LOS ANGELES, July 17, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - Ezi Magbegor scored 17 points to lead the Australia Opals over the reigning champion US Olympic women's basketball team 70-67 on Friday in an exhibition game in Las Vegas.

Rebecca Allen added 11 points and Stephanie Talbot contributed 10 for the Aussies, who played without their best player Liz Cambage. The 29-year-old center took herself off the Aussie roster Thursday after an incident in a scrimmage against Nigeria.

Cambage said she had to withdraw from the Olympics, also citing concern for her mental health if she were to go into a bubble at the Games.

The US women, seeking a seventh consecutive Olympic title at Tokyo, shot only 37.3% (25-of-67) from the floor and just 2-of-18 from 3-point range in suffering a second straight exhibition defeat after falling to the Women's NBA All-Stars 93-85 on Wednesday.

"We're getting better," US coach Dawn Staley said. "Not in the win column, but some of the things that we did out there were remarkably better than Wednesday. We just got to clean up some things."

Breanna Stewart led the Americans with 17 points and 12 rebounds while A'ja Wilson added 12 points for the hosts.

Four-time US Olympic gold medalist Diana Taurasi did not play for the second-straight game due to a hip muscle strain.