.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's college basketball and also the WNBA.Previously covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore indigenous with more encounter at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Prospectus series.Previously a professional along with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP score and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global competitors will definitely reunite on Friday, as the USA girls's baseball staff confronts the Australian Opals along with an area in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award match on the line.Team USA, which is using a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic wins, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing an upset reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung together three upright victories, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state women have been the gold criterion for basketball throughout the world, gaining seven successive Olympic gold medals as well as nine general, Australia has actually been actually a famous goliath along with them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of recent seven Summertimes Gamings, take away three silvers and 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 additionally was actually the last opportunity the famous Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic stage for the eco-friendly and gold-- previously. While Team USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, appearing in her fifth Games and also to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has actually regularly medaled in the competitors, and though she has actually seen restricted action up until now in France, she possesses an odds to continue that streak this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 energetic WNBA gamers-- possesses plenty of momentum, but the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity against the USA elderly nationwide group, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the 5 Video games through which they medaled, Australia shed to the united state either in the semifinals or even the gold award contest. The squads final complied with in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton break down a few of the pressing questions moving into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Young for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart chats with Brian Windhorst after Crew United States's 14-point gain Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team United States changed up its own beginning 5 against Nigeria, along with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the move repair its own concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young in place of Taurasi-- who possessed final come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the appropriate step. With 15 factors versus Nigeria, Youthful looks carving out a function as Team U.S.A.'s third marker responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Youthful is actually the only various other U.S. player balancing double figures at 10.3 aspects per activity.) Young, some of three Las Vegas Aces players in the beginning 5, showed off her 3-point shooting previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her capacity to receive downhill and hit coming from midrange that stood out, together with her trademark self defense in the backcourt. It took up until the middle of the second one-fourth for the U.S. to truly put its own feet on the gas versus Nigeria, yet Young's hostility and also electricity on both ends must continue to pay dividends. And Taurasi seemed to be to carry out properly off the seat, where she stepped up as a facilitator along with 4 assists.Pelton: I would certainly really love to view beginning point player Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to credit rating. She overlooked all three of her chance tries in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 up until now throughout the Olympics. Incredibly, the USA outscored Nigeria by just two points in Gray's 17:27, while all four other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our last roundtable, the USA females may overcome one non-scorer in the beginning 5 so long as she is actually bringing something else to the desk. As well as Gray is actually with her playmaking, having actually right now amounted to 22 helps against simply three turnovers. Thus, I don't believe trainer Cheryl Reeve needs to make additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat problems carry out the Australians position, and also what might make all of them a tough matchup?Top stories of the full week from Acquire unique access to hundreds of premium posts a year from top writers. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB student class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP battle, various other awards "u2022 25 essential players in CFP ethnicity" Even more ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA fans will certainly be well familiar with this Opals squad, which features the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and also Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Freedom coach Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not only do the Opals have the ability to contend against Group U.S.A.. They possess drive as well as willpower following their unsatisfactory start to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually satisfied along with her group's poise and also grit over the past full week, pair of premiums an opponent needs to have when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike boasts five gamers balancing at the very least 8.0 PPG, can harm enemies inside along with Magbegor and also Johnson however likewise coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most ideal in the Olympic field and considerably higher than Team U.S.A.'s modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff with 8 as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is deeper and also much more talented than any team in the field except for the united state ladies. Our experts may discuss the most effective global gamer at the Paris Gamings, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong prospects. But no group possesses a set of players like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson, both of whom would possess gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not named to the crew this time in spite of identical production.) And also no staff outside the USA possesses almost as much WNBA knowledge throughout its roster.Given the only thing that ability, it was stunning when Australia shed its own opening video game to Nigeria at that point scarcely beat winless Canada. In their past 2 video games, we have actually found the Opals our company counted on, as they beat bested France to advance to the knockout stage and also led Serbia by as many as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron approves. U.S.A. System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can anyone stop Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anybody is actually heading to include all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Smith. Australia's message players place 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per activity and have the range of motion to speak up for Stewart and Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually especially experienced against each opponents, having faced Stewart in practice for 3 years as Storm allies and paired up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest barrier for Magbegor and Johnson is actually repulsive problem. Magbegor grabbed three first-half fouls versus Canada, and Smith had 2 in the initial one-fourth versus France, confining their mins. Backup George is actually a challenging, proficient gamer (she scored 18 factors in 24 mins versus Serbia) however nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up an authentic problem. But offered the encounter Stewart and also Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is going with her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and Johnson are actually seeming in their very first Video games-- I will count on the Crew United States extremely duo to help make the winning plays essential in such a stressful situation to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium would be a tougher opponent for Team USA?Pelton: I am actually choosing Belgium, which offered the USA females their most difficult Olympic examination however. The Americans prevailed by 13 factors, although the scope was simply seven entering the fourth quarter of a group phase game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, along with Julie Vanloo specifically straining from downtown while skipping 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring thirteen aspects with seven supports (albeit with 9 turn overs) as Belgium navigated past Spain, the just various other group besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the multitude country with the group on its edge and also a lot of pleasure vulnerable, a complicated defensive group in France would not be a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes can easily go off like she did versus Germany with 24 aspects off the seat and also along with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on both ends.Has Crew United States played its greatest basketball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, especially on outburst, may still be actually a problem. There are actually opportunities when the lack of playing opportunity together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still evident. Nevertheless, there's a reason Sue Bird just recently claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is the absolute most uneasy basketball she has ever played. After a little bit of a slow beginning, the USA inevitably led by 30 in the third quarter against Nigeria, yet Reeve could not have actually really loved exactly how her staff allowed the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point game before the last buzzer. By means of four video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point capturing have not actually been remedied, which could be a concern if enemies fume coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can't disregard any of the remaining groups in the field, but along with a defensive identity and aggressive expertise led by Stewart and Wilson, it has actually presented it can easily put games away when it needs to have to, something that needs to transmit over in to the last 2 games.Pelton: On the flip side, I assume the firing is additionally reason to strongly believe there's another gear for the USA ladies. Together, the 12 gamers on the roster have integrated to shoot thirty three% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this time. That will not earn a "Dash Sis" nickname any time soon, yet it is actually additionally far better than Staff USA has actually dealt with from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are past due to warm coming from long variation. Keep an eye out if they finally perform.