scrambling to find a replacement for Whitcomb, with the Australian-based players flying to Berlin on Friday.
"We can go a number of different ways. No one's going to replace Sami and what she brought from a leadership and experience perspective, but also her scoring ability and shooting ability," Goriss said.
"The coaches have been working around the clock just trying to come up with what best suits us and what that skill set is of that person that comes in to replace Sami.
"It (finding a new player) has got to be done probably by today or the weekend at the latest."
