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2020 Olympics: Leilani Mitchell to compete for Australia

After losing in the quarterfinals in 2016, Mitchell will lead team Australia in Tokyo.

By Greydy Diaz
Brazil v Australia - Women’s Basketball - Olympics: Day 1 Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Guard Leilani Mitchell has been named to the Australia women’s national basketball team for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, according to the Washington Mystics. In a tweet posted Wednesday afternoon, the Mystics congratulated Mitchell.

The 35-year-old last represented her home country in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where her team lost to Serbia in the quarterfinals by two points. In her 28.3 minutes per game in that Olympic tournament, Mitchell averaged 11.3 points, shooting 46.8 percent from the field, 55.6 percent from beyond the arc and 90 percent from the free-throw line for the Opals (that’s the women’s team’s nickname). She also averaged 4.5 assists and 3 rebounds per game.

The WNBA’s official Olympic break will take place from July 15-Aug. 11 and the second half of the schedule will resume on Aug. 15.

Mitchell is averaging 2.4 points and 3.6 assists per game for the Mystics and will remain in Washington for the first half of the season. There are some other Australian team members stateside, including Liz Cambage of the Las Vegas Aces and Sandy Brondello, the head coach of the Mercury and the Opals.