.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's university basketball and the WNBA.Recently dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore indigenous along with further encounter at the Dallas Morning Updates, Seattle Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus collection.Formerly an expert with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP score as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international rivals will certainly reunite on Friday, as the United States ladies's basketball staff takes on the Australian Opals with a place in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal suit on the line.Team USA, which is actually riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic success, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung with each other 3 upright success, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. women have been the gold standard for baseball around the world, winning seven successive Olympic gold awards as well as nine total, Australia has actually been a historic powerhouse alongside all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past seven Summers months Video games, take away 3 silvers and also two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris marks the first time they have actually advanced past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 London Video games.2012 likewise was the final opportunity the epic Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly as well as gold-- until now. While Group USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, showing up in her fifth Games as well as to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has actually regularly medaled in the competitors, and also though she has viewed minimal action so far in France, she has a chance to proceed that streak this weekend.Australia-- which includes six active WNBA gamers-- has a lot of energy, yet the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity against the USA senior national staff, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competition. In the course of the five Games in which they medaled, Australia shed to the united state either in the semifinals or even the gold medal contest. The squads last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break down a few of journalism questions moving right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Group United States's 14-point sway Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team USA shifted up its starting 5 against Nigeria, along with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the step repair its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful in place of Taurasi-- who had final come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the best technique. Along with 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Young appears to be taking a part as Crew U.S.A.'s 3rd scorer behind A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Youthful is the only various other united state player balancing dual figures at 10.3 aspects every video game.) Youthful, one of three Las Vegas Aces gamers in the beginning five, showed off her 3-point capturing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her capacity to obtain downhill and also reach coming from midrange that stood apart, alongside her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took up until the center of the 2nd quarter for the USA to definitely place its foot on the gasoline against Nigeria, however Young's hostility and power on both ends ought to continue to return. As well as Taurasi seemed to do effectively off the bench, where she boosted as a facilitator along with four assists.Pelton: I will like to view beginning point player Chelsea Gray be a hazard to credit rating. She missed out on all three of her shot efforts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 so far in the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by simply 2 aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the united state women can beat one non-scorer in the starting five so long as she is actually taking something else to the desk. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually now totaled 22 aids versus just three turn overs. Thus, I do not presume coach Cheryl Reeve needs to make further changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat concerns do the Australians position, as well as what could possibly create them a tough matchup?Top tales of the week coming from Get special access to countless costs short articles a year coming from best writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP fight, various other awards "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP nationality" Even more ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts are going to be actually effectively aware of this Opals team, which includes the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Liberty instructor Sandy Brondello responsible. Not only carry out the Opals possess the skill to complete versus Crew U.S.A.. They possess momentum and also willpower following their disappointing beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has been felt free to with her group's grace and grit over recent week, 2 top qualities an enemy requires when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced attack includes 5 gamers balancing at least 8.0 PPG, may harm enemies inside along with Magbegor and also Smith but likewise coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the greatest in the Olympic area and also much more than Team United States's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the team along with eight and also seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is much deeper and more proficient than any sort of team in the business barring the united state females. Our company may question the best international player at the Paris Video Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy applicants. Yet no team possesses a pair of players like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Johnson, both of whom will have gotten on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not called to the group this period even with comparable manufacturing.) And no staff outside the united state has almost as a lot WNBA knowledge throughout its roster.Given all that ability, it was actually surprising when Australia lost its own position activity to Nigeria after that scarcely beat winless Canada. In their past 2 games, our team've found the Opals we anticipated, as they trump exceeded France to advance to the knockout phase as well as led Serbia through as many as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals 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 any individual quit Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anyone is going to include all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson. Australia's message players position second (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game and also possess the range of motion to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the border. Magbegor is especially experienced versus each enemies, having actually faced Stewart in practice for three years as Tornado allies and also matched up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest obstacle for Magbegor and also Johnson is actually nasty problem. Magbegor grabbed 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and Smith possessed 2 in the very first fourth versus France, limiting their moments. Data backup George is a difficult, proficient gamer (she racked up 18 factors in 24 minutes against Serbia) yet nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a valid concern. Yet given the encounter Stewart and also Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is selecting her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Smith are actually seeming in their initial Video games-- I 'd count on the Staff United States extremely duo to make the winning plays important in such a stressful circumstance to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium would certainly be actually a tougher enemy for Staff USA?Pelton: I am actually going with Belgium, which provided the U.S. girls their toughest Olympic examination however. The Americans prevailed through 13 aspects, although the frame was simply seven going into the fourth one-fourth of a group stage video game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo particularly having a hard time 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 13 aspects along with 7 aids (albeit with nine turn overs) as Belgium travelled previous Spain, the merely other team besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the host country along with the crowd on its side as well as a lot of satisfaction on the line, a challenging protective staff in France wouldn't be a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes can blow up like she carried out against Germany with 24 factors off the seat and with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Crew USA played its own finest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, specifically on outburst, can still be an issue. There are actually times when the absence of playing opportunity all together or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still noticeable. It goes without saying, there's a main reason why Sue Bird lately mentioned on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Baseball is the best awkward basketball she has ever participated in. After a bit of a sluggish beginning, the U.S. ultimately led through 30 in the third one-fourth against Nigeria, yet Reeve couldn't have liked just how her group permitted the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point activity prior to the final buzzer. Via 4 video games, the Americans' lack of 3-point capturing hasn't definitely been fixed, which might be a concern if opponents fume coming from deep.Team United States can't forget some of the remaining crews in the business, yet with a protective identity and offensive adeptness led through Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually presented it can easily place video games away when it needs to, one thing that ought to transfer over into the ultimate 2 games.Pelton: On the other hand, I assume the firing is actually also factor to strongly believe there's an additional equipment for the united state women. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the roster have actually blended to shoot thirty three% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this period. That won't make a "Dash Sisters" label at any time quickly, but it's likewise far better than Crew United States has handled coming from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to heat up coming from lengthy range. Look out if they lastly perform.