.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's university basketball as well as the WNBA.Recently dealt with UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and also Baltimore indigenous along with further take in at the Dallas Early Morning Headlines, Seattle Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus set.Previously an expert with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide rivals will definitely reunite on Friday, as the United States women's baseball staff faces the Australian Opals along with a spot in the 2024 Paris Games' gold award match on the line.Team United States, which is using a streak of 59 successive Olympic wins, advanced to the semifinals with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung with each other 3 upright victories, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state girls have been actually the gold requirement for basketball around the globe, gaining seven consecutive Olympic gold awards and also 9 general, Australia has actually been actually a famous giant alongside all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past 7 Summertimes Games, taking home three silvers as well as 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the first time they have actually advanced past the quarterfinals because the 2012 London Video games.2012 likewise was actually the last time the epic Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the environment-friendly as well as gold-- previously. While Group United States possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Video games as well as to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has actually consistently medaled in the competitors, and though she has observed limited activity up until now in France, she has a chance to continue that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 energetic WNBA gamers-- has loads of momentum, yet the Opals are 0-20 all time versus the U.S. elderly nationwide staff, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. Throughout the 5 Games in which they medaled, Australia lost to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold award competition. The teams last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton malfunction a few of journalism questions moving into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart chats with Brian Windhorst after Team USA's 14-point win over Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team USA switched over up its starting 5 versus Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the step fix its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful instead of Taurasi-- that possessed last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the appropriate move. Along with 15 points versus Nigeria, Young seems taking a duty as Team United States's third marker behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Indeed, Young is the simply other U.S. gamer balancing double figures at 10.3 factors every game.) Young, one of 3 Sin city Aces gamers in the starting five, exhibited her 3-point firing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her potential to receive downhill and also reach from midrange that stood out, together with her hallmark defense in the backcourt. It took up until the center of the 2nd fourth for the united state to actually put its own feet on the gasoline against Nigeria, however Young's aggression and also power on each ends need to continue to return. And Taurasi seemed to be to carry out effectively off the bench, where she improved as a company with four assists.Pelton: I 'd enjoy to observe starting point player Chelsea Gray be actually a hazard to rating. She missed out on all 3 of her go attempts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 up until now during the Olympics. Remarkably, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by simply pair of aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even much better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the U.S. ladies can easily eliminate one non-scorer in the starting five so long as she is taking something else to the table. And also Gray is actually with her playmaking, having actually now amounted to 22 supports versus merely 3 turn overs. So, I don't think coach Cheryl Reeve needs to make additional changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat concerns do the Australians posture, and also what could possibly make them a hard matchup?Top accounts of the full week coming from Receive exclusive accessibility to 1000s of superior articles a year coming from top article writers. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB sophomore lesson "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP battle, other honors "u2022 25 most important gamers in CFP nationality" Additional ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA fans will be effectively accustomed to this Opals squad, which includes the Seat Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Liberty train Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not merely perform the Opals possess the talent to compete against Group U.S.A.. They possess drive as well as fix following their unsatisfying begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been pleased along with her crew's grace and guts over the past week, 2 premiums a challenger needs when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike boasts 5 players balancing at the very least 8.0 PPG, may injure foes inside with Magbegor and also Johnson yet also coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most ideal in the Olympic industry as well as considerably greater than Crew U.S.A.'s puny 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the team with 8 and 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually deeper and a lot more gifted than any sort of group in the business save for the U.S. girls. We may question the most effective international gamer at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful prospects. However no crew has a set of players as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson, both of whom would possess performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not called to the team this period despite identical production.) And also no group outside the U.S. possesses nearly as a lot WNBA adventure throughout its roster.Given everything ability, it was astonishing when Australia dropped its own position activity to Nigeria after that hardly beat winless Canada. In their past 2 activities, our experts have actually observed the Opals our team anticipated, as they beat outdoed France to develop to the knockout stage as well as led Serbia through as many as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for 3. LeBron approves. U.S.A. Network as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can any individual stop Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anybody is actually mosting likely to include them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Smith. Australia's article gamers rate second (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game and have the movement to defend Stewart as well as Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is specifically experienced against each enemies, having experienced Stewart virtual for three years as Storm allies as well as matched up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest challenge for Magbegor and Smith is actually foul trouble. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls against Canada, as well as Johnson possessed pair of in the first fourth versus France, confining their minutes. Back-up George is a challenging, competent gamer (she racked up 18 aspects in 24 moments against Serbia) yet nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up an authentic issue. However given the encounter Stewart as well as Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is actually selecting her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and also Smith are showing up in their very first Games-- I 'd anticipate the Crew United States very duo to make the winning plays necessary in such a high-pressure condition to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would be actually a harder challenger for Group USA?Pelton: I am actually opting for Belgium, which gave the USA girls their toughest Olympic examination however. The Americans dominated by thirteen aspects, although the margin was simply 7 getting in the fourth one-fourth of a team stage game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter along with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo especially having a hard time from midtown while missing 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up 13 aspects with seven aids (albeit with 9 turnovers) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the simply various other crew besides the U.S. that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the multitude nation along with the group on its side as well as plenty of take pride in on the line, a challenging protective staff in France wouldn't be a piece of cake, either, especially if Marine Johannes may blow up like she did against Germany with 24 points off the seat as well as with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Crew USA played its greatest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, particularly on outburst, can easily still be actually a problem. There are actually opportunities when the absence of participating in time with each other or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still obvious. Nevertheless, there's a main reason why Sue Bird recently pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Baseball is the absolute most annoying baseball she has ever participated in. After a little a sluggish start, the USA eventually led by 30 in the 3rd one-fourth against Nigeria, yet Reeve could not have actually enjoyed how her crew made it possible for the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point game before the last buzzer. Through four video games, the Americans' absence of 3-point capturing have not actually been corrected, which may be a problem if enemies get hot from deep.Team United States can not disregard some of the remaining crews in the field, but with a protective identity as well as offensive prowess led by Stewart as well as Wilson, it has shown it may place video games away when it needs to, one thing that must transmit over into the last two games.Pelton: On the flip side, I presume the shooting is actually likewise cause to believe there is actually an additional gear for the USA women. Together, the 12 players on the roster have actually combined to fire 33% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this time. That will not make a "Splash Siblings" nickname whenever quickly, yet it's likewise far better than Crew United States has actually dealt with from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are outstanding to heat up coming from lengthy range. Watch out if they ultimately carry out.