Veteran guard Tess Madgen has been applauded as one of the Opals' best ever captains after announcing her retirement from basketball.

Madgen has been Australia's skipper since 2022, leading the side to bronze medals at the FIBA World Cup, FIBA Asia Cup and Paris Olympics.

"It is with a heavy heart, happy knees and a content brain that I would like to announce my retirement from basketball. I am not overstating when I say this game has given me EVERYTHING," Madgen said in a social media post.

"It has taught me everything I know, given me the best partner and friends, allowed me to travel the world and given memories to span lifetimes.

"I will forever be grateful to this game and I will miss playing it so much."

The 34-year-old debuted for the Opals in 2011, the first of 45 games for the national side.

Five-time Olympic medallist Lauren Jackson praised Madgen as a leader who "put her heart and soul into everything she did".

"It made everyone around her want to be better," Jackson said.

"Tess is a really impressive person on and off the court and in terms of her leadership, has been one of the best captains the Opals has had.

"She is solution-orientated and holds people accountable, works through problems and is someone you can count on.

"I really appreciated her leadership style and she made me feel really comfortable and welcome into the group and was someone I absolutely trusted."

Amy Atwell was among Madgen's teammates to thank the outgoing skipper on social media, saying on Instagram it had been "an absolute honour to get to play with you and see your leadership".

AAP