'Beyond my wildest dreams': Cayla George's new lease on basketball life

• Cayla George led the Australian Opals to their first ever FIBA Asia Cup gold medal last month
• She is a four-time WNBL champion and one-time WNBA champion (2023 with Las Vegas Aces)
• George recently signed with the Southside Melbourne Flyers

Cayla George has given everything to the Australian Opals program for well over a decade, winning medals at major tournaments and being a constant uplifting presence, through the good and the bad.

Last month, she captained the Opals to their first ever FIBA Women’s Asia Cup gold medal, inspired by great friend and the player she took over the captaincy from in Tess Madgen.

“It was pretty special, particularly because of my history with Tess having played with her since under-14s and seeing her thrive in that captain role,” George told basketball.com.au.

“I just tried to use her leadership as a guide but also lead in my own way and just try to keep the Opals culture really similar to where our success was found in previous tournaments, and a lot of that was led by Tess.”

George has played in some of the most important games in the storied history of the Opals as a three-time World Cup medallist and a triple Olympian, including winning bronze at last year’s Paris Olympics. With all that history, it was a poetic moment when she lifted the Asia Cup trophy on the podium and led the celebrations for the Opals. Having experienced every high and low the Opals have been through in recent times, it was a moment earnt through blood, sweat and tears.

“It was an unreal group of women, and Goss [coach Paul Goriss], to go through that tournament with,” George said.

“Everyone jumped on board, relished their role, and at any given time had moments of brilliance, moments of big plays, deflections, big buckets, big rebounds, you could go down the list and name multiple plays for everybody.

“Everyone contributed and we were there to do a job. Representing the Opals is such an honour and everyone grasped that, so it was a really easy group to lead. There weren’t any issues, other than trying to get [daughter] Pearl to sleep before 7.30pm.”

This Opals squad was personified by players who have taken their careers to the next level over the past two years, the likes of Ally Wilson, Courtney Woods, Steph Reid, Alex Fowler, Chloe Bibby, Miela Sowah, and many more. Playing alongside some players getting their first chance to wear the green and gold for the Opals at such an important tournament was a joy for George.

“It was really cool, especially for those girls that had never been to a major tournament,” she said.

“To wear the green and gold and have a gold medal around your neck, it's stuff like that that brings tears to your eyes.

“Woodsy [Courtney Woods] wanted to be an Opal so badly, but for so long in her mind, it was such a faraway goal. She never thought she'd get this moment, so it's for reasons like that why it’s so special that we could create history by winning the Opals’ first Asia Cup gold ever.

“Ally Wilson too, we won a WNBL championship together in my first year in Townsville, she's a Murray Bridge girl, I'm a Mount Barker girl, which is about 25 minutes up the highway. We’re both SA Country girls.

“I never played juniors with Ally because she's obviously a few years younger, but I knew about her coming through, and she's really earned the right to be a superstar. I loved playing with her, she's a phenomenal passer, leads the break in transition really well, and then obviously was big time in the final.”

Wilson’s fourth quarter heroics in the final had to be seen to be believed. As Japan came roaring back to level the scores at 70 with 7:26 remaining, Wilson proceeded to take over the game, scoring 13 of the Opals’ final 18 points to see Australia claim an 88-79 win.

While Wilson went to the next level, George was there every step of the way, dishing out four assists to her SA Country mate in that run, taking over the Opals’ playmaking in crunch time.

“I actually never at any point thought we were going to lose, I still felt even in those close moments that we had control,” she said.

“They were coming at us with momentum, but I felt we were okay, we had the control, the pace, the personnel and the poise to be able to get it done.”

Claiming gold was only made possible by beating Korea in the semi-final, a game in which George rose to the fore when her country needed her most.

With Korea shooting the lights out, the game was in the balance and tied early in the third quarter. Finishing with a monster double-double of 20 points and 13 rebounds, George led Australia home to an 86-73 win.

George has a gift of delivering when the stakes are high, it’s just what she does. We saw many examples of that throughout the Opals unforgettable run to bronze at last year’s Paris Olympics. After breaking through and fulfilling her childhood dream of winning that elusive Olympic medal, she has found a sense of peace in her career, but don’t for a second think she isn’t still hungry for more.

“With where I'm at in my career, winning the bronze last year just brought a lot of peace to my mind,” she said.

“While I still feel really competitive and would love to win another WNBL championship, if basketball was taken away from me tomorrow, I'm really at peace with what I've achieved in my career, which is probably the first time in my life I've ever felt this way.

“I still want to do more things and achieve more, but I'm at the stage where it's just all a bonus to me. I'll continue to work hard, I'll continue to approach my career the same way, and see what comes of it, but like I said, if I stopped playing basketball right this very second, then what I've achieved is beyond my wildest dreams.”

She’ll bring her wealth of experience and knowledge to the Southside Melbourne Flyers in the upcoming WNBL season. Having achieved everything there is to achieve in the league as a four-time Champion (2015, 2016, 2018 and 2022), league MVP (2023), and three-time All-WNBL First Team member (2015, 2020, 2023), George joins the Flyers to create a dynamic big three alongside fellow Opal squad members, Maddy Rocci and Issie Bourne.

In what will be her 18th season in the league, the 36-year-old, has spent half her life in the WNBL, and she’s grateful that the Flyers believe in what she can still produce.

“I love that they trust and believe in my game at my age,” she said.

“It's really respectful, and I appreciate that because I don't feel like I've dropped off.

“As you get older, you learn more about yourself, your body, and you can use that to your advantage and thrive in your 30s. I feel that in my 30s, I've played better basketball than in all of my 20s, and I've probably had more fun doing it. I’ve found a lot more success too, from a team and an individual standpoint.

“I'm 36, and yes, I'm a lot closer to the end than the start, but I certainly think that the limitations shouldn't start when we turn 30, that's just a starting point for us to find our new prime.”

The only difference from her younger years is the importance of warming up pre-game, as she explains.

“I've got to do a little bit more in the warm-up, it used to be a couple of leg swings and I’d be good to go,” she said.

“Now I can't cheat the warm-up, that's the only difference... Once I’m warmed up properly, I'm sweet as a gazelle.”

With new league ownership and more investment, George is excited for the direction the WNBL is heading in.

“It's great to see the investment in the league, so that it can grow and grow efficiently,” she said. “I know things don't just happen overnight, but it's exciting how fresh it feels.

“The WNBL is the oldest women's sports league in Australia, and it's about time we had the correct investment to really propel us forward.”

As WNBL season 2025-26 rolls around, you might notice some changes across the league, but one thing will remain the same; Cayla George is the truth.

About the Author

Hayley Wildes is passionate about all things Australian women’s basketball and loves to highlight the stories of players from all levels and competitions across the globe. From our own backyard in the WNBL, to the WNBA and the Opals, and everything in between, Hayley has you covered.