.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's college basketball and also the WNBA.Earlier dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further take in at the Dallas Morning Updates, Seat Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus series.In the past an expert with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP ranking and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international competitors are going to reunite on Friday, as the United States girls's baseball group goes up against the Australian Opals along with a location in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal suit on the line.Team United States, which is actually using a streak of 59 successive Olympic wins, developed to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing an upset loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together 3 upright victories, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. women have actually been the gold specification for basketball all over the planet, succeeding seven successive Olympic gold awards and 9 total, Australia has actually been actually a historical giant along with them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of recent 7 Summertimes Games, taking home three silvers as well as two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the very first time they have actually advanced past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 London Video games.2012 additionally was actually the last opportunity the legendary Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic phase for the environment-friendly and gold-- until now. While Crew U.S.A. has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Games and also initially in 12 years. Jackson has always medaled in the competitors, and though she has found minimal action so far in France, she has an odds to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six active WNBA players-- possesses loads of energy, however the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the USA senior nationwide staff, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competition. Throughout the five Video games through which they medaled, Australia dropped to the united state either in the semifinals or even the gold medal competition. The teams last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break down several of journalism inquiries moving in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart talks along with Brian Windhorst after Team U.S.A.'s 14-point draw Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched over up its own starting 5 against Nigeria, with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the action correct its own concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful instead of Taurasi-- who possessed last go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the correct step. With 15 points versus Nigeria, Young looks taking a job as Crew U.S.A.'s third marker behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Young is actually the merely various other united state gamer balancing dual designs at 10.3 aspects every game.) Youthful, one of three Sin city Aces gamers in the beginning 5, displayed her 3-point shooting previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless coming from deep on Wednesday, it was her capacity to acquire downhill and also strike coming from midrange that stuck out, along with her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took up until the center of the 2nd one-fourth for the USA to truly put its feet on the gas versus Nigeria, however Young's hostility as well as energy on each ends ought to continue to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi seemed to do properly off the seat, where she improved as a company along with four assists.Pelton: I would certainly love to observe starting point player Chelsea Gray be a hazard to credit rating. She skipped all three of her go efforts in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 until now during the Olympics. Amazingly, the united state outscored Nigeria by only two aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all four other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or far better while on the court.Still, as I discussed in our last roundtable, the USA girls can easily get over one non-scorer in the beginning 5 such a long time as she is actually bringing another thing to the table. And Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually right now completed 22 supports against only 3 turnovers. So, I do not think train Cheryl Reeve needs to create further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat problems perform the Australians pose, as well as what could make all of them a tough matchup?Top tales of the full week coming from Get exclusive access to 1000s of fee articles a year from leading article writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP fight, other awards "u2022 25 most important gamers in CFP ethnicity" Additional ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA supporters will definitely be actually effectively acquainted with this Opals team, which features the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and also Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Liberty coach Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not just carry out the Opals have the skill to complete versus Team U.S.A.. They have momentum and resolve observing their unsatisfactory start to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually satisfied along with her crew's grace and grit over recent full week, 2 top qualities a challenger needs when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault boasts five players averaging at the very least 8.0 PPG, may hurt adversaries inside along with Magbegor as well as Smith but also coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most ideal in the Olympic field as well as much higher than Team United States's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the group along with eight and also 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is much deeper as well as even more gifted than any sort of group in the field except for the USA women. Our team can easily discuss the most ideal worldwide gamer at the Paris Video Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as solid candidates. Yet no group has a set of players just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, each of whom would have performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not named to the group this season regardless of comparable production.) And also no team outside the U.S. possesses virtually as much WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given all that talent, it was actually surprising when Australia dropped its own position video game to Nigeria at that point hardly trump winless Canada. In their past 2 activities, our experts have actually viewed the Opals our experts anticipated, as they trump surpassed France to advance to the knockout phase and led Serbia through as several as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for 3. LeBron authorizes. USA System and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anybody cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if anybody is mosting likely to include them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson. Australia's message gamers rank second (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per video game as well as possess the movement to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually especially experienced against each rivals, having encountered Stewart in practice for 3 years as Storm allies and paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest difficulty for Magbegor and Smith is actually nasty trouble. Magbegor grabbed three first-half fouls versus Canada, and Johnson possessed pair of in the very first fourth versus France, confining their minutes. Backup George is a difficult, skillful gamer (she scored 18 factors in 24 mins against Serbia) yet nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate worry. However provided the encounter Stewart as well as Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is opting for her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Johnson are seeming in their initial Video games-- I 'd anticipate the Staff U.S.A. extremely duo to help make the winning participates in needed in such a high-pressure situation to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would be a harder challenger for Crew USA?Pelton: I am actually going with Belgium, which provided the USA females their toughest Olympic examination however. The Americans prevailed by thirteen factors, although the scope was actually merely 7 going into the 4th quarter of a team phase video game played in Lille, France, near the border along with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, with Julie Vanloo particularly struggling coming from downtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up thirteen points along with 7 helps (albeit with nine turn overs) as Belgium navigated previous Spain, the only various other staff besides the united state that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the lot nation along with the group on its own edge as well as a lot of take pride in on the line, a complicated defensive team in France would not be a pushover, either, particularly if Marine Johannes may go off like she did against Germany along with 24 points off the bench as well as along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Crew U.S.A. played its finest basketball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, specifically on outburst, can still be a concern. There are actually times when the shortage of participating in opportunity all together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still obvious. Nevertheless, there is actually a reason that Sue Bird recently pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Baseball is one of the most annoying baseball she has actually ever played. After a little a slow begin, the united state at some point led by 30 in the third one-fourth against Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have loved just how her group allowed the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game prior to the last buzzer. Through 4 games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point shooting have not definitely been corrected, which may be an issue if enemies get hot from deep.Team U.S.A. can't overlook any of the remaining groups in the business, however with a protective identity and aggressive expertise led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has presented it may put games away when it needs to, something that should transfer over right into the final two games.Pelton: On the other side, I presume the shooting is actually also main reason to believe there is actually yet another equipment for the USA women. Collectively, the 12 players on the lineup have integrated to fire thirty three% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this time. That won't earn a "Splash Sisters" nickname at any time very soon, however it is actually additionally much better than Crew USA has handled from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to warm up coming from long variation. Watch out if they eventually do.