.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's college baseball and the WNBA.Formerly dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore indigenous with further encounter at the Dallas Early Morning Information, Seat Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Program series.Formerly an expert along with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide opponents will certainly reunite on Friday, as the USA females's baseball crew takes on the Australian Opals with a location in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award suit on the line.Team United States, which is riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic wins, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Following an upset loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung with each other 3 straight success, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA ladies have been the gold specification for basketball all over the world, gaining seven consecutive Olympic gold medals as well as 9 total, Australia has actually been actually a historic goliath alongside all of them. The Opals have medaled in five of recent seven Summertimes Games, take away three silvers and also pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals since the 2012 London Games.2012 also was the final opportunity the famous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly and gold-- previously. While Team United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Games and also initially in 12 years. Jackson has constantly medaled in the competitors, and though she has actually observed limited activity up until now in France, she possesses a chance to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 energetic WNBA gamers-- has a lot of energy, but the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the USA elderly nationwide group, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the five Games in which they medaled, Australia dropped to the united state either in the semifinals or even the gold medal contest. The teams final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton malfunction a number of the pressing concerns heading right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Young for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart chats with Brian Windhorst after Staff U.S.A.'s 14-point draw Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team USA switched over up its own beginning 5 against Nigeria, along with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the technique repair its problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young in place of Taurasi-- that had final come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the right move. Along with 15 aspects against Nigeria, Youthful looks taking a task as Crew United States's third marker responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Youthful is actually the simply other united state gamer balancing double figures at 10.3 factors per video game.) Young, some of 3 Las Vegas Aces gamers in the beginning five, showed off her 3-point firing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deeper on Wednesday, it was her capacity to obtain downhill and strike coming from midrange that stood apart, in addition to her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took till the center of the 2nd one-fourth for the USA to truly put its feet on the fuel against Nigeria, but Youthful's aggressiveness and energy on each ends ought to continue to return. And also Taurasi appeared to perform effectively off the seat, where she improved as a company along with 4 assists.Pelton: I would certainly enjoy to find starting point guard Chelsea Gray be a danger to credit rating. She skipped all three of her try efforts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 until now during the Olympics. Remarkably, the U.S. outscored Nigeria through just two aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our final roundtable, the U.S. females can conquer one non-scorer in the starting 5 such a long time as she is delivering another thing to the table. And Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually right now totted 22 helps against only 3 turnovers. Thus, I don't believe trainer Cheryl Reeve requires to create additional changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat concerns do the Australians present, and what might make all of them a challenging matchup?Top accounts of the week coming from Get special accessibility to hundreds of fee posts a year from leading authors. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB student training class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP war, other awards "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP nationality" Additional ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA fans are going to be properly familiar with this Opals squad, which features the Seat Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and also Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Freedom trainer Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not merely perform the Opals possess the ability to compete versus Group U.S.A.. They possess drive and willpower following their disappointing beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has been felt free to with her crew's grace and guts over the past week, two high qualities a challenger needs when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced assault includes 5 players averaging at the very least 8.0 PPG, may harm opponents inside along with Magbegor as well as Smith yet additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most ideal in the Olympic area and considerably greater than Crew U.S.A.'s tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff along with 8 and 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is deeper and a lot more skilled than any team in the business except for the U.S. women. Our experts can easily debate the very best global player at the Paris Gamings, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong prospects. Yet no staff has a set of players as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Smith, each of whom will have performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not called to the team this time regardless of comparable production.) And no group outside the united state possesses virtually as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its roster.Given the only thing that talent, it was shocking when Australia dropped its opening activity to Nigeria after that hardly trump winless Canada. In their previous 2 games, our company've viewed the Opals our company expected, as they beat bested France to advance to the knockout phase as well as led Serbia by as many as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for 3. LeBron authorizes. U.S.A. System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily anybody quit Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anyone is actually visiting have them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's message gamers rank second (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity as well as have the movement to speak up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is specifically experienced versus each enemies, having actually encountered Stewart in practice for three years as Hurricane colleagues and matched up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest barrier for Magbegor as well as Johnson is nasty difficulty. Magbegor grabbed 3 first-half fouls against Canada, as well as Smith possessed 2 in the initial quarter versus France, restricting their mins. Back-up George is a tough, proficient gamer (she racked up 18 factors in 24 minutes versus Serbia) yet no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a valid concern. But given the take in Stewart as well as Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is actually choosing her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her second, while Magbegor and also Smith are actually looking in their very first Video games-- I 'd count on the Group United States tremendously duo to create the winning participates in necessary in such a stressful condition to breakthrough to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium will be a harder challenger for Crew USA?Pelton: I'm going with Belgium, which offered the U.S. girls their toughest Olympic exam yet. The Americans dominated by thirteen aspects, although the margin was simply seven getting in the fourth quarter of a group phase game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter along with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo particularly struggling from midtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up 13 aspects along with 7 helps (albeit along with 9 turnovers) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the just various other staff besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the lot nation along with the crowd on its own edge as well as loads of honor vulnerable, a difficult protective crew in France wouldn't be actually a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can easily blow up like she carried out against Germany along with 24 points off the seat as well as with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Group U.S.A. played its absolute best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, particularly on offense, may still be actually a concern. There are opportunities when the absence of participating in time with each other or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still apparent. After all, there is actually a main reason why Sue Bird lately mentioned on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Baseball is the best unpleasant basketball she has ever before played. After a little a sluggish beginning, the united state ultimately led by 30 in the 3rd one-fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have actually enjoyed just how her crew allowed the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point activity before the ultimate buzzer. Through four activities, the Americans' shortage of 3-point shooting hasn't really been actually treated, which could be a problem if enemies fume from deep.Team USA can't neglect any one of the staying crews in the field, yet along with a defensive identity and also aggressive adeptness led by Stewart as well as Wilson, it has shown it can place activities away when it needs to, something that needs to transfer over in to the ultimate pair of games.Pelton: On the other side, I think the firing is likewise reason to believe there's an additional equipment for the USA girls. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the roster have incorporated to shoot 33% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this season. That will not gain a "Splash Sisters" nickname any time very soon, yet it's also much better than Staff U.S.A. has actually taken care of from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually past due to warm coming from long selection. Look out if they eventually perform.