.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's college basketball and also the WNBA.Previously covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with additional take in at the Dallas Morning Information, Seattle Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus collection.Formerly an expert with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP score as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international competitors are going to reunite on Friday, as the United States ladies's baseball staff confronts the Australian Opals along with a spot in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award suit on the line.Team U.S.A., which is using a touch of 59 successive Olympic success, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung together 3 straight triumphes, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state girls have actually been the gold criterion for basketball around the world, gaining seven consecutive Olympic gold medals as well as nine general, Australia has actually been actually a famous powerhouse alongside all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of recent 7 Summertimes Games, taking home three silvers and also two bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris denotes the first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 Greater london Video games.2012 also was actually the last opportunity the legendary Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic stage for the green as well as gold-- until now. While Team U.S.A. has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, showing up in her fifth Gamings and also initially in 12 years. Jackson has consistently medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has actually viewed minimal action thus far in France, she has an odds to proceed that streak this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts 6 energetic WNBA players-- has loads of energy, yet the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity against the united state elderly nationwide staff, including 0-8 in Olympic competitors. In the course of the five Video games through which they medaled, Australia lost to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold medal contest. The teams final met in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break a few of journalism inquiries moving into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit ratings Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart talks along with Brian Windhorst after Team U.S.A.'s 14-point get Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. changed up its own beginning five against Nigeria, with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the relocation correct its problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young in place of Taurasi-- who possessed final come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the appropriate technique. With 15 factors versus Nigeria, Young looks taking a role as Group U.S.A.'s 3rd scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Youthful is actually the simply other U.S. gamer balancing dual figures at 10.3 points every activity.) Young, among 3 Las Vegas Aces players in the starting 5, flaunted her 3-point firing earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her ability to obtain downhill as well as attack from midrange that stood out, alongside her trademark self defense in the backcourt. It took up until the middle of the second fourth for the united state to actually place its foot on the fuel versus Nigeria, but Young's aggression and energy on each ends must continue to return. And also Taurasi appeared to carry out properly off the seat, where she boosted as a facilitator along with four assists.Pelton: I would certainly love to find beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be a hazard to credit rating. She skipped all three of her go tries in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 thus far during the course of the Olympics. Remarkably, the USA outscored Nigeria by only two points in Gray's 17:27, while all four other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even far better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our last roundtable, the united state females may eliminate one non-scorer in the beginning 5 so long as she is carrying another thing to the desk. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having now completed 22 helps versus merely three turn overs. Thus, I don't think instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to have to make additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat problems perform the Australians position, and also what could create all of them a difficult matchup?Top accounts of the week coming from Get special access to thousands of superior articles a year coming from best article writers. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB student class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP fight, various other honors "u2022 25 essential gamers in CFP ethnicity" Even more ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA fans are going to be well acquainted with this Opals team, which includes the Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Right trainer Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not just carry out the Opals have the ability to compete versus Group USA. They possess momentum as well as fix following their unsatisfactory begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually felt free to with her team's grace and grit over recent week, 2 top qualities an enemy requires when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike includes five players averaging at the very least 8.0 PPG, may harm enemies inside with Magbegor and Smith yet also from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most ideal in the Olympic area and considerably greater than Crew USA's paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the group along with 8 and also seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is much deeper and much more talented than any type of staff in the business save for the USA ladies. Our experts can discuss the most effective global gamer at the Paris Gamings, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as solid applicants. However no staff possesses a pair of players as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, both of whom would possess performed my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not named to the team this period despite identical manufacturing.) And also no group outside the USA has nearly as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given the only thing that ability, it was actually astonishing when Australia lost its opening game to Nigeria after that scarcely beat winless Canada. In their previous two video games, our company've found the Opals we counted on, as they defeat exceeded France to advance to the knockout phase and also led Serbia by as a lot of as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for 3. LeBron permits. United States System and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anyone stop Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anybody is actually visiting include them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's blog post players place second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity and possess the movement to defend Stewart and also Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced versus each rivals, having faced Stewart virtual for three years as Storm teammates and also paired up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest barrier for Magbegor and also Johnson is filthy problem. Magbegor got three first-half fouls versus Canada, and also Smith possessed 2 in the initial fourth versus France, restricting their minutes. Backup George is actually a hard, skilled player (she racked up 18 factors in 24 mins against Serbia) but no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises an authentic issue. However given the encounter Stewart as well as Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is actually going with her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Johnson are seeming in their 1st Gamings-- I 'd count on the Group United States tremendously duo to make the winning participates in essential in such a high-pressure circumstance to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would certainly be a harder enemy for Group USA?Pelton: I am actually going with Belgium, which offered the united state women their toughest Olympic exam however. The Americans prevailed by thirteen points, although the frame was actually merely seven getting into the fourth one-fourth of a group stage video game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo particularly struggling from midtown while skipping 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up thirteen aspects with seven aids (albeit with 9 turn overs) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the only other team besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the host nation along with the crowd on its edge and a lot of pride vulnerable, a hard protective group in France would not be actually a pushover, either, particularly if Marine Johannes can go off like she did versus Germany along with 24 factors off the seat as well as with Gabby Williams leading the way on both ends.Has Group USA played its own ideal basketball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, especially on outburst, can still be actually an issue. There are actually opportunities when the absence of participating in opportunity with each other or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still obvious. Nevertheless, there's a reason that Sue Bird recently stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Baseball is actually the best uneasy baseball she has ever before participated in. After a little a sluggish beginning, the USA ultimately led through 30 in the third one-fourth versus Nigeria, yet Reeve couldn't have liked just how her staff allowed the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game prior to the last buzzer. Via four activities, the Americans' lack of 3-point firing hasn't definitely been actually solved, which may be a concern if opponents fume from deep.Team U.S.A. can not overlook some of the staying teams in the business, but along with a protective identification and also aggressive adeptness led through Stewart as well as Wilson, it has shown it can easily place games away when it needs to, something that ought to move over into the ultimate two games.Pelton: On the other side, I believe the capturing is actually also cause to believe there is actually an additional equipment for the USA girls. Jointly, the 12 players on the lineup have actually integrated to fire thirty three% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this time. That won't gain a "Dash Sisters" label at any time soon, but it is actually also better than Team USA has dealt with 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 from lengthy selection. Look out if they finally carry out.