.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's university basketball and also the WNBA.Previously dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore indigenous along with more encounter at the Dallas Early Morning Headlines, Seat Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Program collection.Formerly an expert along with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP score as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global competitors will meet again on Friday, as the USA ladies's basketball team confronts the Australian Opals along with a place in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold medal suit on the line.Team United States, which is actually using a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic wins, developed to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung with each other three straight success, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state women have been actually the gold requirement for baseball throughout the world, gaining seven successive Olympic gold medals and 9 overall, Australia has been actually a famous powerhouse alongside them. The Opals have medaled in five of the past 7 Summer Video games, take away three silvers as well as 2 bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris denotes the very first time they've improved past the quarterfinals because the 2012 London Video games.2012 additionally was actually the final time the legendary Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly as well as gold-- until now. While Crew United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, appearing in her fifth Video games as well as initially in 12 years. Jackson has actually always medaled in the competition, and though she has actually observed restricted action up until now in France, she has a chance to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts 6 energetic WNBA gamers-- has plenty of drive, but the Opals are actually 0-20 all time against the U.S. senior national team, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the five Video games in which they medaled, Australia lost to the united state 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 and also Kevin Pelton break down several of journalism questions heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credits Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Crew U.S.A.'s 14-point win over Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team USA switched up its beginning 5 versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the action repair its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young in place of Taurasi-- who had final come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the ideal move. Along with 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Young looks taking a task as Staff United States's third marker behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Youthful is the merely other united state player averaging dual designs at 10.3 factors every video game.) Young, some of three Las Vegas Aces gamers in the beginning five, showed off her 3-point capturing previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her capability to acquire downhill and strike coming from midrange that attracted attention, in addition to her hallmark defense in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the 2nd one-fourth for the USA to definitely place its foot on the gasoline against Nigeria, but Youthful's aggression and energy on each ends must continue to return. And also Taurasi appeared to perform properly off the bench, where she improved as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I would certainly adore to observe beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a danger to score. She skipped all three of her shot attempts in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 up until now during the Olympics. Extremely, the united state outscored Nigeria by just 2 aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or much better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our final roundtable, the united state girls can easily conquer one non-scorer in the beginning five so long as she is carrying something else to the table. As well as Gray is actually along with her playmaking, having today totaled 22 helps versus only 3 turn overs. So, I do not assume train Cheryl Reeve needs to make further changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat problems carry out the Australians pose, and what could possibly make all of them a tough matchup?Top accounts of the full week from Receive unique accessibility to lots of fee write-ups a year from top authors. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore course "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP war, other awards "u2022 25 most important gamers in CFP nationality" Even more ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA supporters are going to be actually well acquainted with this Opals squad, which features the Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Freedom train Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not simply carry out the Opals have the skill to compete against Group USA. They possess momentum and willpower following their unsatisfying start to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually pleased with her group's grace and also guts over the past full week, 2 premiums a rival needs when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike flaunts 5 players averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can injure enemies inside along with Magbegor and also Smith however likewise coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the best in the Olympic field as well as much greater than Group U.S.A.'s modest 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the group with eight and also seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is actually much deeper and a lot more skilled than any sort of team in the field save for the U.S. girls. We can discuss the most effective global player at the Paris Gamings, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as solid candidates. Yet no team has a pair of players just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, both of whom will possess performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not named to the group this season regardless of comparable production.) And also no team outside the U.S. has nearly as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given all that talent, it was actually astonishing when Australia shed its own position game to Nigeria after that barely defeat winless Canada. In their previous pair of video games, our experts've found the Opals our experts anticipated, as they defeat outdoed France to develop to the knockout phase and led Serbia by as several as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for 3. LeBron permits. United States Network as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can any person quit Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anybody is visiting have them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's post players rank 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity and also possess the wheelchair to defend Stewart and also Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is particularly experienced versus both opponents, having actually dealt with Stewart in practice for 3 years as Storm allies and also paired up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest challenge for Magbegor and also Smith is actually foul trouble. Magbegor picked up 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and Smith possessed two in the initial quarter versus France, confining their minutes. Back-up George is a difficult, knowledgeable gamer (she scored 18 factors in 24 mins versus Serbia) however nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate problem. However offered the encounter Stewart and also Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is choosing her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and also Johnson are actually looking in their very first Gamings-- I 'd anticipate the Team U.S.A. tremendously duo to produce the winning plays necessary in such a high-pressure condition to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium will be a more durable challenger for Crew USA?Pelton: I am actually picking Belgium, which gave the U.S. ladies their most difficult Olympic exam but. The Americans prevailed by thirteen points, although the scope was simply 7 getting in the 4th quarter of a group stage video game played in Lille, France, near the border along with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo specifically having a hard time coming from midtown while missing 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring thirteen factors along with 7 aids (albeit with nine turn overs) as Belgium navigated past Spain, the simply various other group besides the U.S. that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the host nation with the group on its own side as well as lots of pride on the line, a hard defensive staff in France definitely would not be actually a piece of cake, either, particularly if Marine Johannes can easily go off like she carried out versus Germany along with 24 points off the seat as well as with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on each ends.Has Team United States played its best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, specifically on outburst, can easily still be actually a concern. There are opportunities when the shortage of participating in opportunity together or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still obvious. Besides, there is actually a reason that Sue Bird lately said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Baseball is actually the best awkward baseball she has ever participated in. After a little a slow begin, the USA ultimately led through 30 in the 3rd one-fourth against Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have actually liked how her team enabled the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game prior to the final buzzer. Via 4 games, the Americans' lack of 3-point firing hasn't truly been corrected, which can be a concern if enemies get hot coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can not ignore any one of the continuing to be staffs in the field, but along with a protective identification and aggressive expertise led through Stewart and Wilson, it has actually shown it can easily place activities away when it needs to have to, something that should transmit over in to the ultimate two games.Pelton: On the flip side, I assume the capturing is additionally reason to think there's an additional gear for the USA females. Together, the 12 players on the lineup have mixed to shoot thirty three% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this period. That won't gain a "Sprinkle Sis" nickname whenever soon, yet it's also far better than Group U.S.A. has actually managed from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to heat up from long range. Watch out if they ultimately perform.