.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's college baseball as well as the WNBA.Previously covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning Information, Seat Times and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Author Co-author, Pro Basketball Program collection.Previously an expert along with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP rating as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international rivals will definitely reunite on Friday, as the USA girls's baseball group takes on the Australian Opals along with a spot in the 2024 Paris Games' gold medal match on the line.Team USA, which is actually using a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic success, advanced to the semifinals with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with an upset loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung all together 3 straight triumphes, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA females have actually been the gold standard for basketball all over the globe, winning 7 successive Olympic gold medals and also 9 total, Australia has actually been a famous goliath alongside them. The Opals have medaled in five of the past seven Summertimes Games, taking home three silvers and pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris marks the first time they've improved past the quarterfinals because the 2012 Greater london Games.2012 also was the final opportunity the famous Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the green and gold-- previously. While Crew USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, appearing in her 5th Gamings and also initially in 12 years. Jackson has constantly medaled in the competitors, and though she has actually observed restricted action until now in France, she has a possibility to carry on that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six active WNBA gamers-- has lots of drive, yet the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the united state senior nationwide group, including 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the five Gamings through which they medaled, Australia shed to the united state either in the semifinals or the gold award competition. The teams last met in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton break down a few of the pressing concerns moving into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit ratings Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart chats with Brian Windhorst after Crew USA's 14-point gain Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. changed up its own beginning five versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Performed the step fix its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young instead of Taurasi-- who had last go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal action. With 15 factors against Nigeria, Young appears to be carving out a role as Team United States's 3rd scorer behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Indeed, Youthful is the only various other USA gamer balancing double figures at 10.3 factors per game.) Young, some of 3 Sin city Aces gamers in the beginning five, exhibited her 3-point capturing earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her ability to acquire downhill and also reach coming from midrange that stood apart, along with her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took till the middle of the 2nd quarter for the united state to actually place its feet on the gasoline versus Nigeria, yet Young's aggression and also energy on both ends need to continue to pay dividends. And Taurasi seemed to be to accomplish effectively off the seat, where she stepped up as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I will adore to find starting point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to rating. She skipped all three of her go efforts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 up until now throughout the Olympics. Remarkably, the united state outscored Nigeria through just 2 factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even far better while on the court.Still, as I discussed in our final roundtable, the U.S. girls can conquer one non-scorer in the beginning 5 such a long time as she is carrying another thing to the table. And Gray is with her playmaking, having today amounted to 22 assists versus only three turn overs. So, I do not believe coach Cheryl Reeve needs to make more changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat troubles perform the Australians position, as well as what could make them a hard matchup?Top tales of the week from Get unique accessibility to thousands of superior posts a year coming from best authors. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB student class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP struggle, other awards "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP race" Even more ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA followers will definitely be effectively aware of this Opals team, which includes the Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Right train Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not simply carry out the Opals have the skill to compete against Team U.S.A.. They possess momentum and also resolve following their unsatisfactory begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been felt free to along with her crew's grace as well as grit over the past week, 2 premiums an opponent needs to have when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack flaunts five players averaging at least 8.0 PPG, may hurt adversaries inside with Magbegor and Smith yet additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most effective in the Olympic area and much higher than Staff USA's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the group with 8 and 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is much deeper and also even more talented than any team in the business except for the united state women. We can question the most effective international gamer at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong prospects. But no team has a set of players comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Smith, both of whom will possess gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not named to the team this time even with identical creation.) And no group outside the united state possesses almost as much WNBA adventure throughout its roster.Given all that skill, it was surprising when Australia dropped its opening video game to Nigeria after that scarcely beat winless Canada. In their past two games, we have actually observed the Opals our team anticipated, as they beat bested France to develop to the knockout stage and led Serbia through as numerous as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for 3. LeBron accepts. U.S.A. Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May any individual cease Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anybody is going to have all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and Smith. Australia's message gamers position second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per video game and have the range of motion to stand up for Stewart and Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually especially experienced against each rivals, having actually faced Stewart in practice for three years as Tornado allies as well as paired up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant difficulty for Magbegor and also Johnson is filthy difficulty. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls versus Canada, as well as Smith had two in the first fourth versus France, confining their mins. Backup George is a difficult, skillful gamer (she racked up 18 points in 24 minutes versus Serbia) however nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid concern. However offered the take in Stewart and also Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is actually selecting her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and Smith are showing up in their initial Gamings-- I 'd expect the Group USA super duo to create the winning participates in essential in such a high-pressure condition to breakthrough to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium would certainly be a more durable opponent for Team USA?Pelton: I am actually going with Belgium, which gave the U.S. females their most difficult Olympic exam yet. The Americans prevailed by thirteen factors, although the scope was actually only 7 entering into the 4th quarter of a group phase game played in Lille, France, near the border along with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo particularly struggling coming from midtown while skipping 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring thirteen factors with seven aids (albeit along with 9 turn overs) as Belgium navigated past Spain, the merely other staff besides the united state that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the multitude country with the group on its own side and also lots of pleasure vulnerable, a complicated defensive crew in France would not be actually a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes may go off like she did versus Germany along with 24 factors off the bench and along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Group U.S.A. played its finest basketball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, especially on offense, may still be actually an issue. There are actually times when the shortage of participating in opportunity with each other or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still evident. Nevertheless, there is actually a reason that Sue Bird lately claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is the absolute most uncomfortable baseball she has ever participated in. After a little a slow start, the USA eventually led by 30 in the 3rd one-fourth against Nigeria, however Reeve could not have actually adored just how her staff permitted the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point activity prior to the final buzzer. Via four video games, the Americans' lack of 3-point capturing have not truly been actually solved, which could be an issue if opponents fume coming from deep.Team United States can't disregard any one of the remaining groups in the field, however with a protective identification as well as offensive prowess led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually revealed it can easily put activities away when it needs to, one thing that needs to transfer over into the last pair of games.Pelton: On the other side, I presume the firing is additionally main reason to feel there's an additional gear for the united state females. Jointly, the 12 gamers on the roster have mixed to shoot 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this time. That won't earn a "Dash Siblings" nickname at any time quickly, but it is actually also far better than Staff 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 overdue to heat up coming from long variation. Watch out if they finally perform.