Ep87: Shine bright like an Opal FIBAWWC recap with Phina Newton

It’s hard to believe it was barely a week ago now as we look back at the most highly attended FIBA Women’s World Cup with over 145,000 spectators over ten days of incredible hoops action. Joining us on this episode is ESPN freelancer, and Siren Sport & ABC emerging sports writer alumni Phina Newton.Phina was a roving mobile reporter for FIBA and on the baseline for our Aussie hosted World Cup. She was in and amongst the action with players from all attending nations and was also able to witness the return of a legend of Australian Basketball, Lauren ‘LJ’ Jackson. LJ capped off her international career, after returning from retirement at 41 only a few months earlier, with a historic 30 point game against Canada to help the Opals get that podium finish in her final game in the Green and Gold.It’s been a tumultous journey for the Opals as we’ve heard on the podcast over the last 14 months since the Tokyo Olympics and this full circle moment for LJ coincides with the resurgence of the Opals brand that is revered across the globe.It also recaps a very special time for our hosts Paul Camillos and Jacinta Govind, each sharing the unique experiences of the tournament, giving us both a glimpse of the extraordinary events that were run in parellel as well as the impact on our home crowd especially for young kids that will talk about this tournament forever.Enjoy!Don’t forget to like, share and leave a review so we can get more Hoops content to you!Join us on our socials - Twitter: @TheBreezePod and IG: @shootingthebreezepod