.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's university baseball as well as the WNBA.Previously covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad as well as Baltimore native along with more experience at the Dallas Morning Information, Seat Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Author Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus set.In the past a consultant along with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP rating and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global rivals are going to reunite on Friday, as the USA ladies's baseball crew faces the Australian Opals with a location in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold award match on the line.Team United States, which is using a streak of 59 successive Olympic triumphes, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Following a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung with each other three upright victories, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state women have been actually the gold specification for basketball throughout the world, gaining seven consecutive Olympic gold awards as well as nine general, Australia has actually been a historic giant together with all of them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of recent seven Summers months 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 given that the 2012 London Video games.2012 additionally was the last opportunity the epic Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic stage for the environment-friendly as well as gold-- until now. While Group United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her 5th Games and first in 12 years. Jackson has actually consistently medaled in the competition, and though she has actually seen restricted action until now in France, she possesses an opportunity to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which includes six active WNBA players-- has plenty of energy, however the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the U.S. senior national crew, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. Throughout the 5 Gamings in which they medaled, Australia lost to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold award contest. The squads final met in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton malfunction a number of the pressing inquiries heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Young for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Staff United States's 14-point sway Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team USA shifted up its beginning five versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Performed the technique repair its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young in place of Taurasi-- who had final come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the appropriate move. Along with 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Youthful seems carving out a part as Crew United States's 3rd marker behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Youthful is actually the just various other U.S. gamer averaging dual figures at 10.3 factors every game.) Young, among three Las Vegas Aces players in the beginning five, displayed her 3-point shooting previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her ability to acquire downhill and reach coming from midrange that attracted attention, together with her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took up until the middle of the second fourth for the united state to truly place its foot on the gasoline against Nigeria, however Young's aggression as well as energy on each ends must remain to return. And also Taurasi seemed to accomplish properly off the bench, where she boosted as a facilitator with four assists.Pelton: I will adore to view beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a risk to credit rating. She overlooked all 3 of her try tries in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 so far throughout the Olympics. Remarkably, the USA outscored Nigeria through just two factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the U.S. females may get rid of one non-scorer in the beginning five such a long time as she is actually taking another thing to the table. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually today completed 22 assists versus just three turn overs. Therefore, I don't assume trainer Cheryl Reeve needs to create additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat problems perform the Australians present, as well as what can create them a difficult matchup?Top accounts of the week from Receive unique access to countless superior articles a year coming from leading authors. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP battle, other awards "u2022 25 essential players in CFP ethnicity" More ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA supporters will certainly be well knowledgeable about this Opals squad, which features the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and also Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Liberty coach Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not merely do the Opals have the ability to compete versus Crew USA. They possess drive and resolve observing their unsatisfying beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has been satisfied with her crew's poise and guts over recent week, two qualities an opponent requires when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault flaunts five gamers averaging at the very least 8.0 PPG, can injure foes inside along with Magbegor as well as Johnson but also from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most ideal in the Olympic industry and also considerably greater than Staff United States's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the staff along with 8 as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is deeper and even more skilled than any type of crew in the business except for the united state females. Our team can easily discuss the most effective international player at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful prospects. However no team has a pair of players comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Smith, each of whom would certainly possess gotten on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not called to the team this season regardless of identical manufacturing.) And also no team outside the USA has virtually as much WNBA experience throughout its roster.Given all that talent, it was actually surprising when Australia shed its own position video game to Nigeria at that point rarely trump winless Canada. In their previous two video games, our company have actually found the Opals our team anticipated, as they trump bested France to develop to the knockout phase and also led Serbia through as a lot of as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for three. LeBron accepts. United States System as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May any individual stop Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if any person is actually going to have all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson. Australia's blog post players position 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per activity and have the flexibility to speak up for Stewart and Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced against each rivals, having actually faced Stewart virtual for three years as Hurricane teammates and matched up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant barrier for Magbegor as well as Smith is actually repulsive issue. Magbegor got three first-half fouls against Canada, as well as Johnson had pair of in the first one-fourth versus France, restricting their mins. Back-up George is actually a challenging, competent gamer (she racked up 18 factors in 24 mins versus Serbia) but nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate concern. But given the experience Stewart as well as Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is selecting her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Johnson are looking in their first Games-- I will anticipate the Staff U.S.A. very duo to produce the winning participates in necessary in such a high-pressure condition to breakthrough to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium will be actually a more durable enemy for Group USA?Pelton: I am actually opting for Belgium, which provided the U.S. women their toughest Olympic exam but. The Americans prevailed by thirteen aspects, although the scope was merely 7 getting into the 4th one-fourth of a team stage video game played in Lille, France, near the border with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, with Julie Vanloo particularly struggling from downtown while missing 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring thirteen points along with 7 aids (albeit along with nine turnovers) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the simply various other team besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation along with the crowd on its edge as well as lots of pride vulnerable, a complicated protective group in France would not be a piece of cake, either, especially if Marine Johannes can easily blow up like she did against Germany along with 24 factors off the seat and also along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Crew USA played its own finest basketball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, specifically on outburst, may still be actually a concern. There are actually opportunities when the lack of playing opportunity with each other or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still obvious. Nevertheless, there's a reason Sue Bird just recently claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Baseball is actually the most uncomfortable basketball she has actually ever before played. After a little a slow-moving begin, the USA inevitably led by 30 in the 3rd fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve could not have really loved how her staff permitted the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game just before the ultimate buzzer. By means of 4 games, the Americans' absence of 3-point capturing have not definitely been actually corrected, which could be an issue if rivals fume coming from deep.Team USA can not disregard some of the staying crews in the field, but with a protective identity and also aggressive prowess led through Stewart and Wilson, it has revealed it can easily place games away when it needs to have to, something that must transfer over right into the final pair of games.Pelton: On the other hand, I think the firing is actually likewise reason to feel there is actually one more gear for the united state females. Jointly, the 12 gamers on the lineup have mixed to fire thirty three% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this period. That won't gain a "Sprinkle Sisters" label any time soon, but it's likewise far better than Staff United States has managed from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are overdue to warm coming from lengthy assortment. Watch out if they eventually perform.