.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's college basketball and the WNBA.Formerly dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore native along with more encounter at the Dallas Morning Headlines, Seat Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus set.Previously an expert along with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international opponents are going to reunite on Friday, as the USA girls's baseball crew takes on the Australian Opals with an area in the 2024 Paris Games' gold medal suit on the line.Team United States, which is using a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic victories, advanced to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing an upset reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung all together three upright victories, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA ladies have been actually the gold specification for baseball all over the planet, succeeding 7 successive Olympic gold awards as well as 9 overall, Australia has actually been actually a historical powerhouse together with all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past 7 Summer Gamings, taking home three silvers and 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris marks the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals because the 2012 London Gamings.2012 likewise was the last time the famous Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly as well as gold-- previously. While Crew USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, appearing in her fifth Video games and also to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has actually constantly medaled in the competition, and though she has viewed minimal action up until now in France, she has a possibility to carry on that streak this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts 6 energetic WNBA players-- has lots of energy, yet the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the U.S. senior nationwide staff, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competitors. In the course of the five Video games in which they medaled, Australia shed to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The teams last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton malfunction a number of journalism concerns moving in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart talks along with Brian Windhorst after Group U.S.A.'s 14-point win over Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team United States changed up its own beginning five against Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the step fix its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young instead of Taurasi-- that had final go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the correct relocation. Along with 15 factors versus Nigeria, Youthful seems taking a role as Staff USA's 3rd scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Young is the merely various other united state gamer averaging double designs at 10.3 factors every video game.) Young, some of three Sin city Aces players in the starting 5, showed off her 3-point capturing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her ability to obtain downhill and also reach from midrange that attracted attention, alongside her trademark self defense in the backcourt. It took till the center of the second quarter for the USA to actually put its own feet on the fuel versus Nigeria, but Youthful's aggression and energy on each ends need to remain to pay dividends. And Taurasi seemed to carry out properly off the seat, where she boosted as a company with four assists.Pelton: I 'd really love to view beginning point player Chelsea Gray be a danger to credit rating. She skipped all 3 of her shot attempts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 until now during the Olympics. Extremely, the U.S. outscored Nigeria through only 2 factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or much better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the U.S. girls can easily eliminate one non-scorer in the starting five so long as she is carrying something else to the desk. And Gray is actually along with her playmaking, having actually now totaled 22 aids against simply 3 turnovers. Therefore, I do not believe instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create further changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat troubles carry out the Australians position, and what can create them a tough matchup?Top stories of the full week coming from Acquire special accessibility to lots of premium articles a year coming from leading writers. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB student class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP struggle, other awards "u2022 25 most important players in CFP race" More ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA fans will definitely be well knowledgeable about this Opals squad, which includes the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Liberty coach Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not just perform the Opals have the talent to contend against Crew USA. They possess energy and also willpower following their unsatisfactory start to the Olympics. Brondello has been felt free to along with her group's grace and also grit over the past full week, two premiums an opponent needs when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike flaunts 5 players averaging at least 8.0 PPG, can easily harm enemies inside with Magbegor as well as Smith yet also coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the greatest in the Olympic field and also much more than Team United States's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the crew with eight as well as seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually much deeper and more gifted than any sort of staff in the business except for the USA girls. Our experts may question the greatest international gamer at the Paris Video Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful candidates. But no staff possesses a set of players just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Smith, both of whom would certainly possess performed my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not named to the team this time despite comparable production.) And also no crew outside the U.S. possesses almost as a lot WNBA knowledge throughout its roster.Given all that talent, it was actually surprising when Australia lost its opening activity to Nigeria after that hardly beat winless Canada. In their past two games, we have actually found the Opals our experts expected, as they beat topped France to advance to the knockout stage 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. U.S.A. Network as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May any person stop Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any individual is actually mosting likely to contain all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor and also Smith. Australia's blog post players place second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per activity as well as possess the range of motion to stand up for Stewart and Wilson on the border. Magbegor is particularly experienced against both enemies, having experienced Stewart in practice for 3 years as Tornado allies and also matched up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant barrier for Magbegor and also Johnson is filthy issue. Magbegor picked up 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and also Johnson possessed pair of in the 1st quarter versus France, restricting their moments. Backup George is actually a challenging, skillful gamer (she scored 18 points in 24 moments versus Serbia) yet nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a legitimate concern. However offered the take in Stewart and also Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is going with her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor as well as Johnson are showing up in their 1st Gamings-- I will anticipate the Group USA super duo to create the winning plays necessary in such a high-pressure situation to breakthrough to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would certainly be actually a more durable rival for Team USA?Pelton: I'm selecting Belgium, which offered the U.S. women their most difficult Olympic exam but. The Americans dominated by 13 factors, although the margin was actually only 7 getting in the fourth one-fourth of a team phase game played in Lille, France, near the borderline with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo especially struggling coming from downtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up 13 factors along with seven assists (albeit along with 9 turn overs) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the just various other crew besides the united state that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the lot country along with the crowd on its side as well as a lot of honor vulnerable, a hard defensive staff in France definitely would not be actually a piece of cake, either, especially if Marine Johannes can easily go off like she carried out versus Germany along with 24 points off the seat and with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Team USA played its best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, particularly on outburst, can easily still be an issue. There are opportunities when the shortage of playing time together or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still apparent. Besides, there's a main reason why Sue Bird recently stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Baseball is actually the absolute most uneasy basketball she has ever played. After a little bit of a slow-moving start, the united state ultimately led by 30 in the 3rd one-fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve could not have actually liked how her crew permitted the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game just before the ultimate buzzer. With 4 games, the Americans' absence of 3-point firing have not truly been actually corrected, which might be a concern if rivals get hot from deep.Team U.S.A. can not ignore some of the remaining groups in the field, but with a defensive identity and offensive prowess led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually presented it can place activities away when it requires to, something that ought to move over into the last 2 games.Pelton: On the flip side, I presume the capturing is actually likewise main reason to strongly believe there is actually yet another equipment for the united state women. Jointly, the 12 gamers on the lineup have actually combined to shoot 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this season. That won't gain a "Burst Sisters" label whenever quickly, but it is actually also far better than Staff U.S.A. has actually handled 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 past due to warm up coming from lengthy selection. Keep an eye out if they lastly carry out.