.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's university baseball and the WNBA.Previously dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore indigenous along with additional experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Program set.Previously a consultant along with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP ranking and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide rivals will reunite on Friday, as the United States females's basketball team takes on the Australian Opals along with a spot in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal suit on the line.Team United States, which is riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic victories, advanced to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing an upset reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung all together three straight success, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state girls have been the gold requirement for baseball across the globe, succeeding seven consecutive Olympic gold medals and nine general, Australia has actually been a famous giant along with them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of the past 7 Summer seasons Games, taking home three silvers as well as 2 bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris marks the first time they've improved past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 London Gamings.2012 also was the final time the famous Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the environment-friendly and gold-- until now. While Staff United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Video games and also initially in 12 years. Jackson has constantly medaled in the competition, as well as though she has actually seen limited action until now in France, she possesses an odds to carry on that streak this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts six active WNBA players-- has plenty of momentum, however the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity against the USA senior national team, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. Throughout the five Games through which they medaled, Australia dropped to the USA either in the semifinals or even the gold award competition. The teams final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break down some of the pressing questions moving into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credits Jackie Young for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart speaks along with Brian Windhorst after Crew U.S.A.'s 14-point gain Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team USA switched over up its own starting five versus Nigeria, with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Performed the relocation repair its issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful instead of Taurasi-- who possessed final come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the right technique. Along with 15 aspects against Nigeria, Young seems taking a task as Staff United States's third marker responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Youthful is actually the just other united state player balancing double designs at 10.3 points every activity.) Young, some of three Sin city Aces players in the starting five, showed off her 3-point shooting previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her ability to obtain downhill and strike from midrange that stuck out, alongside her trademark protection in the backcourt. It took until the center of the second quarter for the united state to really put its own foot on the fuel versus Nigeria, but Youthful's aggression and energy on both ends should continue to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi appeared to do effectively off the seat, where she improved as a facilitator along with four assists.Pelton: I will adore to observe beginning point player Chelsea Gray be a risk to rating. She skipped all 3 of her go tries in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 up until now throughout the Olympics. Remarkably, the USA outscored Nigeria through only pair of points in Gray's 17:27, while all four other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even better while on the court.Still, as I discussed in our final roundtable, the U.S. females may beat one non-scorer in the beginning 5 as long as she is actually taking another thing to the desk. And Gray is with her playmaking, having now totaled 22 aids versus simply three turn overs. Thus, I do not assume instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to make more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat complications carry out the Australians present, and what could possibly create all of them a challenging matchup?Top stories of the full week from Receive special accessibility to countless costs posts a year coming from top article writers. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore training class "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP fight, various other honors "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP ethnicity" Additional ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA followers will definitely be actually well aware of this Opals squad, which features the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Liberty coach Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not just do the Opals possess the skill to complete against Staff United States. They possess energy and willpower following their disappointing start to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually satisfied with her group's grace and also grit over the past week, two qualities an enemy requires when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced attack boasts five players balancing a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can harm foes inside with Magbegor and Johnson however also coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the very best in the Olympic industry and also a lot higher than Group U.S.A.'s paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Sin City Aces, lead the group along with 8 and 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is deeper and also even more talented than any sort of group in the field save for the USA females. Our company may dispute the most effective global gamer at the Paris Gamings, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong applicants. But no crew possesses a pair of gamers as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Smith, both of whom would certainly possess been on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not named to the staff this time even with identical development.) As well as no group outside the U.S. has almost as a lot WNBA experience throughout its own roster.Given the only thing that skill, it was actually stunning when Australia shed its own position game to Nigeria after that scarcely trump winless Canada. In their past 2 video games, our experts have actually seen the Opals we counted on, as they trump bested France to develop to the knockout stage and also led Serbia by as lots of as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron accepts. USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can anyone cease Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if any individual is heading to have all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Smith. Australia's post gamers place 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game and have the wheelchair to defend Stewart and also Wilson on the border. Magbegor is specifically experienced versus both enemies, having actually dealt with Stewart in practice for 3 years as Hurricane colleagues and matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant hurdle for Magbegor and Johnson is foul difficulty. Magbegor grabbed 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and also Johnson possessed 2 in the initial fourth versus France, limiting their minutes. Back-up George is a difficult, skillful gamer (she scored 18 points in 24 mins versus Serbia) however nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate concern. Yet offered the experience Stewart as well as Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is opting for her third Olympic gold as well as Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Smith are seeming in their first Games-- I would certainly count on the Staff United States super duo to make the winning participates in essential in such a high-pressure condition to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would be actually a more durable opponent for Group USA?Pelton: I am actually opting for Belgium, which provided the united state ladies their most difficult Olympic exam however. The Americans prevailed through 13 aspects, although the scope was actually only seven getting into the fourth quarter of a team stage video game played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo particularly battling coming from downtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring 13 aspects with seven supports (albeit along with nine turnovers) as Belgium navigated previous Spain, the merely other group besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the host country along with the group on its edge as well as plenty of pleasure on the line, a challenging protective crew in France definitely would not be actually a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can blow up like she performed versus Germany along with 24 points off the seat and also with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on each ends.Has Team U.S.A. played its own finest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, especially on offense, can easily still be a concern. There are times when the shortage of participating in time together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still evident. Nevertheless, there's a main reason why Sue Bird recently said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Basketball is actually the best awkward baseball she has ever participated in. After a little a slow begin, the U.S. eventually led by 30 in the third quarter against Nigeria, but Reeve couldn't have adored just how her group enabled the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point video game prior to the ultimate buzzer. Through four video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point shooting hasn't definitely been fixed, which might be a concern if enemies get hot coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can not overlook any one of the continuing to be groups in the field, but along with a defensive identification and also aggressive adeptness led by Stewart and Wilson, it has actually shown it can easily put video games away when it needs to, something that ought to transmit over right into the ultimate pair of games.Pelton: On the other side, I believe the firing is likewise explanation to believe there's yet another gear for the U.S. girls. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the roster have actually combined to shoot 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this time. That will not gain a "Sprinkle Sisters" label any time soon, however it is actually likewise better than Group USA has managed from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually past due to heat from long variation. Look out if they eventually perform.