.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's college baseball and also the WNBA.Recently covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and also Baltimore indigenous along with more take in at the Dallas Morning Updates, Seattle Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Program collection.In the past a professional with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global opponents will definitely meet again on Friday, as the United States women's basketball team confronts the Australian Opals along with an area in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold award suit on the line.Team U.S.A., which is riding a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic success, advanced to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung all together 3 upright triumphes, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA ladies have actually been actually the gold requirement for baseball all over the globe, succeeding 7 consecutive Olympic gold awards and nine overall, Australia has actually been a historic giant alongside them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past 7 Summertimes Video games, taking home 3 silvers and also pair of bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris denotes the very first time they have actually advanced past the quarterfinals since the 2012 London Video games.2012 likewise was the last time the fabulous Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the green and also gold-- until now. While Crew U.S.A. has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Gamings and initially in 12 years. Jackson has actually regularly medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has observed restricted action thus far in France, she possesses a chance to carry on that streak this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts six energetic WNBA gamers-- possesses a lot of momentum, but the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity versus the united state elderly nationwide staff, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competitors. Throughout the 5 Video games in which they medaled, Australia shed to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold award contest. The squads last satisfied in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break some of the pressing inquiries moving in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart debts Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Group United States's 14-point gain Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team USA changed up its own beginning 5 against Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the move fix its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful in place of Taurasi-- that had last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the ideal move. With 15 points versus Nigeria, Youthful appears to be carving out a part as Staff U.S.A.'s 3rd scorer behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Youthful is the only various other U.S. gamer averaging dual figures at 10.3 points every game.) Young, one of 3 Las Vegas Aces gamers in the starting 5, showed off her 3-point firing previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her ability to obtain downhill and hit coming from midrange that stood out, in addition to her hallmark defense in the backcourt. It took till the center of the second fourth for the united state to actually put its own feet on the gasoline versus Nigeria, however Young's aggression and electricity on each ends should continue to return. And also Taurasi seemed to perform well off the seat, where she stepped up as a company with four assists.Pelton: I 'd love to view starting point player Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to rating. She skipped all three of her shot attempts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 until now throughout the Olympics. Remarkably, the united state outscored Nigeria through only 2 points in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or much better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our final roundtable, the united state women can easily eliminate one non-scorer in the starting five as long as she is actually taking something else to the table. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually today totaled 22 aids against merely 3 turn overs. Thus, I do not assume train Cheryl Reeve requires to make further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat problems perform the Australians pose, and also what can make them a difficult matchup?Top tales of the full week coming from Obtain special access to hundreds of fee articles a year coming from best authors. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore course "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP battle, various other honors "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP ethnicity" More ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA fans will definitely be actually properly aware of this Opals team, which features the Seattle Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Right train Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not merely carry out the Opals possess the skill to compete against Group USA. They have momentum and fix following their disappointing start to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been felt free to along with her team's poise as well as guts over the past full week, two premiums an enemy requires when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike boasts 5 players balancing a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can harm foes inside with Magbegor as well as Johnson but likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the best in the Olympic industry and a lot higher than Crew U.S.A.'s puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff along with eight as well as seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually deeper and a lot more accomplished than any sort of staff in the business save for the united state females. Our experts can debate the greatest worldwide player at the Paris Gamings, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy applicants. But no staff possesses a set of gamers as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Smith, each of whom will possess been on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not named to the staff this time regardless of similar manufacturing.) And also no crew outside the U.S. possesses virtually as a lot WNBA adventure throughout its roster.Given everything talent, it was shocking when Australia dropped its own opening game to Nigeria then scarcely defeat winless Canada. In their previous two activities, our experts have actually found the Opals our team counted on, as they defeat surpassed France to develop to the knockout phase and also led Serbia by as many as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for 3. LeBron accepts. United States Network as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily any individual quit Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anyone is going to have them, it's the duo of Magbegor and also Smith. Australia's post gamers rank second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game and also possess the movement to speak up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced against each rivals, having faced Stewart virtual for 3 years as Storm allies and matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest difficulty for Magbegor as well as Johnson is actually filthy trouble. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls versus Canada, and Johnson possessed two in the initial quarter versus France, restricting their moments. Backup George is actually a difficult, experienced gamer (she scored 18 aspects in 24 moments versus Serbia) however no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises an authentic worry. Yet given the encounter Stewart and also Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is going for her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Smith are actually showing up in their 1st Games-- I would certainly count on the Staff U.S.A. very duo to make the winning participates in required in such a stressful scenario to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would be a more durable opponent for Staff USA?Pelton: I am actually picking Belgium, which offered the U.S. girls their hardest Olympic examination yet. The Americans prevailed by 13 factors, although the margin was actually merely seven going into the 4th one-fourth of a group stage game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter along with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, with Julie Vanloo especially battling from downtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up thirteen factors along with 7 assists (albeit with 9 turn overs) as Belgium travelled past Spain, the merely other staff besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the lot country with the group on its own edge and loads of pride on the line, a difficult protective team in France wouldn't be actually a pushover, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can go off like she did versus Germany along with 24 aspects off the seat and also with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on each ends.Has Staff United States played its own absolute best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, specifically on outburst, can easily still be a concern. There are opportunities when the absence of playing opportunity all together or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still apparent. After all, there is actually a reason why Sue Bird recently stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is the best annoying basketball she has actually ever played. After a little a slow start, the united state inevitably led by 30 in the 3rd one-fourth against Nigeria, but Reeve could not have actually adored how her crew made it possible for the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game before the last buzzer. Through 4 games, the Americans' absence of 3-point firing hasn't really been fixed, which could be an issue if opponents get hot from deep.Team U.S.A. can not ignore some of the staying staffs in the field, but along with a protective identity and also offensive adeptness led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually shown it can put video games away when it needs to have to, one thing that ought to move over into the last 2 games.Pelton: On the flip side, I assume the firing is likewise reason to strongly believe there is actually another equipment for the USA females. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the lineup have combined to shoot thirty three% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this time. That won't make a "Dash Sis" label whenever soon, yet it is actually also far better than Staff USA has actually taken care of coming from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to warm up from long selection. Watch out if they finally perform.