Jade Melbourne was crammed into the back of a Kia Carnival with six teammates on the way back from breakfast when her phone rang.
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"It just goes 'Sandy Brondello' over the Bluetooth and I was just like 'disconnect it, turn it off'," Melbourne said, recounting the moment the Opals coach called with an Olympic Games dream on the line.
"The girls went dead silent in the car and I'm just in the back thinking 'damn, this could go one of two ways'. I answer the phone call, and when I said 'thanks so much, I appreciate it, Sandy', there were smiles all over the place.
"It was actually pretty cool to receive the phone call in front of them. They've all helped me along the journey to get there. You always get so nervous seeing her name pop up on your phone, you're thinking 'it could be good, it could be bad'. It was a good one.
"One of them put Celebration on Spotify. It was really cool and it was good to be surrounded by the girls and have them give me a hug. They were as proud as I was. To see that, the connection speaks volumes of the people we have at the Caps."
The Canberra Capitals star is poised to make her first Opals appearance in two years after being included in a 12-player squad for the final qualifying tournament for the Paris Olympics.
![Jade Melbourne is closing in on an Olympic Games debut after being named in an Opals squad. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Jade Melbourne is closing in on an Olympic Games debut after being named in an Opals squad. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/36vwtM5n3dmMVgNPycRBEHz/83730d9e-d2cc-41d1-89d3-e3bda24928c6.jpg/r0_349_7489_4559_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Now she is on the verge of pulling on an Opals jersey alongside Lauren Jackson - Australia's greatest basketball player whose Olympic dream is alive at the age of 42.
Jackson could reach a remarkable fifth Olympics, 12 years after her last appearance at the London Games, while Melbourne is chasing her first alongside Isobel Borlase - her roommate at the under 19 World Cup.
Australian-based players will travel to Brazil on January 30 to face Brazil, Germany and Serbia, with a top three finish in their group enough to guarantee Australia's place at the Olympics.
Melbourne's numbers show exactly why she will be on the flight. Her 267 points throughout the WNBL season are the second-most in the league, while she leads the Capitals in assists and steals per game.
But numbers only tell you half of what Melbourne brings to a team.
"Talent is important, professionalism is important. Once you've got those two, if everyone else has got the same thing, what's the defining characteristic? That is that cultural piece," Capitals coach Kristen Veal said.
"She's a great person, she's a great teammate, she's got great energy, she's really consistent with all of that. It is instinctive and it's natural, but you've also got to bring that day in, day out, and she does.
![Former Canberra Capital Lauren Jackson is on the verge of a historic comeback. Picture Keegan Carroll Former Canberra Capital Lauren Jackson is on the verge of a historic comeback. Picture Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/pMXRnDj3SUU44AkPpn97sC/76ed404e-2e5a-4a8b-8103-e48fa5c4b3a9.jpg/r0_267_5000_3078_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"There's still times, and we joke about it, where you're like 'I understand she is still only 21'. We try and give her that room to breathe as a 21-year-old as well. Just because you're a hell of a player, it doesn't mean you're still not maturing and still not going through life experiences. We're always giving her that space to grow.
"We talk about putting old heads on young shoulders, and you really only do that with experience. She has had that with Opals but she has had that with WNBL, fourth season in.
"At the helm of a WNBL team at the age of 19, 20, 21, that head is maturing is so quick and her body is so young. It's super exciting."
The Canberra co-captain says an Olympic appearance has been her dream since she was "as young as I can remember".
"The fact it is an Olympic year and I am in the second-last team before the team gets announced, I'm one step closer. I've put myself in a great position," Melbourne said.
"My focus is to do whatever I can in Brazil to make sure we do qualify. Hopefully we can get the job done and I can be on the plane to Paris."