.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's college baseball as well as the WNBA.Previously dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and also Baltimore indigenous with more take in at the Dallas Morning Updates, Seat Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Program set.In the past a specialist with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP rating and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global competitors are going to meet again on Friday, as the United States ladies's baseball group takes on the Australian Opals along with an area in the 2024 Paris Games' gold award suit on the line.Team United States, which is riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic triumphes, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung all together three straight victories, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. ladies have actually been actually the gold standard for basketball throughout the planet, winning 7 consecutive Olympic gold medals as well as nine general, Australia has actually been a famous goliath along with them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of the past seven Summer seasons Games, take away 3 silvers and also 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals due to the fact that the 2012 Greater london Video games.2012 likewise was actually the final opportunity the epic Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the environment-friendly as well as gold-- previously. While Crew U.S.A. has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Video games and to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has always medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has actually seen minimal action thus far in France, she possesses an odds to carry on that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 active WNBA gamers-- possesses loads of drive, yet the Opals are 0-20 all time against the USA elderly nationwide crew, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the course of the 5 Video games through which they medaled, Australia lost to the united state either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The squads final complied with in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break down several of the pressing questions heading right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart chats with Brian Windhorst after Crew U.S.A.'s 14-point sway Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team United States shifted up its own starting 5 against Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the technique repair its problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young instead of Taurasi-- who had final come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the right move. With 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Youthful seems carving out a job as Crew U.S.A.'s 3rd scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Young is the just various other U.S. player balancing dual designs at 10.3 points per game.) Young, some of three Sin city Aces players in the starting five, exhibited her 3-point shooting earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless coming from deep on Wednesday, it was her potential to obtain downhill and strike coming from midrange that stood apart, along with her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the second quarter for the united state to definitely place its own foot on the gasoline versus Nigeria, yet Young's hostility as well as energy on each ends need to continue to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi seemed to carry out effectively off the seat, where she stepped up as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd really love to find starting point player Chelsea Gray be actually a risk to credit rating. She skipped all 3 of her try attempts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 so far during the Olympics. Incredibly, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by merely 2 aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even far better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our last roundtable, the united state women can easily conquer one non-scorer in the beginning 5 such a long time as she is actually carrying something else to the table. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having now totted 22 assists versus merely 3 turnovers. Thus, I don't believe train Cheryl Reeve needs to make more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat complications carry out the Australians position, and also what could make all of them a tough matchup?Top stories of the week from Obtain special access to hundreds of fee posts a year coming from top writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB student class "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP struggle, other honors "u2022 25 essential gamers in CFP race" More ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA supporters will be properly acquainted with this Opals team, which includes the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New York Freedom train Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not just do the Opals have the skill to contend versus Crew U.S.A.. They possess drive as well as fix observing their frustrating begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been felt free to along with her staff's grace and guts over the past week, 2 top qualities an opponent needs when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack flaunts 5 players averaging at the very least 8.0 PPG, can easily hurt enemies inside along with Magbegor and also Johnson but additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most effective in the Olympic industry and a lot greater than Team U.S.A.'s tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff along with eight and seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is actually much deeper as well as more accomplished than any group in the field except for the USA girls. Our team can debate the greatest global gamer at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful candidates. Yet no group has a set of players just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, both of whom would certainly have 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 development.) And no crew outside the U.S. possesses virtually as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given the only thing that skill, it was surprising when Australia shed its own position activity to Nigeria at that point rarely trump winless Canada. In their previous two video games, we've found the Opals we anticipated, as they trump bested France to advance to the knockout phase and also led Serbia by as a lot of as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for 3. LeBron permits. United States 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. However if anyone is mosting likely to contain all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Smith. Australia's message gamers rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game and possess the mobility to defend Stewart as well as Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is specifically experienced versus each opponents, having actually encountered Stewart in practice for three years as Storm teammates as well as matched up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest hurdle for Magbegor and also Johnson is actually foul problem. Magbegor got three first-half fouls against Canada, and also Smith possessed pair of in the initial one-fourth versus France, limiting their moments. Back-up George is actually a challenging, skilled gamer (she scored 18 factors in 24 minutes against Serbia) yet nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up an authentic worry. Yet given the experience Stewart as well as Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is actually opting for her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor as well as Smith are actually looking in their very first Video games-- I would certainly count on the Crew United States super duo to create the winning participates in necessary in such a high-pressure situation to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would be actually a more durable rival for Group USA?Pelton: I am actually going with Belgium, which gave the U.S. women their toughest Olympic test yet. The Americans dominated through 13 factors, although the frame was simply seven getting into the 4th one-fourth of a team stage game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, with Julie Vanloo specifically having a hard time from downtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring thirteen points with seven helps (albeit with 9 turn overs) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the simply other staff besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation with the crowd on its edge and loads of take pride in on the line, a challenging protective team in France definitely would not be actually a pushover, either, particularly if Marine Johannes may go off like she did against Germany with 24 factors off the seat and also with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Team United States played its own best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, especially on offense, can still be actually a problem. There are actually opportunities when the lack of participating in opportunity with each other or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still apparent. After all, there's a reason that Sue Bird just recently said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Baseball is the best unpleasant baseball she has actually ever participated in. After a little a slow beginning, the U.S. ultimately led by 30 in the third one-fourth versus Nigeria, but Reeve couldn't have really loved just how her group allowed the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game before the last buzzer. By means of four activities, the Americans' lack of 3-point shooting hasn't truly been actually solved, which might be an issue if rivals get hot from deep.Team United States can not ignore any of the continuing to be staffs in the business, but with a defensive identity as well as aggressive prowess led through Stewart as well as Wilson, it has actually revealed it can put video games away when it needs to, one thing that ought to transmit over into the last pair of games.Pelton: On the other hand, I presume the capturing is actually additionally explanation to feel there's one more equipment for the USA ladies. Collectively, the 12 players on the lineup have incorporated to shoot 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this season. That won't earn a "Sprinkle Siblings" label whenever soon, however it is actually also much better than Crew United States has managed 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 long array. Watch out if they eventually carry out.