.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's university basketball as well as the WNBA.Recently covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and also Baltimore native with additional take in at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seat Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Program set.In the past a professional with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global competitors will definitely reunite on Friday, as the United States women'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 USA, which is actually riding a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic triumphes, advanced to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing a dismayed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung all together three upright success, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA women have been actually the gold standard for basketball around the planet, winning 7 consecutive Olympic gold awards and nine general, Australia has been actually a historic goliath alongside them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past seven Summer seasons Gamings, take away 3 silvers as well as two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 Greater london Video games.2012 additionally was the final opportunity the fabulous Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly and also gold-- until now. While Team U.S.A. has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, showing up in her fifth Video games and also to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has actually always medaled in the competition, and also though she has actually seen limited activity until now in France, she has an odds to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts six energetic WNBA gamers-- has lots of momentum, yet the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the united state senior nationwide crew, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the five Games in which they medaled, Australia dropped to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold medal contest. The teams last met in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break several of the pressing concerns moving right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit ratings Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart speaks along with Brian Windhorst after Team USA's 14-point draw Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team USA switched up its starting 5 against Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Performed the step fix its own concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful in place of Taurasi-- that possessed final come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the appropriate technique. With 15 points versus Nigeria, Young appears to be carving out a role as Team United States's 3rd scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Youthful is actually the simply various other U.S. player balancing double designs at 10.3 points every game.) Young, one of three Las Vegas Aces gamers in the beginning five, exhibited her 3-point firing previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her ability to acquire downhill as well as strike from midrange that stood apart, together with her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took till the center of the 2nd fourth for the U.S. to actually place its foot on the fuel against Nigeria, yet Youthful's hostility as well as electricity on both ends ought to continue to pay dividends. And also Taurasi seemed to be to perform well off the bench, where she improved as a company along with 4 assists.Pelton: I will really love to view starting point player Chelsea Gray be a risk to credit rating. She overlooked all 3 of her shot tries in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 until now throughout the Olympics. Remarkably, the united state outscored Nigeria by only pair of factors in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or even far better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our final roundtable, the U.S. ladies can eliminate one non-scorer in the beginning five as long as she is carrying something else to the desk. And also Gray is actually along with her playmaking, having actually now amounted to 22 assists versus merely 3 turnovers. So, I do not assume coach Cheryl Reeve requires to create further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat issues carry out the Australians present, as well as what could possibly create all of them a tough matchup?Top tales of the full week from Receive special accessibility to lots of costs posts a year from top writers. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB student class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP war, various other awards "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP ethnicity" Even more ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts will certainly be effectively aware of this Opals squad, which features the Seattle Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Freedom trainer Sandy Brondello responsible. Not merely perform the Opals possess the talent to contend versus Group United States. They possess energy as well as willpower observing their frustrating beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been pleased with her group's grace and also guts over recent full week, pair of premiums an opponent needs when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike includes 5 gamers averaging at least 8.0 PPG, may harm adversaries inside with Magbegor and Smith however also from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the very best in the Olympic field as well as considerably higher than Crew United States's puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the group along with eight as well as seven treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is much deeper and also much more skilled than any type of group in the field save for the united state women. Our team may debate the very best global player at the Paris Gamings, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful applicants. However no crew possesses a pair of gamers just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Smith, both of whom would certainly possess been on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not called to the staff this time in spite of identical production.) And no team outside the U.S. possesses virtually as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its roster.Given all that skill, it was actually stunning when Australia lost its own position game to Nigeria at that point barely trump winless Canada. In their previous pair of games, our team've observed the Opals our team counted on, as they trump bested France to develop to the knockout stage as well as led Serbia through as numerous as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron authorizes. United States Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anybody cease Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if any person is heading to contain them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson. Australia's blog post gamers rate second (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per video game as well as possess the flexibility to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually especially experienced against both opponents, having experienced Stewart virtual for three years as Tornado allies and compared with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest difficulty for Magbegor and also Johnson is actually foul difficulty. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls against Canada, as well as Johnson possessed two in the 1st fourth versus France, confining their moments. Data backup George is a challenging, proficient gamer (she racked up 18 points in 24 minutes versus Serbia) yet nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate worry. However provided the experience Stewart and also Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is selecting her third Olympic gold as well as Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Smith are showing up in their very first Gamings-- I 'd count on the Team United States very duo to help make the winning participates in essential in such a high-pressure circumstance to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would be actually a more durable rival for Staff USA?Pelton: I am actually choosing Belgium, which provided the U.S. girls their hardest Olympic test yet. The Americans prevailed through thirteen points, although the scope was only seven going into the fourth quarter of a team phase game played in Lille, France, near the border with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo particularly straining coming from midtown while missing 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up thirteen points along with 7 helps (albeit along with 9 turn overs) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the merely various other crew besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the lot nation with the group on its edge as well as loads of pleasure vulnerable, a challenging protective crew in France definitely would not be actually a piece of cake, either, particularly if Marine Johannes may go off like she carried out against Germany along with 24 aspects off the bench and along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Crew USA played its best baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, particularly on offense, may still be actually a problem. There are actually times when the absence of playing time all together or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still obvious. It goes without saying, there's a main reason why Sue Bird recently pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Basketball is the absolute most uneasy baseball she has ever participated in. After a bit of a sluggish start, the USA eventually led by 30 in the third fourth against Nigeria, but Reeve couldn't have enjoyed exactly how her group allowed the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point activity prior to the last buzzer. Via 4 activities, the Americans' shortage of 3-point shooting have not actually been actually solved, which could be an issue if challengers fume coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can not ignore some of the staying staffs in the business, but along with a defensive identification as well as aggressive adeptness led through Stewart and Wilson, it has actually presented it can easily place activities away when it requires to, something that should transfer over into the final two games.Pelton: On the other hand, I presume the firing is additionally explanation to strongly believe there's one more gear for the U.S. ladies. Jointly, the 12 players on the lineup have blended to shoot 33% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this period. That won't make a "Sprinkle Sis" nickname whenever very soon, but it's also far better than Team USA has taken care of 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 up coming from lengthy variety. Watch out if they eventually do.