.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's university basketball and the WNBA.Earlier covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad as well as Baltimore indigenous along with more take in at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus set.In the past a professional with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP rating and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide rivals will meet again on Friday, as the USA females's basketball crew confronts the Australian Opals along with an area in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal suit on the line.Team United States, which is actually using a streak of 59 successive Olympic triumphes, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Following an upset reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung together three upright triumphes, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA girls have been the gold requirement for baseball throughout the planet, winning seven successive Olympic gold awards and also nine general, Australia has actually been actually a famous goliath together with all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of recent 7 Summer seasons Gamings, take away 3 silvers as well as pair of bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris denotes the first time they've developed past the quarterfinals because the 2012 London Games.2012 additionally was the final time the legendary Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic stage for the green and gold-- previously. While Team USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Video games and first in 12 years. Jackson has constantly medaled in the competition, as well as though she has actually viewed limited activity up until now in France, she has a chance to continue that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six energetic WNBA gamers-- possesses lots of drive, yet the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the united state senior national staff, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the five Gamings through which they medaled, Australia shed to the united state either in the semifinals or the gold award contest. The squads final complied with in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton malfunction a few of journalism inquiries heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart chats with Brian Windhorst after Team United States's 14-point win over Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team United States switched up its starting five versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the relocation correct its issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful in place of Taurasi-- that had final go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the correct technique. With 15 points versus Nigeria, Young seems carving out a job as Crew United States's 3rd scorer behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Youthful is actually the simply other U.S. gamer balancing double figures at 10.3 points every video game.) Young, one of three Las Vegas Aces players in the beginning five, showed off her 3-point capturing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her ability to receive downhill and hit from midrange that stuck out, alongside her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took up until the middle of the second fourth for the USA to definitely place its foot on the fuel versus Nigeria, yet Young's hostility and power on each ends need to remain to pay dividends. And Taurasi seemed to be to accomplish well off the bench, where she boosted as a company along with 4 assists.Pelton: I would certainly really love to view starting point guard Chelsea Gray be a hazard to rating. She missed all three of her shot efforts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 up until now during the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the USA outscored Nigeria through just pair of factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or even far better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our final roundtable, the U.S. women can beat one non-scorer in the starting five as long as she is actually bringing another thing to the desk. And also Gray is actually with her playmaking, having right now completed 22 helps against merely three turnovers. Therefore, I don't assume coach Cheryl Reeve needs to have to make additional changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat issues perform the Australians position, and also what can create them a challenging matchup?Top tales of the week from Obtain special accessibility to hundreds of premium posts a year coming from best article writers. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB sophomore course "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP struggle, other awards "u2022 25 most important gamers in CFP race" Additional ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA followers are going to be well knowledgeable about this Opals squad, which includes the Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New York Right instructor Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not only perform the Opals have the skill to complete versus Crew USA. They have drive and also resolve following their unsatisfying begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been pleased along with her team's grace and grit over recent full week, two top qualities an opponent needs when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike includes five gamers balancing a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can easily injure opponents inside with Magbegor and also Smith yet also coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the very best in the Olympic area and considerably higher than Staff U.S.A.'s paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the staff along with eight and also 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually deeper as well as even more proficient than any type of team in the field save for the USA females. Our experts can debate the best international gamer at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy applicants. Yet no crew possesses a set of gamers as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, both of whom will have performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not named to the staff this period in spite of identical production.) As well as no group outside the USA has nearly as a lot WNBA experience throughout its own roster.Given all that ability, it was shocking when Australia shed its own opening activity to Nigeria after that hardly trump winless Canada. In their previous pair of games, our team've seen the Opals our experts anticipated, as they beat exceeded France to advance to the knockout phase as well as led Serbia by as lots of as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for 3. LeBron approves. U.S.A. System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can anyone cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anybody is going to contain all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and Johnson. Australia's post players rate second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity as well as possess the flexibility to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually specifically experienced against both rivals, having actually dealt with Stewart virtual for three years as Tornado colleagues and also paired up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest obstacle for Magbegor and also Smith is filthy difficulty. Magbegor got three first-half fouls against Canada, and Smith possessed pair of in the very first one-fourth versus France, restricting their mins. Back-up George is actually a tough, skillful player (she scored 18 aspects in 24 moments against Serbia) however no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up an authentic concern. However provided the experience Stewart as well as Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is actually going with her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and also Smith are actually appearing in their first Gamings-- I would certainly anticipate the Group USA very duo to make the winning plays required in such a high-pressure condition to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would certainly be a more durable opponent for Crew USA?Pelton: I am actually choosing Belgium, which offered the U.S. women their toughest Olympic examination but. The Americans dominated by 13 points, although the margin was just seven entering the 4th quarter of a group phase game played in Lille, France, near the border along with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo specifically having a hard time coming from midtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring 13 points with 7 assists (albeit with 9 turn overs) as Belgium navigated previous Spain, the simply various other group besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the lot nation along with the group on its own edge and a lot of satisfaction on the line, a challenging defensive group in France would not be actually a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes may blow up like she did against Germany with 24 points off the seat and along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Group United States played its best baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, particularly on offense, can easily still be a concern. There are opportunities when the lack of participating in time with each other or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still noticeable. It goes without saying, there's a reason Sue Bird lately said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Baseball is the best uneasy basketball she has actually ever before played. After a bit of a slow start, the USA inevitably led through 30 in the 3rd fourth versus Nigeria, yet Reeve could not have enjoyed how her staff permitted the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point video game prior to the ultimate buzzer. Through four video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point capturing hasn't truly been fixed, which can be a problem if opponents fume coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can't neglect any of the continuing to be teams in the business, yet along with a defensive identity as well as aggressive prowess led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually revealed it may place video games away when it needs to have to, something that needs to transfer over into the ultimate 2 games.Pelton: On the flip side, I assume the shooting is likewise factor to strongly believe there's yet another gear for the U.S. women. Together, the 12 gamers on the roster have incorporated to fire 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this period. That won't get a "Dash Sisters" label any time quickly, yet it's additionally much better than Crew United States has actually taken care of coming from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are past due to warm coming from long range. Watch out if they ultimately do.