.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's college baseball as well as the WNBA.Formerly covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore native along with further experience at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Program series.Previously an expert along with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international opponents will certainly meet again on Friday, as the United States ladies's baseball team faces the Australian Opals along with a location in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award suit on the line.Team USA, which is actually riding a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic wins, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing a distressed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung with each other 3 straight victories, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state women have actually been actually the gold specification for basketball across the world, succeeding seven consecutive Olympic gold medals as well as nine general, Australia has actually been a historical goliath alongside all of them. The Opals have medaled in five of the past seven Summertimes Gamings, take away 3 silvers and pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the very first time they have actually improved past the quarterfinals due to the fact that the 2012 Greater london Video games.2012 additionally was the final time the epic Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic stage for the environment-friendly and also gold-- previously. While Staff USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her fifth Video games as well as initially in 12 years. Jackson has actually constantly medaled in the competition, and though she has observed limited activity thus far in France, she has an opportunity to carry on that touch this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts six energetic WNBA gamers-- has loads of momentum, but the Opals are 0-20 all time versus the united state elderly nationwide crew, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. Throughout the five Gamings in which they medaled, Australia dropped to the united state either in the semifinals or the gold award contest. The squads last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton malfunction a number of journalism concerns heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit ratings Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart talks along with Brian Windhorst after Crew United States's 14-point draw Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team USA changed up its beginning five against Nigeria, along with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the step repair its own concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful in place of Taurasi-- who possessed last come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the right action. With 15 factors versus Nigeria, Young appears to be taking a function as Team United States's 3rd marker responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Youthful is actually the just other USA gamer averaging double designs at 10.3 points per game.) Young, one of three Las Vegas Aces gamers in the starting 5, flaunted her 3-point firing previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deep on Wednesday, it was her potential to receive downhill and attack from midrange that stuck out, together with her trademark protection in the backcourt. It took until the center of the second one-fourth for the U.S. to really place its foot on the gasoline against Nigeria, however Youthful's aggressiveness as well as electricity on both ends need to remain to return. As well as Taurasi appeared to perform effectively off the seat, where she boosted as a facilitator along with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd love to observe beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to rating. She overlooked all three of her shot tries in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 thus far during the course of the Olympics. Amazingly, the united state outscored Nigeria through merely two aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our last roundtable, the USA females may beat one non-scorer in the starting 5 as long as she is actually delivering another thing to the table. And Gray is along with her playmaking, having right now completed 22 assists versus just three turn overs. Therefore, I don't think train Cheryl Reeve needs to make more changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat problems carry out the Australians posture, and also what could make all of them a difficult matchup?Top tales of the week coming from Acquire unique access to lots of costs posts a year coming from best authors. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore lesson "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP war, various other awards "u2022 25 essential players in CFP race" Additional ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA followers will certainly be actually well familiar with this Opals team, which includes the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Right coach Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not merely do the Opals have the skill to complete versus Crew USA. They have drive and also resolve observing their disappointing beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has been felt free to with her group's grace as well as grit over recent full week, 2 qualities a challenger needs when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike includes 5 players balancing a minimum of 8.0 PPG, may hurt adversaries inside along with Magbegor as well as Smith yet likewise coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most ideal in the Olympic industry and also considerably higher than Crew U.S.A.'s paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the crew with eight and also 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is actually deeper and a lot more proficient than any type of group in the field except for the united state girls. Our experts can easily question the best global player at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough applicants. But no team has a set of gamers as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, both of whom would have been on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not called to the crew this period in spite of comparable creation.) And also no team outside the U.S. possesses nearly as much WNBA knowledge throughout its own roster.Given the only thing that ability, it was astonishing when Australia shed its own position game to Nigeria after that barely beat winless Canada. In their previous 2 activities, our team've found the Opals we counted on, as they defeat topped France to develop to the knockout stage as well as led Serbia by as many as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for 3. LeBron accepts. U.S.A. System and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anybody stop Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if any individual is going to include them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and Smith. Australia's blog post gamers rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity and also have the wheelchair to stand up for Stewart and Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced against both rivals, having actually faced Stewart in practice for 3 years as Storm colleagues and compared along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant challenge for Magbegor and also Smith is foul issue. Magbegor grabbed 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and Johnson possessed two in the very first fourth versus France, confining their minutes. Backup George is a difficult, trained player (she scored 18 aspects in 24 mins against Serbia) however nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid concern. Yet given the experience Stewart and Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is actually choosing her third Olympic gold as well as Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and also Smith are looking in their initial Games-- I will expect the Staff USA very duo to make the winning participates in needed in such a stressful circumstance to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would certainly be actually a harder enemy for Team USA?Pelton: I am actually selecting Belgium, which offered the U.S. females their hardest Olympic test but. The Americans dominated by thirteen aspects, although the scope was actually just 7 entering the fourth one-fourth of a group phase game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, with Julie Vanloo particularly battling from midtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring thirteen aspects along with seven helps (albeit with 9 turn overs) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the just other team besides the U.S. that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the host country with the group on its own side as well as lots of take pride in vulnerable, a hard protective staff in France definitely would not be a pushover, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can go off like she did against Germany along with 24 points off the bench and also with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Staff United States played its own ideal baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, particularly on offense, may still be a problem. There are actually times when the lack of playing time with each other or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still obvious. It goes without saying, there's a reason that Sue Bird lately mentioned on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Baseball is actually the absolute most awkward basketball she has ever before participated in. After a little a slow-moving beginning, the united state eventually led through 30 in the 3rd quarter against Nigeria, however Reeve could not have actually really loved exactly how her group permitted the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game before the ultimate buzzer. Via four activities, the Americans' absence of 3-point firing hasn't truly been treated, which could be an issue if challengers get hot from deep.Team United States can't neglect some of the staying crews in the field, however with a defensive identification and also aggressive adeptness led through Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually presented it may place activities away when it needs to, one thing that ought to move over in to the final two games.Pelton: On the flip side, I think the firing is also factor to think there is actually another gear for the U.S. girls. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the lineup have actually integrated to fire 33% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this season. That will not earn a "Splash Sisters" nickname whenever quickly, however it is actually likewise much better than Group USA has dealt with coming from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to warm coming from lengthy range. Watch out if they lastly carry out.