By JARROD POTTER
DANDENONG Rangers basketball rising star Rosie Fadljevic is set to shine with her selection in the Emerging Opals team.
The 19-year-old forward from Endeavour Hills was shocked to hear she was part of the Opals roster – her first return to national colours since her selection in the FIBA under-19 world championships in 2011.
“I am really, really shocked that I was selected,” Fadljevic said.
“The opportunity is great and I’m really excited to get to China and show my stuff and see what happens from it.
“I kind of found out that I was going to the camp when I got a call on Friday last week – only had two days to prepare for it – and it was a whole big shock that I got called up in the first place and to perform well at the camp, I think I did pretty well too.”
A former Australian Gems under-19 representative, Fadljevic spent a year at the Australian Institute of Sport – in its final year in the WNBL in 2011/12 – playing all 22 matches with a best return of 11 points and four rebounds against the Sydney Uni Flames.
Hitting the court for nine WNBL matches in the 2012/13 season with the Dandenong Rangers, Fadljevic had limited opportunity to make her mark, but will benefit from the departure of Tegan Cunningham, Sara Blicavs and Steph Cumming – moving her up the depth chart to gain more court-time.
Former Rangers Blicavs and Cunningham were selected for the Opals team and former Ranger Steph Cumming will join Fadljevic on the Emerging Opals squad.
