.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's university basketball and also the WNBA.Earlier dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore native along with more experience at the Dallas Morning Headlines, Seattle Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Author Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus collection.Formerly a specialist along with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP rating as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international opponents will certainly meet again on Friday, as the United States women's baseball crew confronts the Australian Opals along with a spot in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal match on the line.Team United States, which is riding a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic success, developed to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a dismayed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung with each other 3 straight triumphes, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA females have been the gold criterion for basketball across the planet, winning seven successive Olympic gold medals as well as nine general, Australia has been a famous powerhouse together with them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of the past 7 Summertimes Video games, take away 3 silvers and also 2 bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 Greater london Video games.2012 also was the final time the famous Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic phase for the environment-friendly and gold-- until now. While Crew United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, showing up in her fifth Video games and also initially in 12 years. Jackson has regularly medaled in the competition, and though she has actually seen restricted activity so far in France, she possesses an opportunity to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 energetic WNBA players-- possesses loads of drive, yet the Opals are actually 0-20 all time against the USA elderly nationwide team, including 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the 5 Games through which they medaled, Australia shed to the united state either in the semifinals or even the gold award competition. The squads final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break down a number of the pressing questions heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credits Jackie Young for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Team U.S.A.'s 14-point draw Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team United States switched up its starting five against Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the move correct its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful in place of Taurasi-- that possessed last go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the appropriate technique. Along with 15 factors versus Nigeria, Young appears to be taking a part as Staff USA's 3rd marker behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Indeed, Young is the merely other united state gamer averaging double figures at 10.3 aspects per activity.) Young, among three Sin city Aces players in the beginning five, exhibited her 3-point shooting earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her ability to receive downhill and also reach coming from midrange that stood apart, alongside her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took up until the center of the 2nd fourth for the united state to actually place its own feet on the gasoline against Nigeria, however Youthful's aggression and electricity on each ends need to remain to return. And also Taurasi seemed to be to accomplish properly off the seat, where she boosted as a company with four assists.Pelton: I 'd adore to observe starting point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a hazard to rating. She overlooked all three of her shot tries in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 up until now in the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the united state outscored Nigeria by simply 2 factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or much better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the U.S. girls can easily get rid of one non-scorer in the starting five such a long time as she is taking something else to the table. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having now amounted to 22 helps against merely three turnovers. Thus, I don't assume trainer Cheryl Reeve requires to make additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat concerns carry out the Australians posture, and what could possibly make them a difficult matchup?Top accounts of the full week from Obtain special accessibility to countless premium articles a year from top article writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB student lesson "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP struggle, various other awards "u2022 25 essential gamers in CFP ethnicity" More ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts will certainly be properly accustomed to this Opals squad, which features the Seat Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Liberty train Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not merely carry out the Opals have the ability to complete versus Team United States. They have energy as well as resolve observing their unsatisfactory start to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been pleased with her staff's grace as well as guts over recent week, 2 qualities an opponent needs when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike boasts five players balancing at the very least 8.0 PPG, can harm adversaries inside along with Magbegor and Smith but additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most ideal in the Olympic industry and a lot more than Group USA's puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the team with 8 as well as seven treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is much deeper as well as more skilled than any sort of crew in the business except for the united state females. We can discuss the very best worldwide player at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy candidates. Yet no group possesses a pair of players as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, both of whom would possess performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not named to the group this time in spite of comparable production.) As well as no crew outside the USA possesses virtually as much WNBA experience throughout its own roster.Given all that talent, it was actually stunning when Australia lost its own position video game to Nigeria after that hardly defeat winless Canada. In their past 2 activities, our company've seen the Opals our experts expected, as they defeat outdoed France to develop to the knockout phase as well as led Serbia through as lots of as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for three. LeBron accepts. USA Network as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can any person cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if any person is actually visiting include them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's article players rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per activity and have the range of motion to stand up for Stewart and Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is specifically experienced versus each rivals, having experienced Stewart virtual for 3 years as Storm allies as well as matched up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest difficulty for Magbegor and Johnson is repulsive difficulty. Magbegor got three first-half fouls against Canada, and Johnson possessed two in the very first fourth versus France, restricting their minutes. Back-up George is actually a tough, proficient player (she scored 18 points in 24 mins versus Serbia) but nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid problem. Yet provided the experience Stewart and also Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is going with her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor as well as Johnson are appearing in their very first Games-- I would certainly anticipate the Staff United States super duo to make the winning plays important in such a high-pressure circumstance to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would certainly be a more durable enemy for Crew USA?Pelton: I am actually opting for Belgium, which offered the united state women their hardest Olympic test however. The Americans dominated by thirteen points, although the margin was actually just seven entering the fourth quarter of a group phase game played in Lille, France, near the border along with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, along with Julie Vanloo especially straining coming from midtown while skipping 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring 13 points with seven aids (albeit along with 9 turn overs) as Belgium travelled previous Spain, the just various other group besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the multitude nation with the crowd on its own side as well as loads of honor on the line, a hard defensive staff in France wouldn't be a pushover, either, particularly if Marine Johannes may go off like she performed versus Germany with 24 points off the bench and also along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Crew USA played its own ideal baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, especially on outburst, may still be actually an issue. There are actually opportunities when the lack of playing opportunity all together or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still apparent. It goes without saying, there is actually a reason why Sue Bird just recently pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Baseball is the best uncomfortable baseball she has ever before participated in. After a little bit of a sluggish start, the U.S. eventually led through 30 in the third one-fourth against Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have actually loved just how her crew made it possible for the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point game just before the final buzzer. Via 4 games, the Americans' absence of 3-point capturing have not really been treated, which might be an issue if challengers fume from deep.Team U.S.A. can't ignore some of the staying crews in the business, yet with a defensive identity and also aggressive expertise led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually shown it can put activities away when it needs to, one thing that ought to move over into the last pair of games.Pelton: On the flip side, I presume the shooting is actually additionally main reason to believe there's another equipment for the united state females. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the roster have actually combined to shoot 33% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this period. That will not make a "Sprinkle Sis" nickname any time soon, but it is actually also better than Team United States has managed from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are outstanding to warm from lengthy variation. Look out if they eventually carry out.