.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's university baseball and the WNBA.Formerly dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore indigenous with further experience at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seattle Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Author Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus collection.Previously an expert with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP rating as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide opponents will definitely meet again on Friday, as the USA women's baseball team goes up against the Australian Opals with a place in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award match on the line.Team U.S.A., which is riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic triumphes, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung all together three straight victories, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. women have been the gold requirement for basketball throughout the world, succeeding seven consecutive Olympic gold awards and also nine general, Australia has actually been a historic powerhouse together with them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of the past 7 Summertimes Gamings, taking home 3 silvers as well as 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals due to the fact that the 2012 Greater london Gamings.2012 also was the last opportunity the epic Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly as well as gold-- previously. While Crew United States possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, appearing in her 5th Games and also to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has consistently medaled in the competitors, and also though she has observed restricted activity until now in France, she possesses a possibility to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which includes six energetic WNBA gamers-- has loads of momentum, but the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity versus the united state elderly national group, including 0-8 in Olympic competitors. In the course of the five Video games through which they medaled, Australia shed to the united state either in the semifinals or the gold medal contest. The teams final fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton malfunction a few of the pressing inquiries heading right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart debts Jackie Young for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Group United States's 14-point gain Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. shifted up its starting 5 versus Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the action repair its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young in place of Taurasi-- that possessed final go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the correct step. Along with 15 points versus Nigeria, Young appears to be taking a function as Group United States's third scorer behind A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Youthful is actually the only other U.S. player balancing double designs at 10.3 factors per activity.) Young, one of 3 Sin city Aces gamers in the starting 5, flaunted her 3-point capturing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless coming from deep on Wednesday, it was her ability to receive downhill as well as strike coming from midrange that stood apart, alongside her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took till the center of the 2nd quarter for the united state to actually put its own foot on the gasoline against Nigeria, but Young's hostility and also energy on each ends ought to continue to return. And Taurasi appeared to perform effectively off the seat, where she improved as a company with four assists.Pelton: I will like to find starting point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a hazard to score. She overlooked all three of her try tries in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 up until now throughout the Olympics. Incredibly, the united state outscored Nigeria through just two aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our final roundtable, the U.S. ladies may beat one non-scorer in the starting five so long as she is actually delivering another thing to the desk. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually now totted 22 supports versus merely 3 turn overs. Thus, I don't presume coach Cheryl Reeve needs to have to make further changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat problems perform the Australians posture, and what can create all of them a difficult matchup?Top stories of the full week from Receive unique access to lots of costs posts a year coming from top writers. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB sophomore training class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP battle, other awards "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP nationality" Additional ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA followers will definitely be well accustomed to this Opals squad, which includes the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Freedom instructor Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not simply perform the Opals have the skill to contend versus Crew United States. They have energy and fix observing their disappointing start to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually felt free to with her team's grace as well as guts over recent full week, two high qualities a challenger needs to have when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced attack flaunts 5 gamers balancing at least 8.0 PPG, can easily harm adversaries inside with Magbegor and also Johnson but additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the greatest in the Olympic field and a lot more than Crew United States's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the crew with eight and also 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is actually deeper and more gifted than any kind of team in the business except for the USA females. Our experts can easily dispute the most effective global player at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as solid applicants. However no group possesses a pair of gamers comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Johnson, each of whom would certainly possess performed my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not named to the group this season in spite of comparable creation.) As well as no team outside the USA possesses almost as a lot WNBA adventure throughout its own roster.Given the only thing that skill, it was actually surprising when Australia shed its opening game to Nigeria then scarcely beat winless Canada. In their past two activities, our company've viewed the Opals our team anticipated, as they defeat outdoed France to advance to the knockout phase and also led Serbia through as a lot of as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for three. LeBron approves. United States System and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May any individual cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if anybody is going to have all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's message gamers position second (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per video game and have the range of motion to speak up for Stewart and Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is especially experienced versus both opponents, having actually faced Stewart virtual for 3 years as Tornado allies and also paired up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest challenge for Magbegor and Johnson is actually nasty issue. Magbegor grabbed 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and also Smith possessed pair of in the very first fourth versus France, restricting their minutes. Data backup George is actually a challenging, skilled player (she racked up 18 factors in 24 mins against Serbia) but no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises an authentic problem. Yet offered the encounter Stewart and also Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is actually opting for her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Smith are looking in their very first Games-- I will count on the Staff USA tremendously duo to make the winning participates in required in such a stressful condition to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium will be a more durable enemy for Team USA?Pelton: I'm selecting Belgium, which provided the united state women their hardest Olympic exam however. The Americans dominated through 13 aspects, although the frame was only 7 going into the 4th one-fourth of a team phase activity played in Lille, France, near the borderline with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo specifically battling coming from downtown while skipping 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up thirteen factors along with 7 supports (albeit with nine turnovers) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the just various other group besides the united state that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the multitude country with the crowd on its own side and also a lot of take pride in vulnerable, a hard defensive staff in France wouldn't be actually a piece of cake, either, particularly if Marine Johannes may go off like she carried out versus Germany along with 24 factors off the bench and also along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Team U.S.A. played its absolute best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, specifically on offense, can easily still be actually a problem. There are times when the absence of participating in opportunity together or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still obvious. Nevertheless, there is actually a reason why Sue Bird lately said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Basketball is actually the absolute most annoying baseball she has actually ever played. After a bit of a slow begin, the USA at some point led by 30 in the third fourth versus Nigeria, but Reeve could not have loved how her group allowed the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point game just before the last buzzer. With four activities, the Americans' shortage of 3-point firing have not truly been treated, which can be a problem if rivals fume from deep.Team United States can't neglect any one of the staying groups in the business, however along with a protective identification and also aggressive adeptness led through Stewart and Wilson, it has revealed it may put video games away when it needs to have to, something that ought to transmit over right into the last pair of games.Pelton: On the other side, I presume the capturing is actually additionally main reason to feel there's an additional gear for the U.S. ladies. Jointly, the 12 gamers on the roster have actually mixed to fire thirty three% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this time. That won't get a "Dash Sis" label any time very soon, however it is actually likewise much better than Group U.S.A. has actually taken care of from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to heat from lengthy selection. Look out if they lastly carry out.