.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's university basketball as well as the WNBA.Formerly dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and also Baltimore indigenous along with more encounter at the Dallas Early Morning Information, Seattle Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Program collection.Previously a consultant with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP score as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international opponents will certainly reunite on Friday, as the United States women's baseball group confronts the Australian Opals along with a spot in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal match on the line.Team U.S.A., which is actually using a touch of 59 successive Olympic success, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing a distressed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung with each other 3 straight victories, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. females have actually been the gold specification for baseball throughout the planet, gaining seven consecutive Olympic gold awards and also 9 total, Australia has actually been a historic giant along with all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of recent seven Summers months Games, take away 3 silvers as well as 2 bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris denotes the very first time they have actually advanced past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 London Gamings.2012 likewise was the final time the famous Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly and also gold-- previously. While Group United States possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, seeming 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 activity until now in France, she has a possibility to proceed that streak this weekend.Australia-- which includes six energetic WNBA gamers-- possesses plenty of drive, but the Opals are 0-20 all time versus the USA senior national group, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the course of the 5 Games through which they medaled, Australia shed to the united state either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The squads final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break down a number of the pressing inquiries heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart debts Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Crew U.S.A.'s 14-point gain Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team USA switched over up its own starting 5 versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the action fix its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful instead of Taurasi-- that possessed last go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the correct step. With 15 points versus Nigeria, Young appears to be carving out a part as Staff USA's third scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Youthful is the just various other U.S. player balancing dual designs at 10.3 factors per game.) Youthful, among 3 Las Vegas Aces players in the starting 5, displayed her 3-point shooting previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deeper on Wednesday, it was her potential to get downhill and also reach from midrange that stood out, in addition to her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took till the center of the second one-fourth for the united state to truly place its feet on the fuel versus Nigeria, but Youthful's hostility as well as electricity on each ends need to continue to pay dividends. And also Taurasi appeared to perform effectively off the bench, where she stepped up as a facilitator along with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd love to observe beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a hazard to credit rating. She missed all 3 of her try efforts in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 thus far during the course of the Olympics. Amazingly, the U.S. outscored Nigeria through simply pair of aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or even better while on the court.Still, as I discussed in our last roundtable, the U.S. women may get over one non-scorer in the starting five so long as she is actually taking something else to the table. And Gray is actually with her playmaking, having actually now amounted to 22 helps versus just three turn overs. So, I do not believe instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat troubles perform the Australians position, and also what might create all of them a challenging matchup?Top accounts of the week coming from Get unique accessibility to countless superior short articles a year coming from best article writers. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore training class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP battle, various other honors "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP ethnicity" More ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA supporters will definitely be actually properly accustomed to this Opals squad, which features the Seattle Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Right trainer Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not merely carry out the Opals have the talent to compete against Group U.S.A.. They have energy as well as resolve observing their disappointing start to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually felt free to along with her crew's poise as well as grit over the past week, pair of qualities a challenger needs when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault boasts five players balancing at the very least 8.0 PPG, can hurt foes inside along with Magbegor as well as Johnson yet likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the greatest in the Olympic field and also a lot higher than Group USA's paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the team with 8 and also seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is actually much deeper and also a lot more skilled than any sort of team in the business save for the USA females. Our experts may discuss the greatest international gamer at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong applicants. Yet no staff possesses a set of gamers comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, both of whom would have been on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not named to the staff this period even with identical production.) And no team outside the U.S. has nearly as much WNBA knowledge throughout its own roster.Given all that skill, it was shocking when Australia shed its position video game to Nigeria then rarely beat winless Canada. In their previous pair of video games, our team've observed the Opals our team expected, as they defeat exceeded France to advance to the knockout stage and led Serbia through as lots of as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for three. LeBron authorizes. USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May any individual quit Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any person is actually mosting likely to include them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson. Australia's blog post players rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game as well as possess the mobility to speak up for Stewart and also Wilson on the border. Magbegor is specifically experienced against each rivals, having actually experienced Stewart in practice for 3 years as Storm allies and matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest hurdle for Magbegor and also Smith is actually nasty issue. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and Smith possessed 2 in the 1st fourth versus France, limiting their mins. Data backup George is actually a challenging, proficient gamer (she scored 18 points in 24 minutes versus Serbia) yet no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a valid concern. However given the take in Stewart as well as Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is actually going with her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Johnson are seeming in their very first Video games-- I will count on the Crew U.S.A. extremely duo to help make the winning participates in required in such a stressful circumstance to breakthrough to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would certainly be a harder enemy for Staff USA?Pelton: I'm picking Belgium, which offered the USA women their toughest Olympic exam however. The Americans dominated through 13 aspects, although the margin was only seven entering into the fourth one-fourth of a team phase video game played in Lille, France, near the edge along with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo especially straining coming from midtown while missing 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring thirteen factors with 7 helps (albeit along with nine turn overs) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the simply various other group besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the multitude nation with the group on its own edge as well as loads of pleasure vulnerable, a complicated defensive team in France would not be a pushover, either, particularly if Marine Johannes can easily blow up like she performed against Germany along with 24 aspects off the seat as well as along with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on each ends.Has Group USA played its own absolute best baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, particularly on outburst, can easily still be an issue. There are actually opportunities when the absence of playing time with each other or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still noticeable. After all, there is actually a reason that Sue Bird just recently said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Basketball is the most annoying baseball she has actually ever played. After a bit of a slow-moving begin, the U.S. at some point led through 30 in the third fourth against Nigeria, but Reeve could not have actually adored exactly how her staff allowed the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point video game before the ultimate buzzer. By means of four games, the Americans' lack of 3-point capturing hasn't actually been remedied, which could be a concern if enemies get hot coming from deep.Team United States can't ignore some of the remaining teams in the field, however with a defensive identification and aggressive expertise led through Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually shown it can easily put activities away when it requires to, something that ought to move over into the ultimate pair of games.Pelton: On the other side, I presume the firing is actually also explanation to think there's one more equipment for the U.S. females. Collectively, the 12 players on the lineup have actually combined to fire thirty three% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this season. That won't earn a "Dash Siblings" label at any time very soon, however it is actually also far better than Crew U.S.A. has handled coming from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to warm up from long assortment. Keep an eye out if they ultimately perform.