.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's college baseball as well as the WNBA.Formerly dealt with UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and also Baltimore native with more take in at the Dallas Morning Headlines, Seat Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Article Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Program collection.Previously a consultant along with the Indiana Pacers.Established WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international opponents will meet again on Friday, as the United States females's baseball team faces the Australian Opals with a spot in the 2024 Paris Games' gold medal match on the line.Team United States, which is actually riding a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic triumphes, 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 strung all together 3 upright success, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA females have been the gold standard for basketball throughout the globe, gaining seven successive Olympic gold medals and 9 total, Australia has been a historical goliath together with them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of recent 7 Summer Games, take away 3 silvers and 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris marks the very first time they have actually improved past the quarterfinals because the 2012 Greater london Games.2012 also was actually the last time the fabulous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the green and also gold-- until now. While Team United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, seeming in her 5th Video games and first in 12 years. Jackson has consistently medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has actually found restricted action so far in France, she has an opportunity to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts six energetic WNBA players-- possesses plenty of momentum, but the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity against the U.S. senior national team, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the 5 Games through which they medaled, Australia lost to the U.S. either in the semifinals or even the gold medal contest. The squads last complied with in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton malfunction a number of the pressing inquiries moving right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Young for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Group United States's 14-point gain Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team United States changed up its beginning 5 versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the technique fix its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful in place of Taurasi-- that had final go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the best relocation. With 15 factors versus Nigeria, Young appears to be carving out a task as Group USA's 3rd marker responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Indeed, Young is the merely other united state player balancing double designs at 10.3 factors every game.) Young, one of three Sin city Aces gamers in the starting 5, displayed her 3-point capturing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her potential to acquire downhill as well as hit coming from midrange that attracted attention, along with her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took up until the center of the 2nd quarter for the united state to really place its foot on the gas against Nigeria, but Young's aggressiveness and energy on both ends must remain to pay dividends. And also Taurasi appeared to perform properly off the seat, where she boosted as a company with 4 assists.Pelton: I would certainly enjoy to find starting point guard Chelsea Gray be a danger to credit rating. She skipped all 3 of her go attempts in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 until now during the Olympics. Incredibly, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by merely two aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or even much better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our final roundtable, the united state girls can get rid of one non-scorer in the starting five as long as she is taking another thing to the table. As well as Gray is with her playmaking, having actually today totted 22 helps versus just three turnovers. Thus, I do not presume instructor Cheryl Reeve requires to make additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat troubles do the Australians posture, and also what can make all of them a hard matchup?Top stories of the week coming from Receive exclusive access to hundreds of costs articles a year from best article writers. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB student training class "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP battle, various other honors "u2022 25 most important gamers in CFP ethnicity" Additional ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA supporters will certainly be properly accustomed to this Opals squad, which includes the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and also Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Liberty train Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not just carry out the Opals possess the skill to compete against Staff United States. They have momentum and also resolve following their unsatisfying start to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually pleased with her crew's grace and also guts over recent week, two premiums a rival needs to have when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault boasts five players balancing a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can easily harm foes inside with Magbegor as well as Johnson however also coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the greatest in the Olympic area and much more than Group USA's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff with eight and also 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is much deeper and also a lot more talented than any kind of crew in the field except for the U.S. girls. Our company can debate the most effective international gamer at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough prospects. However no team has a set of players just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, each of whom would certainly possess been on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not named to the team this season despite similar manufacturing.) As well as no staff outside the U.S. has almost as much WNBA experience throughout its roster.Given all that talent, it was actually surprising when Australia lost its own opening activity to Nigeria then barely beat winless Canada. In their past pair of video games, we have actually viewed the Opals we anticipated, as they beat topped France to develop to the knockout stage as well as led Serbia through as a lot of as 28 in an askew quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for three. LeBron permits. U.S.A. Network as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anyone stop Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anyone is going to contain all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's message gamers place 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game and possess the range of motion to speak up for Stewart and Wilson on the border. Magbegor is especially experienced against both rivals, having encountered Stewart virtual for 3 years as Hurricane allies as well as matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest hurdle for Magbegor and Smith is actually foul problem. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and also Johnson had 2 in the initial quarter versus France, restricting their mins. Data backup George is actually a hard, proficient player (she racked up 18 aspects in 24 moments against Serbia) however nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid problem. However given the experience Stewart and Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is actually going for her third Olympic gold and Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and Johnson are actually looking in their first Games-- I will expect the Staff United States tremendously duo to help make the winning plays important in such a high-pressure scenario to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium will be actually a tougher challenger for Staff USA?Pelton: I am actually picking Belgium, which gave the united state women their most difficult Olympic exam but. The Americans prevailed by 13 factors, although the scope was actually just seven entering into the 4th quarter of a team phase video game played in Lille, France, near the border along with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo particularly struggling from downtown while skipping 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up 13 factors with seven assists (albeit with nine turn overs) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the just other team besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the lot nation along with the crowd on its side and plenty of take pride in on the line, a complicated protective group in France would not be actually a piece of cake, either, especially if Marine Johannes can easily go off like she performed against Germany along with 24 points off the seat as well as along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Team USA played its own greatest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, specifically on outburst, may still be an issue. There are times when the shortage of playing opportunity with each other or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still evident. Besides, there is actually a reason why Sue Bird lately said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Basketball is the absolute most awkward basketball she has actually ever participated in. After a bit of a slow-moving beginning, the united state ultimately led through 30 in the third fourth versus Nigeria, but Reeve could not have liked exactly how her group allowed the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point activity prior to the ultimate buzzer. Via four video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point capturing have not really been remedied, which may be a concern if rivals fume coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can't neglect some of the remaining groups in the business, however along with a protective identification as well as offensive expertise led through Stewart and Wilson, it has actually shown it can place activities away when it needs to have to, something that must move over right into the final pair of games.Pelton: On the flip side, I assume the shooting is actually also cause to feel there is actually an additional gear for the U.S. girls. Together, the 12 gamers on the roster have actually mixed to fire 33% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this period. That won't get a "Sprinkle Sisters" label at any time quickly, but it's also much better than Crew United States has dealt with from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually past due to heat from long variation. Look out if they eventually do.