.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's college basketball as well as the WNBA.Previously dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad as well as Baltimore indigenous along with more encounter at the Dallas Morning Information, Seattle Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Prospectus series.Formerly a professional along with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP ranking and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide rivals will certainly reunite on Friday, as the USA girls's baseball group goes up against the Australian Opals with a place in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award suit on the line.Team USA, which is actually riding a streak of 59 successive Olympic victories, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to an upset loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung all together three straight triumphes, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state girls have been the gold criterion for basketball across the world, gaining seven successive Olympic gold awards and 9 overall, Australia has actually been actually a historic giant alongside them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of the past 7 Summer Games, take away 3 silvers and also pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the very first time they have actually improved past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 London Gamings.2012 likewise was the final opportunity the legendary Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the environment-friendly and gold-- until now. While Crew USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Video games and also to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has always medaled in the competition, and though she has actually viewed minimal activity thus far in France, she has an opportunity to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six energetic WNBA players-- has a lot of momentum, but the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the U.S. elderly national crew, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. In the course of the 5 Gamings through which they medaled, Australia dropped to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold award competition. The teams final fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton break a number of journalism inquiries heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Staff United States's 14-point win over Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team United States shifted up its own starting five against Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the move fix its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young in place of Taurasi-- that had last go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the appropriate technique. With 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Youthful appears to be taking a job as Crew USA's 3rd marker responsible for A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Young is actually the only various other united state gamer averaging double figures at 10.3 points per video game.) Youthful, among 3 Las Vegas Aces gamers in the starting 5, displayed her 3-point capturing earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her ability to get downhill and also reach from midrange that attracted attention, together with her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took until the center of the second fourth for the USA to truly place its foot on the fuel against Nigeria, but Young's aggressiveness as well as power on both ends need to continue to pay dividends. And also Taurasi seemed to be to perform well off the bench, where she stepped up as a facilitator along with four assists.Pelton: I would certainly adore to see beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be a danger to score. She missed all 3 of her try efforts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 so far in the course of the Olympics. Amazingly, the united state outscored Nigeria through only two 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 final roundtable, the U.S. ladies may get over one non-scorer in the beginning 5 as long as she is actually bringing another thing to the desk. As well as Gray is actually along with her playmaking, having actually now completed 22 supports versus simply three turn overs. So, I do not believe instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to create further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat concerns do the Australians pose, and also what could make all of them a hard matchup?Top stories of the full week coming from Get unique access to countless superior posts a year coming from top writers. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore course "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP battle, various other honors "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP nationality" Even more ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts will certainly be well acquainted with this Opals team, which features the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Right trainer Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not simply perform the Opals possess the skill to complete versus Group United States. They have energy as well as fix following their unsatisfying beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has been satisfied with her crew's poise as well as grit over recent full week, pair of premiums a rival requires when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack flaunts five gamers balancing at least 8.0 PPG, may hurt enemies inside with Magbegor and Johnson but additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the very best in the Olympic industry and also considerably more than Crew USA's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the staff along with eight as well as seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is deeper and also extra proficient than any kind of group in the business barring the united state girls. Our team can easily discuss the most ideal global player at the Paris Gamings, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough applicants. Yet no crew possesses a pair of gamers as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Johnson, both of whom would certainly have performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not named to the crew this season despite identical production.) As well as no staff outside the U.S. possesses nearly as much WNBA knowledge throughout its roster.Given everything ability, it was actually stunning when Australia lost its position activity to Nigeria then hardly beat winless Canada. In their past 2 activities, we have actually observed the Opals our company counted on, as they trump outdoed France to advance to the knockout phase as well as led Serbia through as numerous as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for three. LeBron authorizes. U.S.A. Network as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily any individual stop Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if any person is heading to contain all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor and also Smith. Australia's article gamers rank second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game and also possess the mobility to defend Stewart as well as Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is especially experienced against each challengers, having actually experienced Stewart virtual for 3 years as Storm teammates as well as compared along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant barrier for Magbegor as well as Smith is repulsive trouble. Magbegor grabbed 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and Johnson possessed pair of in the very first quarter versus France, confining their moments. Backup George is a difficult, competent gamer (she scored 18 points in 24 mins against Serbia) however nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a valid issue. However provided the experience Stewart and Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is actually going for her third Olympic gold as well as Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Smith are actually showing up in their 1st Games-- I 'd expect the Team USA tremendously duo to produce the winning plays important in such a high-pressure circumstance to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium would certainly be actually a harder challenger for Group USA?Pelton: I am actually choosing Belgium, which offered the USA women their hardest Olympic test however. The Americans prevailed by thirteen factors, although the frame was actually merely seven getting in the fourth quarter of a team stage video game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter along with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo especially having a hard time coming from downtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up 13 aspects with 7 supports (albeit with nine turnovers) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the simply various other crew besides the united state that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the multitude country with the crowd on its own side as well as lots of satisfaction on the line, a tough defensive staff in France would not be a piece of cake, either, particularly if Marine Johannes can go off like she carried out versus Germany along with 24 aspects off the seat and with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on each ends.Has Team U.S.A. played its ideal basketball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, especially on offense, can still be a problem. There are times when the absence of playing opportunity all together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still evident. Nevertheless, there's a reason why Sue Bird recently pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is the most annoying basketball she has actually ever played. After a little bit of a sluggish beginning, the united state at some point led through 30 in the 3rd quarter versus Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have actually really loved exactly how her crew permitted the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point activity just before the final buzzer. With 4 activities, the Americans' shortage of 3-point capturing hasn't actually been actually treated, which could be an issue if enemies get hot from deep.Team USA can not ignore some of the staying groups in the field, but with a protective identification and also offensive expertise led through Stewart and Wilson, it has shown it may place video games away when it requires to, something that needs to transmit over right into the final 2 games.Pelton: On the flip side, I believe the firing is actually additionally factor to feel there is actually yet another gear for the U.S. women. Jointly, the 12 gamers on the roster have blended to shoot thirty three% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this time. That won't make a "Dash Siblings" nickname whenever quickly, however it is actually likewise far better than Team U.S.A. has actually taken care of from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are overdue to warm from lengthy selection. Look out if they finally do.