.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's college basketball and also the WNBA.Formerly dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore indigenous with further experience at the Dallas Early Morning Information, Seattle Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Program collection.Previously a professional with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP ranking and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international rivals will definitely meet again on Friday, as the USA females's baseball crew takes on the Australian Opals with a location in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold award match on the line.Team U.S.A., which is using a touch of 59 successive Olympic wins, advanced to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to a distressed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung with each other 3 straight triumphes, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state ladies have actually been the gold requirement for basketball all over the world, winning 7 successive Olympic gold awards as well as nine total, Australia has actually been a famous goliath together with them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past 7 Summer seasons Gamings, taking home three silvers and also pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the very first time they've improved past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 Greater london Games.2012 likewise was actually the final opportunity the legendary Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic stage for the environment-friendly and gold-- previously. While Staff U.S.A. has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, appearing in her 5th Gamings and also to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has constantly medaled in the competition, and also though she has actually seen minimal activity so far in France, she has a chance to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six active WNBA players-- has plenty of drive, but the Opals are 0-20 all time against the USA senior national team, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. In the course of the five Gamings in which they medaled, Australia shed to the USA either in the semifinals or even the gold medal competition. The squads last met in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton malfunction a number of journalism questions moving into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Young for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Staff U.S.A.'s 14-point get Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team USA switched over up its starting 5 against Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Performed the move fix its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful instead of Taurasi-- that possessed last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the right action. With 15 points versus Nigeria, Young looks taking a job as Group USA's third scorer behind A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Young is the only other united state player balancing dual designs at 10.3 factors every video game.) Young, among 3 Las Vegas Aces gamers in the beginning five, displayed her 3-point capturing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her ability to acquire downhill and reach coming from midrange that attracted attention, alongside her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took till the middle of the 2nd one-fourth for the U.S. to actually put its foot on the gas against Nigeria, but Youthful's hostility as well as energy on both ends should continue to pay dividends. And Taurasi appeared to carry out properly off the seat, where she stepped up as a company with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd really love to view starting point player Chelsea Gray be actually a hazard to credit rating. She skipped all three of her chance attempts in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 thus far throughout the Olympics. Amazingly, the U.S. outscored Nigeria through merely 2 points in Gray's 17:27, while all four other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or far better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our last roundtable, the USA women can easily get over one non-scorer in the starting 5 so long as she is delivering another thing to the desk. As well as Gray is with her playmaking, having right now totted 22 aids versus just 3 turnovers. Thus, I do not assume coach Cheryl Reeve requires to make more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat complications carry out the Australians pose, as well as what could make them a hard matchup?Top accounts of the full week from Get exclusive accessibility to 1000s of superior write-ups a year coming from leading authors. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB student lesson "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP battle, various other awards "u2022 25 essential gamers in CFP race" Additional ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA fans are going to be actually effectively aware of this Opals team, which features the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Right train Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not merely carry out the Opals have the skill to complete versus Crew United States. They possess momentum as well as resolve observing their frustrating beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually pleased along with her crew's poise as well as guts over the past full week, two high qualities a rival needs when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike flaunts five players averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can hurt adversaries inside along with Magbegor and also Johnson yet additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the greatest in the Olympic industry and considerably more than Crew USA's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the group along with 8 as well as seven treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is deeper as well as even more gifted than any type of group in the field barring the USA women. Our team may discuss the most effective international player at the Paris Gamings, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong applicants. But no crew possesses a pair of gamers just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson, both of whom would have been on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not called to the team this time despite comparable development.) And no staff outside the united state has virtually as much WNBA adventure throughout its roster.Given all that skill, it was actually astonishing when Australia shed its opening activity to Nigeria at that point hardly trump winless Canada. In their previous 2 video games, our experts have actually viewed the Opals we counted on, as they beat topped France to advance to the knockout phase and also led Serbia by as lots of as 28 in an askew quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for 3. LeBron accepts. United States System as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can any person quit Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anyone is going to have them, it's the duo of Magbegor and Johnson. Australia's post players rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game and also possess the wheelchair to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is specifically experienced against both rivals, having actually faced Stewart in practice for 3 years as Hurricane teammates and also compared along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest hurdle for Magbegor and Johnson is foul trouble. Magbegor picked up 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and Smith had pair of in the 1st fourth versus France, confining their minutes. Backup George is actually a hard, knowledgeable gamer (she racked up 18 points in 24 moments versus Serbia) yet no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a valid worry. But provided the take in Stewart and Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is going with her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her second, while Magbegor as well as Smith are appearing in their first Games-- I will count on the Group U.S.A. tremendously duo to create the winning participates in necessary in such a high-pressure situation to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would be actually a tougher rival for Team USA?Pelton: I am actually picking Belgium, which provided the USA females their hardest Olympic examination however. The Americans dominated through 13 aspects, although the margin was just seven entering the fourth quarter of a team phase activity played in Lille, France, near the border along with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo especially struggling from midtown while skipping 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring 13 aspects along with seven aids (albeit along with nine turnovers) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the just various other group besides the USA that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation along with the group on its edge and a lot of honor on the line, a challenging defensive group in France definitely would not be actually a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes may blow up like she performed against Germany along with 24 points off the seat as well as along with Gabby Williams leading the way on both ends.Has Team U.S.A. played its own absolute best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, especially on outburst, can easily still be a problem. There are actually times when the shortage of playing time with each other or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still obvious. Besides, there is actually a reason Sue Bird lately claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Baseball is actually the absolute most annoying baseball she has ever before played. After a little a slow beginning, the USA at some point led by 30 in the 3rd quarter versus Nigeria, yet Reeve could not have actually really loved how her staff allowed the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point activity before the last buzzer. With four games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point shooting have not really been treated, which may be a problem if challengers get hot from deep.Team USA can not overlook some of the staying groups in the field, but along with a defensive identification as well as offensive expertise led through Stewart and Wilson, it has revealed it may place video games away when it needs to, one thing that needs to transfer over in to the ultimate 2 games.Pelton: On the flip side, I believe the shooting is also factor to strongly believe there is actually an additional gear for the U.S. females. Together, the 12 gamers on the roster have actually blended to fire 33% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this season. That won't make a "Burst Sisters" nickname whenever quickly, however it is actually likewise much better than Team U.S.A. has actually handled coming from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually past due to heat from lengthy range. Look out if they ultimately perform.