.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's college basketball and the WNBA.Recently dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore native along with additional experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seat Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Article Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus set.Previously a professional with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP score as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide competitors are going to meet again on Friday, as the United States girls's baseball crew confronts the Australian Opals along with a location in the 2024 Paris Games' gold award suit on the line.Team U.S.A., which is using a streak of 59 successive Olympic success, 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 together three upright success, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA females have been actually the gold specification for baseball across the planet, succeeding seven consecutive Olympic gold awards as well as nine total, Australia has actually been a famous giant alongside them. The Opals have medaled in five of recent 7 Summertimes Gamings, taking home three silvers and two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the first time they have actually improved past the quarterfinals due to the fact that the 2012 Greater london Gamings.2012 likewise was the last opportunity the famous Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the green and gold-- until now. While Team United States possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, appearing in her 5th Video games and first in 12 years. Jackson has actually constantly medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has viewed limited activity so far in France, she has a chance to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 energetic WNBA players-- possesses a lot of energy, yet the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity against the USA elderly national team, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the five Games in which they medaled, Australia lost to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold award competition. The squads last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break several of the pressing concerns heading right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit ratings Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Team USA's 14-point gain Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team USA shifted up its own starting 5 versus Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the step fix its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young instead of Taurasi-- that possessed last go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal relocation. Along with 15 aspects against Nigeria, Youthful looks taking a part as Staff USA's 3rd marker behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Indeed, Youthful is actually the simply other united state gamer averaging double designs at 10.3 factors every game.) Young, some of three Las Vegas Aces players in the starting 5, exhibited her 3-point shooting previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her capacity to get downhill and reach from midrange that stuck out, together with her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took till the center of the second fourth for the USA to actually place its own foot on the fuel against Nigeria, but Youthful's aggression and also electricity on both ends ought to continue to return. And also Taurasi seemed to be to perform properly off the seat, where she boosted as a company along with 4 assists.Pelton: I will really love to observe beginning point player Chelsea Gray be actually a hazard to credit rating. She skipped all 3 of her go tries in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 so far throughout the Olympics. Remarkably, the U.S. outscored Nigeria through merely two factors in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even far better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our final roundtable, the united state girls may eliminate one non-scorer in the starting five so long as she is actually carrying another thing to the table. And also Gray is actually with her playmaking, having now completed 22 supports against only three turnovers. Therefore, I do not assume coach Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create further changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat complications perform the Australians present, and what might create all of them a challenging matchup?Top accounts of the full week from Acquire unique access to thousands of costs short articles a year from best authors. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore training class "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP battle, other honors "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP race" More ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA fans will be well accustomed to this Opals team, which includes the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Liberty instructor Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not only do the Opals have the ability to compete against Staff United States. They possess energy as well as resolve following their unsatisfying begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually satisfied with her team's poise as well as guts over recent full week, pair of qualities an enemy needs to have when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack includes 5 gamers averaging at the very least 8.0 PPG, can injure enemies inside along with Magbegor and also Johnson however also coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most effective in the Olympic area as well as a lot higher than Team United States's puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Sin City Aces, lead the crew along with 8 and also 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually deeper and even more proficient than any type of team in the business save for the USA women. Our experts may discuss the greatest worldwide player at the Paris Video Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong applicants. However no crew has a set of players like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson, each of whom will possess gotten on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not named to the group this time despite similar creation.) As well as no team outside the U.S. has virtually as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its roster.Given everything skill, it was actually stunning when Australia dropped its opening game to Nigeria after that barely trump winless Canada. In their past two activities, we have actually seen the Opals we anticipated, as they beat outdoed France to advance to the knockout phase as well as led Serbia through as a lot of as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for 3. LeBron authorizes. USA System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily any person stop Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any individual is mosting likely to have all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's post players position second (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game and have the range of motion to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is particularly experienced versus each enemies, having actually encountered Stewart virtual for 3 years as Storm allies and compared along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest challenge for Magbegor and Smith is actually nasty difficulty. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls against Canada, and also Johnson possessed pair of in the initial fourth versus France, limiting their minutes. Back-up George is actually a challenging, competent player (she racked up 18 aspects in 24 mins against Serbia) however no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a legitimate concern. Yet provided the encounter Stewart and also Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is going with her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Johnson are actually seeming in their initial Games-- I would certainly anticipate the Group U.S.A. incredibly duo to help make the winning participates in necessary in such a high-pressure condition to breakthrough to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium would certainly be a tougher rival for Team USA?Pelton: I am actually choosing Belgium, which offered the united state females their most difficult Olympic test however. The Americans dominated by thirteen aspects, although the frame was actually only seven going into the fourth one-fourth of a team stage game played in Lille, France, near the border along with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, along with Julie Vanloo specifically struggling from downtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up 13 aspects with 7 assists (albeit with nine turn overs) as Belgium navigated past Spain, the merely various other crew besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation with the group on its own edge and a lot of pride vulnerable, a challenging defensive team in France would not be a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can easily blow up like she did versus Germany along with 24 aspects off the seat and also along with Gabby Williams leading the way on each ends.Has Team USA played its own absolute best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, especially on outburst, can easily still be a problem. There are times when the lack of participating in time all together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still evident. After all, there is actually a reason why Sue Bird lately stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Baseball is one of the most awkward baseball she has actually ever before played. After a little a slow-moving start, the USA at some point led through 30 in the third one-fourth against Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have actually liked just how her group enabled the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point video game prior to the ultimate buzzer. By means of four video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point capturing have not really been actually solved, which might be a concern if opponents get hot coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can't ignore some of the staying teams in the field, yet with a defensive identity as well as aggressive expertise led through Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually presented it may place activities away when it needs to, something that should transmit over right into the last two games.Pelton: On the other side, I believe the capturing is also explanation to believe there is actually an additional equipment for the USA women. Jointly, the 12 gamers on the lineup have actually combined to fire thirty three% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this time. That will not make a "Dash Sis" nickname any time very soon, yet it's additionally much better than Team U.S.A. has actually handled from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to warm up coming from lengthy selection. Watch out if they eventually carry out.