Opals guard Sami Whitcomb said her side had transformed since their opening day loss.

“After the first game we all looked at each other and we knew that’s not who we are,” Whitcomb said.

“I think maybe the anticipation of that first game got to us but we really let ourselves down. It wasn’t us. We knew what our identity was and it was just about getting back to that.

“Hopefully, we use the Japan game to really get that first or second spot. It’s really massive for us.”

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Opals guard Bec Allen didn’t take her place in the side as expected after she suffered a rib injury in Sunday night’s win over Serbia.

Basketball Australia said scans showed Allen’s ribs were “structurally sound” and she was being treated by the team’s medical staff in hope that she can return.

The Opals missed Allen in the opening quarter as they struggled to make their shots although Lauren Jackson had the crowd roaring when she made a three late in the quarter with Canada up 23-14.

That lead only grew as the second term played out with Sami Hill’s three made it 31-19 but after a time out the Opals received a boost from Magbegor, captain Tess Madgen and Darcee Garbin who led the side on a 19-0 run which gave the Opals a 38-33 lead at half-time.

Steph Talbot’s defence and passing was vital while Magbegor had 10 points at the break.

Canada had the better of the third quarter as Bridget Carleton found space for two three-pointers while the Opals had their offensive struggles until Jackson and Garbin made baskets late in the quarter.

But an unsportsmanlike foul on Kristy Wallace late in the quarter hurt as Canadian point guard Nirra Fields (17 points) made the lay-up and free-throw before Kia Nurse found room a three on the next play to put Canada up 57-51 heading into the last quarter.

Nurse kept firing in the last term but Sami Whitcomb’s three helped the Opals to a slim lead entering the final minutes.

Belgium have lost their superstar with WNBA championship winner Emma Meesseman out for the rest of the tournament after tearing her left calf muscle.

The Opals could potentially face Belgium in the quarter-finals if they finish in the top-two in their group.

Australia plays Japan in their final group game on Tuesday at 8.30pm.

Meanwhile, after a WNBA title, a finals MVP and now a world record score, Team USA superstar A’Ja Wilson has had an impressive seven days.

The 26-year-old sported a smile from ear to ear after her USA side set a new FIBA Women’s World Cup record for points in a game in their 145-69 win over Korea on Monday.

Last Tuesday, Wilson and USA teammates Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum led the Las Vegas Aces to their first WNBA title and Wilson added a finals MVP to her regular season MVP award before partying for a little over a day and then flying out to Sydney for the world cup.

Wilson missed USA’s first two games but has scored 20 points and pulled in eight rebounds in both the win over China and against Korea.

“Oh man – I feel like I’m feeling everything now that I’m here,” Wilson exclaimed after Monday’s win. “First, I was numb to it all, to feeling everything.

“I’m happy to be here and it’s been crazy just to shift, just come into a team where it is a different ball game.

“It’s been a lot of fun, honestly. But I will hopefully take a break in December and take it all in. It’s been a week of craziness.”

Typical of a team which has won its last 26 games and is chasing its 11th world cup, Wilson and her teammates were more interested in improving their defence and tuning up for the knockout rounds than admiring their record, which broke Brazil’s tally of 143 against Malaysia in 1990.

Eight USA players scored in double figures and every player scored, while 52 field goals were also a record.

“This is huge. I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of a team that can score the basketball like this,” Wilson said.

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“This is crazy. To put up 145 points when we’ve only been together for maybe a week, a couple of days [in some cases] so this speaks volumes for where this team is going.”

Wilson enjoys playing with the USA as the pressure to perform is shared between their star players.

“I go from being at the Aces, where I’m one of the prominent players that I have to really produce and then I come here and it’s coming from everyone, you’re playing with a lot of great people,” Wilson said.

“So just the role shift is something that I love because I don’t have to really focus a lot on what I need to do, like I do for the Aces. The USA kind of gives you a break, I’m like ‘OK I can come off the bench and I’ll be good’.”

With Millie Muroi