.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's university baseball as well as the WNBA.Earlier dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore indigenous along with more take in at the Dallas Morning Information, Seattle Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Author Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus series.In the past a professional along with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international competitors will reunite on Friday, as the United States ladies's baseball staff goes up against the Australian Opals along with a spot in the 2024 Paris Games' gold medal match on the line.Team USA, which is riding a streak of 59 successive Olympic victories, advanced to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with an upset reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung with each other three upright triumphes, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA ladies have actually been the gold criterion for basketball throughout the globe, winning seven successive Olympic gold medals and nine overall, Australia has actually been actually a historical powerhouse along with them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of the past seven Summertimes Games, taking home 3 silvers and two bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the very first time they've improved past the quarterfinals due to the fact that the 2012 Greater london Games.2012 likewise was actually the last opportunity the famous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic stage for the environment-friendly and gold-- until now. While Staff U.S.A. has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, appearing in her 5th Video games and first in 12 years. Jackson has actually always medaled in the competitors, and also though she has actually observed minimal activity so far in France, she has an odds to proceed that streak this weekend.Australia-- which includes six energetic WNBA gamers-- possesses a lot of momentum, however the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the USA elderly national crew, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the course of the five Video games in which they medaled, Australia shed to the USA either in the semifinals or even the gold award competition. The teams last satisfied in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton malfunction a few of journalism concerns moving right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart speaks along with Brian Windhorst after Group U.S.A.'s 14-point gain Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched up its own starting 5 against Nigeria, along with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the move correct its own concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful instead of Taurasi-- that possessed final come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the correct action. With 15 points versus Nigeria, Young seems taking a job as Crew United States's 3rd scorer behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Youthful is the merely various other U.S. player averaging dual designs at 10.3 aspects per video game.) Young, some of three Las Vegas Aces gamers in the starting 5, showed off her 3-point firing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her ability to acquire downhill as well as reach coming from midrange that stuck out, together with her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took up until the middle of the second quarter for the united state to really place its feet on the fuel versus Nigeria, but Youthful's aggression as well as electricity on both ends ought to remain to return. And also Taurasi appeared to accomplish properly off the bench, where she improved as a company along with four assists.Pelton: I will adore to find starting point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a hazard to score. She skipped all 3 of her try attempts in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 up until now during the Olympics. Amazingly, the united state outscored Nigeria through just pair of aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or much better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our last roundtable, the USA ladies can get over one non-scorer in the starting 5 as long as she is actually delivering something else to the desk. And Gray is with her playmaking, having today amounted to 22 helps versus just 3 turnovers. Therefore, I don't presume trainer Cheryl Reeve needs to have to make further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat problems perform the Australians position, as well as what could make them a hard matchup?Top stories of the week coming from Acquire exclusive access to thousands of superior articles a year from leading authors. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB sophomore lesson "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP fight, various other honors "u2022 25 essential gamers in CFP nationality" Additional ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA followers will certainly be actually effectively accustomed to this Opals squad, which includes the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Liberty coach Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not just perform the Opals possess the skill to contend versus Crew USA. They possess energy as well as resolve following their frustrating beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been felt free to along with her staff's poise and also grit over recent full week, pair of top qualities an enemy requires when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack boasts 5 players balancing a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can injure adversaries inside along with Magbegor as well as Smith but additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the greatest in the Olympic field and much greater than Team U.S.A.'s paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the group along with eight as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is actually much deeper and extra accomplished than any sort of crew in the field barring the united state females. Our team may dispute the most effective worldwide player at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough applicants. However no staff possesses a pair of players just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, each of whom would certainly have gotten on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not named to the crew this time despite identical production.) As well as no group outside the USA possesses virtually as a lot WNBA knowledge throughout its roster.Given the only thing that talent, it was shocking when Australia shed its opening video game to Nigeria then hardly beat winless Canada. In their past 2 video games, our experts have actually found the Opals our company anticipated, as they trump topped France to develop to the knockout phase and also led Serbia through as lots of as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for 3. LeBron authorizes. USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily any individual stop Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if any individual is heading to contain all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor and also Smith. Australia's message gamers place second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per activity and also have the range of motion to defend Stewart and also Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is especially experienced versus each enemies, having actually experienced Stewart virtual for three years as Hurricane teammates and also paired up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest obstacle for Magbegor and Johnson is filthy problem. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls against Canada, and Johnson had 2 in the initial fourth versus France, confining their minutes. Back-up George is actually a hard, proficient gamer (she racked up 18 aspects in 24 mins against Serbia) however no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up an authentic problem. However offered the encounter Stewart and also Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is actually choosing her third Olympic gold and Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Smith are appearing in their first Gamings-- I will expect the Crew United States extremely duo to help make the winning plays important in such a stressful circumstance to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would be a tougher opponent for Crew USA?Pelton: I am actually going with Belgium, which offered the united state girls their hardest Olympic examination however. The Americans dominated by thirteen points, although the margin was actually only seven going into the 4th one-fourth of a group phase video game played in Lille, France, near the edge with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo especially struggling from downtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up thirteen factors along with seven aids (albeit along with nine turnovers) as Belgium travelled previous Spain, the only other team besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the multitude nation along with the crowd on its own edge and also a lot of satisfaction on the line, a tough protective crew in France would not be a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can go off like she performed versus Germany with 24 aspects off the seat and along with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on each ends.Has Staff U.S.A. played its own finest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, particularly on offense, can still be an issue. There are actually times when the shortage of playing time all together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still noticeable. Besides, there's a main reason why Sue Bird lately mentioned on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Basketball is actually the best uneasy baseball she has actually ever before participated in. After a little a slow beginning, the united state ultimately led through 30 in the 3rd quarter against Nigeria, yet Reeve could not have adored exactly how her staff made it possible for the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game prior to the ultimate buzzer. Through four activities, the Americans' lack of 3-point firing hasn't truly been actually remedied, which can be an issue if challengers get hot coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can not ignore any one of the staying teams in the business, yet along with a protective identity and aggressive expertise led through Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually shown it can place games away when it requires to, something that must move over in to the final pair of games.Pelton: On the other side, I think the shooting is actually likewise explanation to strongly believe there is actually yet another equipment for the united state women. Together, the 12 gamers on the roster have actually blended to shoot thirty three% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this time. That won't get a "Dash Sis" label whenever very soon, but it is actually additionally better than Staff U.S.A. has actually managed from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are past due to heat coming from lengthy variation. Keep an eye out if they eventually do.