More on the WNBA/FIBA conflict: Opals coach Jan Stirling says that Aussies who head to the W risk being left out of the world championships.

"The reality is, and I'm being very open with this . . . if seven players go to the WNBA for 2006, those seven players will not all be picked for the world championship team," Stirling said. "It just can't possibly happen. That does open the door for a number of these players right now. We don't know who's going to the WNBA and so forth. We have a responsibility to our nation to prepare a team and we can't do it with seven in the WNBA."

Stirling says she hopes that she only has to deal with two or three players returning from the U.S. Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor are automatic selections for the team, meaning that Suzy Batkovic, Tully Bevilaqua, Kristi Harrower, Belinda Snell, and Laura Summerton risk losing their spots if they come up next year.

LJ again discussed 2008, and says that she hopes to stay home and prepare for the Olympics. "You know, I'm at the stage now where I've achieved everything that I need to achieve except a gold medal and that's what I'm aiming for," she said.