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Australian Opals Liz Cambage and Marianna Tolo celebrate qualifying for Tokyo.Credit:FIBA

Brazil took the lead in the third quarter and were playing with desperation as a loss would see them miss the Games,but the Opals looked to the leadership of Marianna Tolo and Leilani Mitchell plus the talent of Liz Cambage to take control in the last eight minutes.

Cambage had 29 points and five blocks while Leilani Mitchell scored 19 points and Bec Allen 16 points.

Allen,now a key player in the team,was in tears on the bench in the final minutes as she missed selection for the Rio Olympics,while Cambage was overjoyed after the buzzer as she seeks to help the Opals win a medal after missing out four years ago.

"There is nothing like an Olympics,"Cambage said after the game.

"Rio was nothing but a horrible time for me. I hated basketball and I wanted to retire. That was meant to be where I got my last medal and retired.

"So I think it was God's plan for me to have such a horrible time and want to come back and have another chance of winning a medal and representing my country.

"It's been a very tough,emotional few weeks leading into this and I'm really grateful I've had such great women and coaching staff around me to keep me up and focused on getting that ticket.

Liz Cambage in action for Australia during their Olympic qualifier against Brazil.Credit:FIBA

"We've learned a lot that we will take into our prep in Tokyo. I'm very honoured and humble to represent my country at the Olympics. There is nothing like it."

Tolo and Sara Blicavs also played key minutes in the last term,with Tolo’s defence standing out and Blicavs scoring some key baskets when playing in the last term after Allen fouled out.

Australia’s win also made history for Puerto Rico,whose women’s side have qualified for their first ever Olympics. They had beaten Brazil in the first round of games,so needed the Opals to make sure they remained winless;France also qualified.

Brazilian WNBA forward Damiris Dantas had 21 points and Tainá Paixao had 20 points while veteran centre Erika De Souza scored 19 points and nine rebounds before fouling out late.

Ezi Magbegor scored 15 points for the Opals during their second-round clash with Puerto Rico.Credit:FIBA

The Opals and Brazil took the court barely 17 hours after their second round games against Puerto Rico and France respectively,but both put on tireless displays with so much on the line.

FIBA’s decision to move women’s qualifying into four four-team tournaments has taken plenty of criticism,but it created some memorable moments as the teams locked in Olympic places.

The majority of the Opals will return home for the WNBL semi-finals,which begin on February 16.

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