Australia’s forward, Alanna Smith has admitted that the Opals didn’t defend properly against Nigeria, leading to a historic upset in Olympics Women’s Basketball.

The Opals, ranked third were outscored by the 12th ranked Nigerians, losing 62-75 in one of the most shocking results in Olympic basketball history.

“We turned the ball over way too much, and we were not ready to step up to the physicality of the game. Turning the ball over was the crux of the game,” Smith said post-game.

Nigeria capitalized on Australia’s 26 turnovers, scoring an impressive 26 points from those opportunities.

Team Nigeria celebrates with Ezinne Kalu during the Women’s basketball Group Phase – B match against Team Australia at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. (Photo by Christina Pahnke – sampics/Getty Images)

“We didn’t play Opals’ basketball, and we weren’t aggressive defensively. We have to be better. We have to find a way,” Smith added.

Team Nigeria will aim to build on their impressive start in their upcoming group games against Canada and France.