Opals great Lauren Jackson has promised brutal introspection after an Olympic implosion against Nigeria left their medal hopes on the brink.
The No.3-ranked Australians were beaten 75-62 by the African champions in Lille on Monday.
Sandy Brondello's side turned the ball over 26 times and made just eight-of-18 free throws in a nightmarish opening to their Paris Games tilt.
World No.12 Nigeria made the most of it, firing away from long range and rushing Australia's shaky offence as their greatest Olympic basketball moment sparked tears of joy.
It's a major dent in Jackson's (six points, two rebounds in 12 minutes) plans for a fifth medal in as many Games, the 43-year-old back on the Olympic stage for the first time since London's 2012 edition.
They'll play world No.5 Canada on Thursday and No.7 France on Sunday, with only the pool's top two sides guaranteed a berth in Paris's quarter-final stage.
"That was a really poor showing. It's going to take a lot of work, a lot of introspective work," Jackson said of their ambition to reach Paris's quarter-final stage.
"The turnovers killed us. It was really difficult to get the ball inside and then when we did, we didn't do anything with it.
"We've dug ourselves a bit of a hole here ... we've got to do better, each and every one of us."
Teammate Steph Talbot was equally as blunt.
"No excuses, that's not the brand of basketball that we want to play and it better not happen again," she said.
The Opals, without a medal in their last two Olympic campaigns, began with confidence, running plays at will and leading 8-2 before the wheels fell off.
Turnovers were contagious, with Marianna Tolo the only Opal with court time not to commit one while six of her teammates had two each.
Halftime couldn't come soon enough, Nigeria's high press causing significant headaches as the Opals continually coughed the ball up while walking it up court.
An 11-0 run, behind 17 points from a pumped-up Ezinne Kalu (19 points), gave Nigeria a 41-28 lead at the main break.
Triples to Sami Whitcomb and Alanna Smith (15 points, seven rebounds) helped as the Opals found some rhythm and quickly got within five points with a 12-4 start to the third term.
It was a two-point game early in the final term and an Opals' lead seemed inevitable.
But again the Australians were their own worst enemies, a Jackson fumble under the hoop creating a five-point swing when Nigeria's Elizabeth Balogun hit a deep three at the other end.
Missed free throws were just as tough to swallow, Australians making just one of six in a crucial final-quarter stretch that cost them the lead.
"Everything, really," Brondello said when asked what went wrong.
"Turnovers, we couldn't handle any kind of pressure.
"We weren't real quick learners, we kept doing the same thing over and over.
"Just couldn't make them (free throws).
"Shit happens, but you've got to make free throws at this level."
Nigerian coach Rena Wakama used to attend WNBA coach Brondello's coaching clinics in New York.
"Huge respect ... and to be able to beat her team today is just a dream come true," she said.
"I got young girls that are hungry and ready to shock the world.
"I am in a dream ... Africa, there's so much talent. You've got to wake up and notice that they're there."
