.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's university baseball and the WNBA.Earlier dealt with UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore indigenous with additional take in at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Article Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Program collection.In the past an expert along with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP score as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide opponents will meet again on Friday, as the United States females's basketball staff faces the Australian Opals with a place in the 2024 Paris Games' gold award suit on the line.Team United States, which is using a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic success, developed to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Following a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together three straight triumphes, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. girls have actually been actually the gold specification for basketball across the globe, winning 7 consecutive Olympic gold medals as well as nine overall, Australia has actually been a historical goliath together with all of them. The Opals have medaled in five of recent 7 Summers months Video games, taking home 3 silvers and 2 bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the very first time they've developed past the quarterfinals due to the fact that the 2012 London Video games.2012 also was actually the final time the legendary Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly and also gold-- previously. While Team U.S.A. possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Gamings and initially in 12 years. Jackson has actually regularly medaled in the competition, and also though she has observed limited action so far in France, she possesses an opportunity to carry on that streak this weekend.Australia-- which includes six energetic WNBA players-- possesses loads of drive, but the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity against the U.S. elderly national staff, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the five Gamings through which they medaled, Australia lost to the united state either in the semifinals or even the gold award contest. The squads final fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break down a few of the pressing concerns moving in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit ratings Jackie Young for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart chats with Brian Windhorst after Crew U.S.A.'s 14-point sway Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched up its starting 5 against Nigeria, along with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Performed the relocation repair its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful in place of Taurasi-- that possessed last come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the best step. Along with 15 factors versus Nigeria, Young seems taking a job as Team USA's 3rd marker behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Young is actually the merely various other USA player averaging dual figures at 10.3 factors every activity.) Youthful, among 3 Sin city Aces players in the starting 5, displayed her 3-point capturing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her capability to obtain downhill and also reach from midrange that stood apart, alongside her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the 2nd one-fourth for the USA to really place its own feet on the gas versus Nigeria, yet Youthful's aggressiveness as well as energy on each ends ought to continue to return. And also Taurasi seemed to be to carry out well off the bench, where she boosted as a facilitator along with four assists.Pelton: I will love to observe starting point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to rating. She missed all three of her go efforts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 thus far during the Olympics. Extremely, the USA outscored Nigeria by just two points in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even far better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our last roundtable, the U.S. girls can easily beat one non-scorer in the starting 5 such a long time as she is actually carrying another thing to the desk. And Gray is with her playmaking, having actually now totted 22 helps versus simply three turnovers. So, I don't believe train Cheryl Reeve needs to make further changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat issues carry out the Australians pose, as well as what could make them a hard matchup?Top tales of the full week coming from Obtain exclusive accessibility to 1000s of fee write-ups a year coming from leading writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB student course "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP struggle, various other awards "u2022 25 most important players in CFP race" Even more ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA followers will certainly be properly accustomed to this Opals squad, which features the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Liberty train Sandy Brondello responsible. Not simply perform the Opals have the skill to compete versus Staff U.S.A.. They possess drive and fix following their frustrating begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been felt free to with her group's grace and guts over recent week, pair of premiums an opponent requires when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack boasts 5 players balancing at the very least 8.0 PPG, can easily hurt foes inside with Magbegor and also Smith but additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most effective in the Olympic area and also much more than Team U.S.A.'s paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Sin City Aces, lead the group with eight as well as seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually much deeper and also more gifted than any kind of group in the field save for the united state girls. Our company can dispute the best worldwide player at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough applicants. However no group possesses a set of players comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, each of whom will possess been on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not named to the staff this time regardless of similar creation.) As well as no team outside the U.S. has almost as much WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given the only thing that skill, it was stunning when Australia dropped its own opening game to Nigeria after that barely defeat winless Canada. In their past 2 video games, our experts have actually viewed the Opals our experts counted on, as they trump outdoed France to advance to the knockout phase as well as led Serbia through as several as 28 in an askew quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for three. LeBron accepts. USA System and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily any person stop Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anybody is actually mosting likely to have them, it's the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's post gamers rank 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per activity as well as possess the wheelchair to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the border. Magbegor is actually especially experienced versus each challengers, having actually encountered Stewart in practice for three years as Hurricane colleagues and paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest hurdle for Magbegor and also Smith is actually nasty problem. Magbegor grabbed three first-half fouls versus Canada, as well as Smith had two in the first quarter versus France, limiting their moments. Backup George is actually a difficult, skilled player (she racked up 18 points in 24 moments against Serbia) but no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid issue. But offered the encounter Stewart as well as Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is going for her third Olympic gold and Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and also Johnson are appearing in their 1st Gamings-- I would certainly count on the Staff United States incredibly duo to create the winning plays necessary in such a stressful circumstance to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium will be actually a more durable opponent for Staff USA?Pelton: I'm picking Belgium, which provided the united state girls their most difficult Olympic examination yet. The Americans dominated through thirteen factors, although the margin was actually merely 7 getting into the fourth one-fourth of a group stage game played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo especially having a hard time from downtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring thirteen points along with 7 helps (albeit with 9 turnovers) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the simply other team besides the USA that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation along with the crowd on its side and also plenty of pleasure on the line, a difficult defensive crew in France definitely would not be actually a piece of cake, either, particularly if Marine Johannes can easily blow up like she carried out versus Germany along with 24 aspects off the seat as well as with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on both ends.Has Team USA played its finest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, especially on outburst, may still be a problem. There are times when the lack of playing opportunity together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still apparent. Nevertheless, there is actually a reason Sue Bird lately said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Baseball is actually the absolute most uneasy baseball she has ever participated in. After a little a slow-moving begin, the united state inevitably led by 30 in the 3rd fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have really loved just how her staff allowed the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game before the ultimate buzzer. With 4 video games, the Americans' lack of 3-point shooting hasn't actually been actually solved, which can be a problem if rivals get hot from deep.Team United States can not ignore any of the remaining staffs in the business, yet with a protective identity as well as offensive expertise led by Stewart and Wilson, it has actually shown it may put games away when it needs to, something that needs to transfer over into the last two games.Pelton: On the other hand, I presume the firing is actually additionally explanation to strongly believe there is actually one more equipment for the U.S. women. Jointly, the 12 players on the lineup have actually blended to shoot 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this season. That won't gain a "Splash Siblings" label at any time quickly, but it's additionally far better than Crew U.S.A. has actually managed from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are past due to warm coming from lengthy variation. Watch out if they lastly perform.