'We can use our voices for good': Marianna Tolo backs Opal' demand for change

The Australian Opals met with Basketball Australia on Friday after players threatened to boycott training unless changes were made to combat social injustice issues within the sport.

Liz Cambage, Ezi Magbegor and Jenna O'Hea posted messages of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement last week, demanding Basketball Australia to better support black and Indigenous athletes.

A number of Australian basketballers have expressed their support like Canberra Capitals centre Tolo, who says the Opals wanted to use their platform to help drive societal change.

"It came from the fact some players weren't feeling supported. They feel like they needed more of a voice in this black lives issue," Tolo said.

"They wanted to collaborate with Basketball Australia about the issue of Black Lives Matter, and supporting the community and players we have that are affected by that.

"There is a large portion of the Opals squad that are of colour or have partners that are so. It affects a lot of us.

"We want to make sure people have the opportunity to know we are getting that message across and to know we are saying the right thing."

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The Opals and Basketball Australia released a joint statement on Friday, pledging support to the Black Lives Matter movement and to keep the public informed of their progress

Basketball Australia has developed a reconciliation action plan and also commenced work on a diversity and inclusion plan, which highlights cultural diversity as part of their framework.

"We're working on it together [with BA] to create some points of action, which is really exciting," Tolo said.

"It's great we have a platform for those sorts of things. That's what we all understand, we can use our voices for good.

"It affects so many people, the opportunity for change is great and it's exciting to be a part of."

The NBL held its inaugural Indigenous round earlier this year, while the Canberra Capitals have done so for the past two WNBL seasons.

They joined forces with Basketball ACT last season to launch a scholarship to support Indigenous players, raising money from ticket and merchandise sales during the recognition round.

"It's so good to see how you can have such an impact on people," Tolo said.

"We auctioned off our jerseys and got money into organisations which impacts their lives and means they can support more people for a longer time period.

"Even to hear stories about how Indigenous people in Australia have been discriminated against over the years, and still are now.

"Something that is still happening today is indigenous kids are being taken out of their homes, more so than any other culture in Australia. You think it's not happening anymore, but it still is.

"Something like that is hard to hear, but it's important to listen, research and educate ourselves on that topic. We can then ask people in our community about who they are and where they have come from."