'We want to be feared': The Opals' mission to bring their defensive grit back ahead of the Women's Basketball World Cup in Sydney

The Australian women's basketball team has laser focus on one thing as it builds towards this year's World Cup in Sydney – defence.

The Opals recently returned from Serbia where they had their first proper hit out since a disappointing 8th placed finish at last year's Tokyo Olympics.

While the other nations were fighting it out to qualify for the World Cup, the Opals were able to use it as a learning exercise, having already secured their spot as the host country. 

They had two wins and a loss, but it's all part of a bigger plan.

«We want to be that tough defensive team and I think we had spurts of that, and it was really exciting,» Opals captain Sami Whitcomb told ABC Sport.

«But sustaining that will be really important for us. And I think continuing to make sure offensively we handle the pressure,» she added.

«I think that was probably our biggest problem throughout the tournament, just handling that international pressure and physicality that is different from anywhere else that we'll play.»

The Opals' new game plan is to go back to their old foundations.

While their «sisterhood» is strong, by their own admission, their culture isn't where it needs to be.

And with a home World Cup looming, it needs to be fixed, fast.

«I think the big thing that we established that we have to make as a part of our identity is that defensive toughness, that grit, that fight, that passion that we play with out there, that has always been a real trademark of the Opals,» Whitcomb said.

«I think maybe it's gotten away from us a little bit over the past few years.

»We want to be feared defensively, we want teams to know that it's going to be a really tough night any time they're playing us."

There are less than seven months until the World Cup, and after