.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's university baseball and also the WNBA.Formerly dealt with UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore indigenous along with further take in at the Dallas Early Morning Updates, Seattle Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Program set.In the past a specialist along with the Indiana Pacers.Established WARP ranking and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global opponents will reunite on Friday, as the USA girls's basketball staff confronts the Australian Opals along with a location in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award suit on the line.Team USA, which is actually riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic victories, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a distressed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung all together 3 upright success, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state ladies have been the gold specification for baseball throughout the world, gaining seven consecutive Olympic gold medals as well as nine general, Australia has been actually a historic goliath alongside all of them. The Opals have medaled in five of the past 7 Summer Gamings, take away three silvers as well as two bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris marks the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 London Video games.2012 also was the final opportunity the legendary Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic stage for the environment-friendly and also gold-- until now. While Team United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her fifth Video games and also first in 12 years. Jackson has actually constantly medaled in the competitors, and though she has actually observed limited action thus far in France, she has an opportunity to continue that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 active WNBA players-- possesses plenty of drive, yet the Opals are 0-20 all time versus the U.S. elderly national group, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the 5 Video games in which they medaled, Australia lost to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold award contest. The teams final fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton malfunction a number of journalism concerns heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Young for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Team USA's 14-point draw Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched up its beginning five against Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the relocation repair its problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful instead of Taurasi-- that possessed last come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the correct action. Along with 15 aspects against Nigeria, Youthful appears to be taking a job as Group United States's third marker behind A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Youthful is the simply various other united state gamer averaging dual figures at 10.3 factors every activity.) Youthful, one of 3 Las Vegas Aces players in the starting five, flaunted her 3-point shooting earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her ability to receive downhill as well as hit from midrange that stood apart, alongside her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took till the middle of the second one-fourth for the U.S. to really put its own foot on the fuel against Nigeria, yet Young's aggression and power on both ends need to remain to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi seemed to accomplish well off the seat, where she stepped up as a facilitator with four assists.Pelton: I 'd enjoy to observe beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a hazard to score. She overlooked all 3 of her chance efforts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 thus far during the Olympics. Amazingly, the U.S. outscored Nigeria through simply pair of points in Gray's 17:27, while all four other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even much better while on the court.Still, as I discussed in our final roundtable, the USA ladies may eliminate one non-scorer in the beginning 5 such a long time as she is taking another thing to the table. And Gray is with her playmaking, having actually now amounted to 22 helps against just 3 turnovers. So, I don't think instructor Cheryl Reeve requires to create more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat problems do the Australians pose, and also what could make all of them a tough matchup?Top tales of the week coming from Get unique access to countless fee write-ups a year from top authors. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB student class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP struggle, various other awards "u2022 25 most important gamers in CFP nationality" Even more ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA fans will be actually properly accustomed to this Opals squad, which features the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and also Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New York Freedom train Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not only perform the Opals have the ability to contend against Staff United States. They possess drive and willpower observing their disappointing beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually pleased with her staff's grace and guts over the past week, 2 top qualities a rival requires when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault boasts 5 gamers averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can easily injure enemies inside with Magbegor and Johnson however likewise coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most effective in the Olympic industry and also considerably higher than Team U.S.A.'s puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the team with 8 and seven treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is actually much deeper as well as much more talented than any type of team in the business barring the U.S. women. We may dispute the best worldwide gamer at the Paris Gamings, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong candidates. However no crew possesses a pair of players like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Smith, both of whom will have been on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not called to the staff this season in spite of identical manufacturing.) And also no team outside the united state possesses virtually as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its roster.Given the only thing that skill, it was surprising when Australia lost its own opening video game to Nigeria then rarely trump winless Canada. In their previous two activities, we have actually observed the Opals our company expected, as they beat outdoed France to develop to the knockout stage and led Serbia through as lots of as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for 3. LeBron accepts. USA System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily anyone cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if anyone is mosting likely to contain them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson. Australia's article gamers rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game and also have the mobility to stand up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced against both rivals, having actually dealt with Stewart in practice for three years as Hurricane teammates as well as compared along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant obstacle for Magbegor and also Smith is repulsive difficulty. Magbegor got three first-half fouls versus Canada, and also Johnson possessed two in the first quarter versus France, limiting their minutes. Back-up George is a hard, proficient gamer (she scored 18 points in 24 moments against Serbia) however nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a valid worry. But provided the encounter Stewart and Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is actually choosing her 3rd Olympic gold and also Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Johnson are actually appearing in their 1st Gamings-- I 'd count on the Staff USA extremely duo to produce the winning plays required in such a high-pressure situation to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium will be a harder challenger for Team USA?Pelton: I'm choosing Belgium, which gave the USA females their hardest Olympic exam yet. The Americans dominated by 13 aspects, although the margin was actually merely seven getting in the fourth quarter of a group stage game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter along with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo especially battling coming from midtown while skipping 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring thirteen points along with 7 aids (albeit along with 9 turn overs) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the only other team besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the lot nation along with the crowd on its edge as well as loads of pleasure vulnerable, a hard defensive team in France definitely would not be a pushover, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can easily blow up like she performed against Germany with 24 points off the seat as well as along with Gabby Williams leading the way on both ends.Has Group U.S.A. played its best baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, particularly on outburst, can still be actually an issue. There are times when the absence of participating in opportunity all together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still noticeable. Nevertheless, there is actually a reason Sue Bird recently pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Baseball is the absolute most uneasy baseball she has ever played. After a little a slow start, the USA ultimately led by 30 in the 3rd fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have actually enjoyed how her crew permitted the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point game before the ultimate buzzer. With four video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point capturing have not truly been corrected, which could be a concern if rivals fume from deep.Team United States can't neglect any of the staying groups in the field, yet along with a protective identification as well as aggressive expertise led through Stewart as well as Wilson, it has revealed it may put video games away when it needs to, one thing that ought to transmit over right into the last two games.Pelton: On the other side, I believe the shooting is actually likewise factor to believe there's another equipment for the U.S. ladies. Jointly, the 12 players on the roster have actually blended to fire thirty three% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this time. That will not gain a "Burst Sis" label any time quickly, however it is actually additionally far better than Crew U.S.A. has actually managed from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are outstanding to warm up from long range. Look out if they lastly carry out.