.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's college baseball as well as the WNBA.Previously covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with additional experience at the Dallas Early Morning Headlines, Seattle Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus series.In the past a consultant along with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP rating as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global competitors will definitely meet again on Friday, as the USA women's baseball group goes up against the Australian Opals with a place in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold medal suit on the line.Team United States, which is riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic success, advanced to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung all together 3 upright success, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state girls have actually been actually the gold standard for basketball across the globe, succeeding seven consecutive Olympic gold awards as well as 9 total, Australia has been a historical giant along with them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of the past 7 Summer Video games, take away 3 silvers as well as pair of bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals since the 2012 Greater london Video games.2012 likewise was the final time the famous Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the green and also gold-- until now. While Staff USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her fifth Video games and also first in 12 years. Jackson has consistently medaled in the competitors, and though she has seen limited activity thus far in France, she possesses an opportunity to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six active WNBA players-- possesses loads of momentum, yet the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the united state elderly nationwide crew, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. In the course of the 5 Video games through which they medaled, Australia dropped to the USA either in the semifinals or even the gold award contest. The teams last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break down a few of journalism inquiries heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit ratings Jackie Young for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Crew U.S.A.'s 14-point get Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. shifted up its beginning 5 against Nigeria, along with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the move correct its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful in place of Taurasi-- who possessed last go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the right action. With 15 points versus Nigeria, Young appears to be taking a role as Group USA's 3rd scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Youthful is the simply various other united state gamer balancing dual designs at 10.3 factors per video game.) Young, among three Las Vegas Aces players in the beginning 5, exhibited her 3-point firing previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her potential to get downhill as well as strike from midrange that attracted attention, together with her trademark self defense in the backcourt. It took till the center of the 2nd one-fourth for the U.S. to truly put its foot on the gasoline against Nigeria, yet Young's aggressiveness as well as electricity on both ends need to continue to return. And also Taurasi appeared to carry out well off the bench, where she improved as a company with 4 assists.Pelton: I will love to see starting point player Chelsea Gray be a risk to rating. She overlooked all three of her shot efforts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 up until now in the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the USA outscored Nigeria by just pair of points in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our last roundtable, the U.S. women can easily beat one non-scorer in the starting 5 as long as she is delivering something else to the table. And also Gray is with her playmaking, having now totted 22 helps versus only three turnovers. So, I don't presume coach Cheryl Reeve needs to create further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat problems do the Australians present, and what could possibly make them a hard matchup?Top stories of the full week from Receive unique accessibility to lots of fee articles a year from top authors. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB student lesson "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP war, various other awards "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP ethnicity" More ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA fans will certainly be actually well acquainted with this Opals team, which features the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Freedom trainer Sandy Brondello responsible. Not simply carry out the Opals have the ability to contend against Group United States. They possess momentum as well as willpower following their frustrating begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually felt free to along with her team's poise as well as guts over the past week, two qualities an opponent requires when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced attack flaunts 5 gamers balancing at the very least 8.0 PPG, can easily hurt adversaries inside with Magbegor and also Johnson yet likewise coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the best in the Olympic area as well as considerably more than Team USA's paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the crew along with eight and seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is much deeper and more skilled than any crew in the business barring the USA girls. Our experts may dispute the most effective international gamer at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong applicants. But no group possesses a pair of players as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Johnson, each of whom would certainly possess gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not called to the crew this time regardless of comparable production.) And no crew outside the USA has virtually as much WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given everything ability, it was stunning when Australia dropped its opening activity to Nigeria at that point rarely defeat winless Canada. In their previous 2 activities, we have actually seen the Opals our company anticipated, as they trump topped France to develop to the knockout phase and led Serbia through as numerous as 28 in an askew quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for 3. LeBron authorizes. USA System as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can any individual stop Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anyone is visiting include all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Smith. Australia's article gamers place 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game as well as possess the flexibility to stand up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually specifically experienced against each enemies, having faced Stewart virtual for 3 years as Hurricane allies as well as matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest difficulty for Magbegor and also Smith is actually repulsive problem. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and Johnson possessed 2 in the first one-fourth versus France, limiting their moments. Back-up George is a hard, proficient player (she racked up 18 aspects in 24 minutes against Serbia) however no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up an authentic concern. However offered the experience Stewart and also Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is actually choosing her 3rd Olympic gold and also Wilson her second, while Magbegor and also Smith are appearing in their initial Gamings-- I 'd anticipate the Staff U.S.A. tremendously duo to produce the winning participates in needed in such a stressful circumstance to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium will be a harder opponent for Staff USA?Pelton: I'm selecting Belgium, which offered the USA females their toughest Olympic exam but. The Americans dominated by thirteen aspects, although the margin was actually only 7 getting into the fourth quarter of a team stage game played in Lille, France, near the edge with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo especially battling from downtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up 13 factors with 7 aids (albeit with nine turn overs) as Belgium travelled past Spain, the only various other staff besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the bunch country along with the crowd on its side and loads of pride vulnerable, a tough protective team in France definitely would not be a piece of cake, either, especially if Marine Johannes may go off like she performed versus Germany with 24 points off the seat as well as with Gabby Williams leading the way on both ends.Has Group USA played its own greatest basketball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, especially on offense, may still be actually an issue. There are actually opportunities when the lack of playing opportunity together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still noticeable. After all, there's a reason Sue Bird recently said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Baseball is actually one of the most uneasy baseball she has actually ever played. After a little a slow-moving begin, the united state at some point led by 30 in the 3rd one-fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have enjoyed exactly how her team permitted the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point activity prior to the final buzzer. Through four games, the Americans' lack of 3-point firing have not truly been actually fixed, which can be an issue if rivals get hot coming from deep.Team USA can not neglect any one of the staying staffs in the field, but along with a protective identification and offensive adeptness led by Stewart as well as Wilson, it has revealed it may place video games away when it needs to, something that should move over right into the ultimate pair of games.Pelton: On the flip side, I assume the shooting is also explanation to believe there's yet another equipment for the U.S. females. Together, the 12 gamers on the lineup have mixed to shoot thirty three% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this season. That won't make a "Sprinkle Sis" label at any time very soon, but it is actually likewise much better than Staff USA 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 past due to warm from long range. Keep an eye out if they eventually perform.