Serbia inflicted Australia's only loss of the World Cup qualifying tournament after Talbot was ejected for elbowing Jovona Nogic.

Talbot is one of three current Opals to have featured at the 2016 Olympics, where a loss to Serbia in the quarter-finals denied Australia a shot at a sixth-straight Olympic medal.

Her flagrant foul in the qualifiers remained a talking point in the lead-up to Sunday's rematch at Qudos Bank Arena, with Opals coach Sandy Brondello telling reporters Talbot's ejection "should never have happened".

Appropriately, Talbot was one of the stars in the win against Serbia on Sunday that has Australia on the cusp of confirming their place in the knockout stage of the World Cup.

"I had a bit of revenge to get against them," Talbot told AAP.

"I got in a similar situation over there on the same wing, and I was saying to myself, 'Keep your elbows in!'

"I think (the qualifying loss) helped us get a little bit extra pumped."

Rated by captain Tess Madgen as the Opals' best defensive player, Talbot kept the influential Yvonne Anderson quiet in the second half after she threatened to pull the contest back for Serbia, and finished with 10 points, including two baskets from deep.

"I took it a bit personally that (Anderson) had 14 points at halftime and I took it on myself to slow her down and be a bit more aggressive on her," Talbot said.

Talbot's performance won the admiration of her coach.

"It was good that she stayed on the court today," Brondello said with a smile.

"She's just tough. She's one of the best defenders in the WNBA, or wherever she plays. She's the defensive anchor for us."

Brondello said she was proud of Talbot's ability to bounce back from a quiet performance on opening night, when the Opals' wayward shooting led to their first loss in the qualifying round of the World Cup since 1994.

"France probably wasn't a great game for (Talbot) but she's come ready to play," Brondello said.

"The energy really starts with her and the rest follow."

Australian Associated Press