Ka cika wannan magana: Phillips ta soma horar da 'yan wasan ƙwallon kwando na mata na ƙasar Ostareliya, Opals, a shekara ta 2005. Ta zaɓi shiga sansanin horo da yawon shakatawa tare da ƙungiyar ƙasa maimakon shiga Connecticut Sun a cikin WNBA, wanda ya zaɓe ta a watan Mayu na wannan shekarar. Ta buga wasanni da yawa na baje kolin a China a watan Yuli, sannan ta taimaka wa Opals cancanta don gasar zakarun duniya ta shekara mai zuwa a watan Agusta tare da nasarar da suka samu a Wasannin Zakarun Oceania da suka yi wa New Zealand a watan Agusta. Gasar manyan manyan 'yan wasa ta kasa da kasa ta Phillips ita ce
Wasannin Commonwealth a watan Maris na 2006, wanda Melbourne ta shirya kuma sun hada da kwallon kwando a karon farko. A gida a Ostiraliya, Opals sun lashe lambar zinare a gasar kwallon kwando ta mata, inda suka ci New Zealand a wasan karshe da bambanci. Phillips ya taka muhimmiyar rawa a wasan kusa da na karshe da Ingila. A watan da ya biyo baya, tawagar 'yan wasan ta karbi bakuncin gasar Opals World Challenge a Canberra, inda suka doke kungiyar kwallon kwando ta mata ta Amurka, wacce ba ta yi rashin nasara ba a cikin shekaru bakwai, a karon farko tun 1998.