BELINDA Snell does not regret the decision to put country ahead of pay packet in the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics.

Snell won a WNBA title with the Phoenix Mercury last year but turned her back on the chance to link with the club again in 2008 in order to return to Australia and hone her Olympic preparation with the Opals.

The Opals won the world basketball championship in Brazil in 2006 and are focused on stretching their golden run into the Olympic year.

And while women have limited opportunities to make a living from professional sport, Snell has turned her back on a lucrative opportunity in the WNBA to join the Opals in Cairns as the squad continues preparations for Beijing.

"It was a pretty tough decision because I’ve played at Phoenix the last three years and they’d offered me another contract to go back but I just felt as if I needed to be here for the preparation for the national team," Snell said yesterday.

"It was a bit of a risk financially for me but I think it’s important for me to do the preparation here with the Australian team."

The move has certainly not left Snell without time on court.

Since Australia’s world championship win in 2006, she has barely stopped, playing in Italy and the US, and most recently France, where she helped Bourges to the Euroleague finals and was named in the final four All-Star team.

"I only just got back 10 days ago from France, I had a seven-month season over there and I had a few days’ rest but I’m straight back into it and looking forward to the upcoming Olympics," Snell said.

The Games are now her top priority.

The Opals scrimmaged against the Cairns Marlins men yesterday afternoon and play an intra-squad trial tonight at the Bendigo Bank Basketball Centre as competition for spots in the team for Beijing heats up.

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