.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's college baseball and also the WNBA.Recently covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore native along with additional experience at the Dallas Early Morning Updates, Seat Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Author Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus series.In the past a consultant with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP ranking and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international opponents will definitely reunite on Friday, as the United States ladies's basketball group confronts the Australian Opals with a place in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award match on the line.Team United States, which is actually riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic success, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing a dismayed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung with each other 3 straight victories, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. women have been actually the gold requirement for basketball across the globe, winning 7 consecutive Olympic gold medals as well as nine total, Australia has been actually a historical goliath together with all of them. The Opals have medaled in five of recent seven Summer seasons Video games, taking home three silvers and two bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the first time they've improved past the quarterfinals because the 2012 Greater london Gamings.2012 also was actually the final opportunity the legendary Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the environment-friendly as well as gold-- until now. While Team United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, appearing in her fifth Video games as well as first in 12 years. Jackson has constantly medaled in the competition, and also though she has actually observed limited action so far in France, she has a chance to carry on that streak this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 active WNBA players-- possesses loads of drive, however the Opals are 0-20 all time against the USA senior national staff, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. 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 medal competition. The squads final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton break down a number of the pressing inquiries heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Young for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart speaks along with Brian Windhorst after Staff United States's 14-point draw Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. changed up its beginning 5 against Nigeria, with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the action repair its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful instead of Taurasi-- who possessed final go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the best move. With 15 points versus Nigeria, Young looks carving out a job as Staff U.S.A.'s 3rd scorer behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Indeed, Youthful is actually the simply various other USA player balancing double figures at 10.3 aspects per game.) Young, among three Sin city Aces gamers in the beginning 5, showed off her 3-point shooting previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her capacity to obtain downhill and strike coming from midrange that stood out, along with her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took till the center of the second quarter for the USA to really place its own feet on the fuel against Nigeria, however Youthful's aggression and electricity on both ends ought to continue to return. And also Taurasi appeared to accomplish well off the bench, where she boosted as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I will adore to find starting point player Chelsea Gray be a hazard to score. She missed out on all 3 of her go attempts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 so far during the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the united state outscored Nigeria by just pair of factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or even better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our final roundtable, the USA girls may get rid of one non-scorer in the beginning five as long as she is bringing another thing to the desk. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually today amounted to 22 supports against simply three turnovers. Thus, I do not think train Cheryl Reeve requires to make additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat concerns carry out the Australians posture, and what might create them a hard matchup?Top tales of the week from Receive exclusive access to hundreds of fee articles a year coming from best writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB student course "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP battle, other honors "u2022 25 most important gamers in CFP nationality" More ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts are going to be properly knowledgeable about this Opals squad, which includes the Seat Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New York Liberty train Sandy Brondello responsible. Not simply perform the Opals have the ability to compete against Crew USA. They possess drive as well as resolve observing their frustrating begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually felt free to with her staff's grace as well as grit over the past week, two premiums an enemy requires when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike includes 5 players averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can harm enemies inside with Magbegor as well as Johnson however also coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the very best in the Olympic field and also a lot more than Group United States's paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the staff with 8 and seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is deeper and also even more talented than any kind of team in the business save for the united state girls. Our experts can dispute the greatest worldwide player at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough candidates. However no group has a set of players comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Smith, each of whom will have gotten on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not named to the crew this time despite comparable development.) And no crew outside the USA has virtually as much WNBA adventure throughout its roster.Given everything skill, it was surprising when Australia lost its opening game to Nigeria at that point rarely beat winless Canada. In their previous 2 games, our company've observed the Opals our experts anticipated, as they defeat surpassed France to develop to the knockout stage and led Serbia by as a lot of as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for three. LeBron approves. U.S.A. Network as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anyone stop Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anyone is going to have all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's post gamers position second (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game as well as possess the range of motion to defend Stewart and also Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is actually specifically experienced versus both rivals, having actually encountered Stewart virtual for three years as Tornado allies and paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest difficulty for Magbegor as well as Smith is actually repulsive issue. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls against Canada, and Smith had 2 in the very first quarter versus France, restricting their minutes. Backup George is a difficult, skillful gamer (she scored 18 factors in 24 minutes against Serbia) yet nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a legitimate worry. Yet offered the experience Stewart and also Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is actually selecting her third Olympic gold and Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Smith are looking in their 1st Games-- I would certainly anticipate the Crew U.S.A. incredibly duo to help make the winning participates in important in such a stressful situation to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would certainly be a harder enemy for Group USA?Pelton: I'm going with Belgium, which gave the USA women their most difficult Olympic exam however. The Americans dominated by thirteen factors, although the frame was actually just 7 getting into the 4th one-fourth of a group phase game played in Lille, France, near the edge with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo specifically battling from downtown while skipping 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up thirteen points along with 7 assists (albeit along with nine turn overs) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the just various other crew besides the united state that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the host country along with the crowd on its own edge as well as a lot of take pride in vulnerable, a complicated protective team in France would not be actually a pushover, either, particularly if Marine Johannes may blow up like she did versus Germany with 24 factors off the bench and along with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on both ends.Has Team U.S.A. played its own greatest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, especially on outburst, may still be a problem. There are actually times when the shortage of participating in time with each other or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still noticeable. Nevertheless, there's a main reason why Sue Bird just recently claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Baseball is one of the most uneasy baseball she has actually ever played. After a bit of a sluggish beginning, the united state ultimately led by 30 in the 3rd fourth versus Nigeria, but Reeve could not have actually adored exactly how her crew enabled the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game just before the ultimate buzzer. Through four activities, the Americans' shortage of 3-point shooting have not really been solved, which might be a problem if enemies fume from deep.Team USA can't ignore any of the continuing to be crews in the field, yet along with a protective identification as well as offensive prowess led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has shown it may put video games away when it needs to have to, one thing that must transfer over right into the ultimate 2 games.Pelton: On the flip side, I believe the shooting is actually likewise reason to feel there's an additional gear for the U.S. girls. Jointly, the 12 players on the lineup have actually mixed to shoot 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this period. That will not get a "Burst Siblings" nickname whenever soon, however it is actually additionally better than Crew U.S.A. has handled from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to heat coming from lengthy range. Keep an eye out if they ultimately perform.