Who is Jade Melbourne? Closer look at Australia's young guard's career and more

The Australian international Jade Melbourne has been making a lot of headlines after her stellar performances for the Australian Women's National Basketball Team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Washington Mystics players shone the brightest in Australia's 85-67 victory over the Serbian Women's National Basketball Team on August 7.

Jade Melbourne was born in Melbourne, Australia and is one of the youngest players playing in the WNBA. The Australian guard started her journey as a professional basketball player after the Seattle Storm selected her as the 33rd pick in the third round of the 2022 WNBA draft.

She stayed in Seattle for one year and was traded to the Washington Mystics in exchange for a third-round draft pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. She has played in 21 games for the Mystics this season and has averaged 5.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. She had a 43.6% field goal percentage and a 32.3% three-point shooting percentage this season before the international break.

As for her entire career, Jade Melbourne has played in 50 games, averaging 4.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game with an average game time of 11.8 minutes.

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Jade Melbourne earns praise from Alanna Smith after the Opals make history at the Paris Olympics

Jade Melbourne earned praise from her national team senior and Minnesota Lynx star Alanna Smith after the Australian National Women's Basketball Team, popularly known as the Opals, punched their tickets to the semi-finals of the Women's Basketball Tournament at the Paris Olympics.

"She is still so young and she has the potential to be one of the greatest Australian players to play that spot and it is really exciting," Smith said (via FIBA).

Melbourne plays as a versatile guard for the Opals and Smith proclaimed her as a potential candidate to become the best at the position. The duo of Smith and Melbourne were the reason behind the Opals' dominant 85-67 victory over the Serbian National Women's Basketball team in the quarter-finals.

Smith emerged as the hero of the game netting 22 points, 13 rebounds and four assists while Melbourne played the perfect sidekick to the hero supporting her to help her team secure victory.

The Mystics guard scored 18 points, collected four rebounds and dished out five assists. With the duo’s help, Team Australia achieved a historic milestone by reaching the semi-finals in the Olympics after 12 years. The last time the Opals were reached this stage was at the 2012 London Olympics.