Marianna Tolo

Opals forward Marianna Tolo is a bit of a gem – and not just on the basketball court.

Marianna has enjoyed a highly successful basketball career that has earnt her an Olympic bronze medal, three Olympic Games appearances, two bronze World Championship medals, four WNBL championships with the Canberra Capitals, stints in Europe, the WNBA and a silver medal at the 2017 Asia Cup.

But off the court, Marianna has a passion for silversmithing and gemstones. It started as a hobby, fossicking in creek beds with her family while she was growing up in Mackay in north Queensland. But as her interest has grown she has taken classes, joined the local lapidary club and learned how to cut stones and design jewellery.

Always a tall kid, Marianna started playing basketball as an eight-year-old.

“I had tried some different sports before basketball including tennis, dance and golf,” she said. “My parents suggested that I try a team sport as I hadn’t done that before. That, with the fact that I was tall, meant basketball seemed like a good fit.

“Even though I was lanky, tall and uncoordinated, it actually helped me fit in and find my place. I really loved it. It took me a long time to develop my skills and it probably wasn’t until I was 16 at the AIS [Australian Institute of Sport] that I really started to hone my skills.”

Mariana made the big move from North Queensland to the AIS in 2006, playing with the Institute for three years before a switch to the University of Canberra Capitals – she was named in the WNBL All-Star Five after her 2011 season with the Capitals along with two WNBL crowns (2018-19 and 2019-20).

Contracts with two French clubs – Aix-en-Province and Bourges Basket – followed three successful tournaments at the World University Games, bronze at the 2009, 2011 and 2013 editions.

That led to a move to the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks in 2015, a year after winning bronze at the FIBA World Championships, but her season there was cut short with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

The year 2016 dawned brighter as it held Mariana’s Olympic debut with the Opals. She worked hard to get her knee back to full strength and getting on the plane to Brazil was just reward, especially after missing the 2012 London squad. Marianna finished the Rio 2016 Olympics averaging 7.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 21 minutes per game.

After playing overseas she re-joined the Capitals in 2016.

She was selected for a second Olympics at Tokyo 2020. Drawn in Group C, Australia lost their opening match to Belgium, then suffered a critical two-point loss in their second game against China, going on to win the last match comfortably against Puerto Rico.

The Opals finished third in their group, resulting in a challenging quarter-final match against the USA, which they lost 55-79, ending their Olympic campaign in eighth place. America would go on to win the gold medal. She played 75 minutes for the team across all four games.

Marianna was in Australia’s starting five at the 2022 FIBA World Cup in Sydney, where Australia finished with the bronze medal, averaging 10.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

Her experience was on show as the Opals secured their place in Paris with a clean sweep of an Olympic qualifying tournament in Belem, Brazil, in early 2024 – scoring wins over Germany, Serbia and the host country.

At the Paris 2024 Olympics Marianna and the Opals recovered from a first up loss to a physical Nigeria team (75-62) to beat Canada (70-65) and the host nation France (79-72), which meant they automatically progressed to the knockout rounds.

A big win over Serbia in the quarter-finals (85-67) put them in a semis showdown against the USA, with the Americans' victory (85-64) sending the Opals to the bronze medal match against Belgium.

The Opals won the match 85-81 for the team's first Olympic medal since London 2012.

Marianna lists Sydney 2000 400m gold medallist Cathy Freeman, also from Mackay, as her sporting hero.

“She grew up in my hometown, Mackay, and she came and visited my primary school whilst I was there,” Marianna said. “It gave me the extra bit of inspiration to become an aspiring Olympic athlete. What she did at the Sydney Olympic Games was just magical.”

Marianna also has a bachelor of sports, coaching and exercise science, and holds a graduate certificate in business (philanthropy/non-profit).