JENNI Screen has learnt not to take anything for granted.
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The Newcastle-born Italy-based guard will spend the next month doing "everything possible" to ensure her name is read out when the Australian women's basketball squad for the Beijing Olympics is announced on July 2.
On form and reputation, the 26-year-old should be one of the first picked.
A member of the Opals' world championship gold-medal side, Screen has spent the past two seasons playing professionally for Parma in the Italian Serie A.
She is confident of selection, but Screen knows too well things can change quickly in the minds of selectors.
She was a shock omission for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games and sat courtside as the Opals powered to a gold medal.
"That [missing the Commonwealth Games] was pretty devastating," she said.
" I guess it is always in the back of your mind: What if you don't make it?
"When training is getting tough or you just don't feel like it, that is when you have to be mentally tough and say, 'There is not long now, it will be worth it in the end.'
"Hopefully that is the case when the team is named at the end of the month."
Screen enhanced her Olympic claims with a string of eye-catching performances in the Opals' 3-0 series whitewash of Chinese Taipei at Terrigal last week.
Starting in the two guard position, she made a host of clutch shots, pressured at the defensive end and helped control the floor.
"It was good to get back in the mix," Screen said.
"I had not been in the green and gold since August last year.
"Overall, I was pretty happy because it was my first hit-out in six weeks.
"I had only been back in Australia for three weeks and had a bit of down time which was good because I needed it after eight months in Italy."
The Chinese Taipei series was the start of a hectic final month before selection.
The squad goes into camp in Cairns next Thursday, before heading to Italy on June 17 for a two-game series against Russia.
"The next three or four weeks is pretty important in regards to if you make the team or not," Screen said.
"I am doing all I can. Crossing my t's and dotting my i's and making sure I have done everything possible.
"Then it is out of my control. I can only do what I can, then it is up to the coaches if they want me."
Screen has taken her game to a new level since joining Parma.
"You get more tolerant. You learn more about the game and get used to the European style and the American style, because a lot of Americans play in Europe," she said.
"Mainly it is the quality competition week-in, week-out."
Screen has re-signed with Parma for another year but revealed she almost quit the club midway through last season.
"It was a really challenging year both mentally and physically," she said. "The whole dynamics of the team changed in the second year and I took a while to adjust.
"Getting married and leaving [Boomers and recently signed Sydney Kings big man] Neil [Mottram] back here in Australia also played a part. It was a whole range of things.
"At one stage I was very close to coming home, but I stuck it out and got through it."
Screen will be joined at Parma next season by fellow Opals Laura Summerton and Natalie Porter, who is currently playing a short stint with the Maitland Mustangs in the Waratah League.
"Laura is one of my closest friends and having Natalie there as well, it will be very exciting," she said.
"You don't understand how much it means to have someone close to you."
