.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's college baseball as well as the WNBA.Formerly dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore indigenous along with more take in at the Dallas Early Morning Information, Seattle Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Program collection.Previously a professional along with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP rating and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide rivals will definitely reunite on Friday, as the United States girls's basketball team faces the Australian Opals with a location in the 2024 Paris Games' gold award suit on the line.Team United States, which is actually using a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic victories, advanced to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Following a distressed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together 3 straight success, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. females have actually been actually the gold criterion for basketball throughout the planet, succeeding 7 consecutive Olympic gold awards as well as 9 general, Australia has actually been actually a historic goliath together with all of them. The Opals have medaled in five of recent seven Summers months Games, taking home 3 silvers and two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris marks the first time they've developed past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 London Gamings.2012 also was the final time the epic Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic stage for the environment-friendly and also gold-- until now. While Group United States possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Video games and to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has constantly medaled in the competitors, and also though she has viewed restricted activity up until now in France, she possesses a possibility to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which includes six active WNBA gamers-- possesses loads of momentum, however the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity against the united state senior national team, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the five Gamings in which they medaled, Australia dropped to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The teams last complied with in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break down several of the pressing concerns heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Group U.S.A.'s 14-point draw Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team United States shifted up its own beginning 5 against Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the move correct its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful in place of Taurasi-- who possessed final go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal relocation. Along with 15 points against Nigeria, Young looks taking a role as Team USA's 3rd scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Young is the just other U.S. player balancing dual designs at 10.3 factors per video game.) Young, some of 3 Sin city Aces gamers in the starting five, displayed her 3-point capturing earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her capacity to obtain downhill and attack from midrange that attracted attention, together with her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took until the center of the second one-fourth for the U.S. to really place its own feet on the gasoline against Nigeria, however Young's aggression and also power on both ends ought to continue to return. And also Taurasi seemed to be to carry out properly off the bench, where she stepped up as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I will like to find beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be a danger to score. She skipped all 3 of her go attempts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 up until now during the Olympics. Incredibly, the USA outscored Nigeria by just two aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the U.S. girls may get over one non-scorer in the beginning 5 so long as she is taking another thing to the desk. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having now totaled 22 aids against simply three turn overs. Therefore, I do not assume train Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create more changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat concerns carry out the Australians present, and what can create them a challenging matchup?Top tales of the full week coming from Receive special access to thousands of costs posts a year coming from top article writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB student training class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP struggle, various other honors "u2022 25 essential gamers in CFP ethnicity" More ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA supporters will certainly be properly familiar with this Opals squad, which includes the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and also Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Freedom coach Sandy Brondello responsible. Not just carry out the Opals have the ability to contend against Crew U.S.A.. They possess energy and also fix observing their unsatisfactory beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually pleased along with her team's grace and grit over the past full week, two qualities a rival needs to have when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack flaunts 5 players balancing at the very least 8.0 PPG, can easily hurt adversaries inside with Magbegor and also Johnson however likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the best in the Olympic area and also a lot higher than Crew USA's paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the crew along with 8 and 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is deeper as well as more talented than any kind of crew in the business except for the USA ladies. We can easily dispute the very best worldwide gamer at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful candidates. Yet no group has a pair of gamers just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, both of whom would certainly possess performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not called to the team this time in spite of identical development.) As well as no group outside the united state possesses virtually as much WNBA experience throughout its own roster.Given everything talent, it was actually surprising when Australia dropped its own position video game to Nigeria at that point hardly defeat winless Canada. In their previous 2 games, our company have actually viewed the Opals we expected, as they defeat bested France to develop to the knockout stage and also led Serbia by as a lot of as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for three. LeBron approves. United States System as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anybody cease Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anyone is actually heading to contain them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's post gamers rank 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game as well as possess the flexibility to speak up for Stewart and also Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is actually specifically experienced against both challengers, having actually encountered Stewart in practice for 3 years as Hurricane teammates and also compared with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest obstacle for Magbegor and also Johnson is nasty trouble. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, as well as Smith possessed two in the initial one-fourth versus France, confining their moments. Data backup George is a challenging, skillful gamer (she racked up 18 aspects in 24 moments against Serbia) but nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid concern. Yet offered the experience Stewart as well as Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is selecting her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor as well as Johnson are actually appearing in their initial Gamings-- I would certainly count on the Staff USA super duo to make the winning plays essential in such a stressful situation to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would be actually a more durable opponent for Crew USA?Pelton: I'm picking Belgium, which gave the U.S. women their toughest Olympic exam however. The Americans dominated by 13 points, although the frame was actually merely seven going into the 4th one-fourth of a group phase activity played in Lille, France, near the perimeter along with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo specifically battling from midtown while missing 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring 13 points along with 7 supports (albeit along with nine turn overs) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the only other team besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the lot nation with the crowd on its side as well as a lot of honor vulnerable, a complicated protective group in France definitely would not be actually a pushover, either, particularly if Marine Johannes may go off like she did versus Germany with 24 aspects off the bench and also along with Gabby Williams leading the way on each ends.Has Crew U.S.A. played its absolute best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, especially on outburst, can easily still be actually a problem. There are opportunities when the absence of participating in opportunity all together or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still obvious. It goes without saying, there's a reason why Sue Bird recently stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is actually the best annoying basketball she has ever before participated in. After a bit of a slow beginning, the united state at some point led through 30 in the third quarter against Nigeria, yet Reeve couldn't have really loved how her staff enabled the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game just before the ultimate buzzer. Via 4 games, the Americans' absence of 3-point capturing have not actually been corrected, which can be an issue if opponents fume coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can't disregard any one of the remaining crews in the business, but along with a protective identity and also offensive adeptness led through Stewart and Wilson, it has shown it may put video games away when it needs to, one thing that needs to move over right into the ultimate 2 games.Pelton: On the other hand, I assume the capturing is also cause to strongly believe there is actually another equipment for the U.S. females. Jointly, the 12 players on the lineup have actually mixed to shoot thirty three% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this season. That won't earn a "Burst Sis" nickname at any time very soon, however it is actually likewise better than Crew USA has dealt with from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to warm coming from long variation. Keep an eye out if they ultimately do.