.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's university basketball and the WNBA.Recently dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and Baltimore indigenous along with further experience at the Dallas Morning Headlines, Seattle Moments as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Program series.Previously a professional with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP ranking and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international competitors will definitely reunite on Friday, as the United States ladies's baseball staff faces the Australian Opals with a place in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold medal suit on the line.Team USA, which is actually riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic victories, developed to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together three upright victories, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA girls have actually been the gold requirement for baseball around the globe, winning seven consecutive Olympic gold medals as well as 9 overall, Australia has actually been a historic powerhouse together with them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of recent 7 Summers months Video games, taking home 3 silvers and 2 bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the first time they've developed past the quarterfinals due to the fact that the 2012 London Video games.2012 additionally was the final time the epic Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic stage for the environment-friendly and also gold-- previously. While Crew U.S.A. has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, appearing in her 5th Games and initially in 12 years. Jackson has constantly medaled in the competitors, and though she has actually found limited action thus far in France, she has a possibility to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 energetic WNBA players-- has loads of energy, yet the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the U.S. senior national team, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the course of the 5 Games in which they medaled, Australia lost to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold award competition. The squads last satisfied in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton break down a number of journalism concerns heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Young for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart speaks along with Brian Windhorst after Staff USA's 14-point gain Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team USA switched up its own starting five versus Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the step repair its issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful instead of Taurasi-- that had last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the appropriate step. With 15 points versus Nigeria, Young appears to be carving out a job as Group United States's third marker behind A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Young is actually the merely other USA player averaging double designs at 10.3 points per video game.) Youthful, some of three Las Vegas Aces gamers in the starting 5, flaunted her 3-point firing earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her capability to acquire downhill and attack from midrange that stuck out, alongside her trademark self defense in the backcourt. It took until the center of the 2nd quarter for the U.S. to really place its foot on the gasoline against Nigeria, however Youthful's aggressiveness and power on both ends need to remain to pay dividends. And Taurasi seemed to perform well off the bench, where she boosted as a facilitator along with 4 assists.Pelton: I will enjoy to see starting point player Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to rating. She overlooked all 3 of her chance tries in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 until now during the Olympics. Incredibly, the U.S. outscored Nigeria through merely pair of aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or far better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our last roundtable, the USA women can easily get over one non-scorer in the beginning five such a long time as she is actually bringing something else to the desk. As well as Gray is actually with her playmaking, having now totted 22 supports versus just 3 turn overs. Thus, I don't assume instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create further changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat troubles carry out the Australians pose, as well as what could make all of them a tough matchup?Top tales of the full week from Acquire exclusive access to lots of premium articles a year from top article writers. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB student lesson "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP struggle, other awards "u2022 25 essential gamers in CFP nationality" Additional ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA fans will definitely be effectively knowledgeable about this Opals squad, which includes the Seat Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and also Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Freedom trainer Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not simply perform the Opals have the skill to complete against Team United States. They have momentum and also resolve observing their frustrating start to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually pleased with her group's poise and guts over the past week, 2 qualities a rival requires when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack boasts five players averaging at least 8.0 PPG, can harm adversaries inside along with Magbegor as well as Smith but likewise coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most effective in the Olympic field and a lot higher than Crew United States's paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the team along with eight and also 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually much deeper as well as extra proficient than any kind of staff in the business save for the U.S. ladies. Our experts can discuss the most effective international player at the Paris Gamings, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy candidates. But no staff possesses a pair of players like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, each of whom would have been on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not named to the team this season regardless of similar production.) And no group outside the U.S. has nearly as much WNBA knowledge throughout its roster.Given all that skill, it was shocking when Australia lost its opening video game to Nigeria at that point hardly defeat winless Canada. In their past two games, our company have actually found the Opals our team counted on, as they trump outdoed France to develop to the knockout phase and led Serbia through as lots of as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for three. LeBron approves. U.S.A. Network and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can anyone quit Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anyone is mosting likely to have all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's article gamers rank second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game and have the flexibility to speak up for Stewart and Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is specifically experienced against each rivals, having experienced Stewart virtual for three years as Hurricane teammates and also compared along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest hurdle for Magbegor and also Smith is repulsive issue. Magbegor got three first-half fouls against Canada, and also Johnson possessed 2 in the initial one-fourth versus France, confining their mins. Data backup George is actually a tough, skillful player (she racked up 18 aspects in 24 minutes versus Serbia) however no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid worry. However provided the experience Stewart and Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is going with her third Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor as well as Johnson are looking in their 1st Games-- I would certainly anticipate the Team USA extremely duo to produce the winning plays necessary in such a stressful scenario to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would certainly be actually a tougher challenger for Crew USA?Pelton: I'm picking Belgium, which gave the U.S. ladies their most difficult Olympic test however. The Americans dominated by thirteen points, although the frame was actually simply seven going into the fourth one-fourth of a team stage video game played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, with Julie Vanloo particularly having a hard time from midtown while skipping 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring thirteen aspects along with 7 assists (albeit along with nine turnovers) as Belgium navigated previous Spain, the simply other staff besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the multitude country with the crowd on its edge and a lot of pleasure on the line, a complicated protective crew 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 aspects off the seat and with Gabby Williams leading the way on each ends.Has Staff United States played its best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, especially on outburst, can still be a concern. There are opportunities when the absence of participating in opportunity with each other or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still evident. Besides, there is actually a reason that Sue Bird recently claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Basketball is actually one of the most annoying baseball she has actually ever before participated in. After a little bit of a sluggish begin, the united state ultimately led through 30 in the 3rd fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve could not have loved just how her staff permitted the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game prior to the ultimate buzzer. By means of 4 video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point shooting hasn't actually been corrected, which could be a concern if challengers get hot coming from deep.Team USA can not disregard any of the remaining groups in the business, yet along with a protective identity and aggressive prowess led through Stewart as well as Wilson, it has actually shown it can place video games away when it requires to, one thing that ought to transfer over into the last two games.Pelton: On the other hand, I believe the capturing is likewise reason to think there is actually one more gear for the USA females. Together, the 12 gamers on the roster have integrated to fire 33% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this season. That will not get a "Dash Sisters" nickname at any time quickly, however it's additionally far better than Staff USA has actually dealt with from the briefer 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 selection. Look out if they ultimately perform.