That was before the London Olympics just four years ago, not back in the 1970s, and now all of the nation's best tall timber fly business if they need to commute more than eight hours to play. Players like Cambage (203cm) need all the room they can get.

Equality at last, in that case, although on the court the Opals continue to set the standard, having won minor medals at the past five Olympic Games and are ranked second in the world heading towards the Games in Brazil.

For all of the buzz about the Boomers, on the back of an influx of Australians playing in the NBA, the Opals loom as the better medal chance and fear nobody under coach Brendan Joyce, who revealed his 12-strong squad for Rio on Tuesday on the Gold Coast.

Veteran centre Suzy Batkovic was the glaring omission and won't play in her fourth Games, with Joyce retaining nine players from the third-placed 2014 FIBA World Championships and just three from London.

In the 2014 championships, the Opals came within 12 points of the Americans, the closest anybody has pushed them in a major tournament. With the addition of Cambage, Steph Talbert and Katie-Rae Ebzery, Joyce feels like the sky is the limit in Rio and is happy for Australians to start piling onto the bandwagon.

He made no apologies for the tough selection calls and said this squad had been the product of a four-year rebuilding cycle that has aimed to peak on the hardwood in less than a month.

"A lot of players have been committed to this program for two or three years. We knew there would be change, when we looked at the team from London, because of the age group of the girls. We wanted to expose as many of them as we could to international basketball because there was going to be natural change," Joyce said.

"Basketball is played in 300 countries. We're one of the best teams in the world. People have to get on board and recognise how good we are ... we don't play against five or six countries. We're ranked second in the world, we've got some of the best athletic women in the world. Get out and support them."

International basketball is defined by the chase of the untouchable Americans and Joyce said the great Olympic rivals already had started eyeing each other off before Rio.

But the Opals have to get past some formidable squads before any meeting of two of the game's biggest powers, starting with an opener against host nation Brazil, which has been the focus of their camp on the Gold Coast.

"We'll concern ourselves with the USA when we get to them. They're looking at us, we're looking at them. But I'm experienced enough to know that you have to take care of business and that starts with Brazil. That's our first game," Joyce said.

It was the same message from Cambage, who missed the 2014 World Championships with a busted Achilles and can't wait to suit up again in the biggest tournament of them all.

"If we're not on the podium it's not a good job. World Champs 2010, we finished fifth, and that's the worst the Opals have done for years. That was my first major tournament," Cambage said.

"We got a bronze in London, a bronze in worlds. This Olympics, the gold can stay there until the finals. The first game is Brazil, the host nation. That's attracting all of our focus."

As for the changes enacted by Basketball Australia post-London to ensure the women weren't in cattle class while the Boomers flew in luxury: "I don't have to pay my own upgrade anymore. It's nice it doesn't have to come out of my own pocket."

The Opals wrap up their final camp on the Gold Coast before heading to North America for warm-up matches against the USA, Canada and France.

Opals Elizabeth Cambage, Marianna Tolo, Cayla George, Stephanie Talbot, Rachel Jarry, Nat Burton, Katie-Rae Ebzery, Tessa Lavey, Leilani Mitchell, Laura Hodges, Erin Phillips, Penny Taylor.