.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's university basketball and the WNBA.Earlier covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad as well as Baltimore indigenous with additional encounter at the Dallas Early Morning Information, Seattle Moments as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus series.Formerly a consultant with the Indiana Pacers.Established WARP score and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide rivals are going to reunite on Friday, as the USA girls's baseball crew faces the Australian Opals with a location in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold medal suit on the line.Team United States, which is using a streak of 59 successive Olympic wins, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to an upset reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung all together 3 upright victories, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state females have been the gold standard for basketball throughout the world, winning 7 successive Olympic gold medals and also 9 general, Australia has actually been a famous goliath alongside them. The Opals have medaled in five of recent seven Summertimes Gamings, take away 3 silvers and also pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the very first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals because the 2012 Greater london Gamings.2012 also was the final opportunity the fabulous Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the green and also gold-- until now. While Staff United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Video games and first in 12 years. Jackson has actually constantly medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has seen restricted activity thus far in France, she possesses an odds to continue that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six active WNBA gamers-- has lots of momentum, however the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the united state elderly nationwide team, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the course of the 5 Gamings in which they medaled, Australia dropped to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold medal contest. The teams final met in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break a few of the pressing concerns moving in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Young for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Staff USA's 14-point get Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched up its beginning 5 versus Nigeria, with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the relocation repair its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful in place of Taurasi-- that possessed final go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the correct action. With 15 factors against Nigeria, Youthful seems carving out a function as Team U.S.A.'s third scorer behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Youthful is the merely various other U.S. player balancing double figures at 10.3 factors per activity.) Youthful, one of 3 Sin city Aces players in the beginning five, flaunted her 3-point shooting previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her capacity to receive downhill as well as hit from midrange that stood apart, together with her trademark self defense in the backcourt. It took up until the center of the second one-fourth for the U.S. to actually place its foot on the gasoline against Nigeria, but Youthful's aggression as well as electricity on both ends need to remain to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi seemed to carry out well off the bench, where she boosted as a company along with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd adore to see starting point player Chelsea Gray be a hazard to credit rating. She overlooked all 3 of her try attempts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 so far throughout the Olympics. Amazingly, the united state outscored Nigeria through merely pair of aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or even better while on the court.Still, as I discussed in our final roundtable, the united state ladies can easily beat one non-scorer in the starting five such a long time as she is actually taking another thing to the desk. And Gray is actually along with her playmaking, having actually right now totted 22 aids versus simply three turnovers. Therefore, I do not assume instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to have to make further changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat concerns perform the Australians posture, and what could create all of them a difficult matchup?Top tales of the week coming from Get unique accessibility to countless fee posts a year from best authors. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB student lesson "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP war, various other honors "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP nationality" More ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA supporters will definitely be actually effectively aware of this Opals squad, which features the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and also Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Liberty instructor Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not only do the Opals have the skill to contend against Group U.S.A.. They possess drive and also willpower observing their unsatisfactory begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually felt free to along with her team's grace and guts over recent full week, 2 qualities a challenger requires when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack includes five gamers averaging at the very least 8.0 PPG, can easily injure foes inside along with Magbegor and also Smith yet additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the best in the Olympic field as well as considerably more than Crew U.S.A.'s tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the staff with 8 as well as seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually deeper and extra accomplished than any kind of crew in the field save for the U.S. females. Our experts can easily dispute the very best global gamer at the Paris Video Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough applicants. But no team has a set of players like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, each of whom will possess performed my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not named to the team this time regardless of identical manufacturing.) And no crew outside the U.S. possesses almost as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its roster.Given everything skill, it was surprising when Australia shed its own position game to Nigeria at that point rarely trump winless Canada. In their past two activities, our team've viewed the Opals our experts anticipated, as they trump bested France to develop to the knockout phase as well as led Serbia through as numerous as 28 in an askew quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for three. LeBron accepts. United States System and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily anybody stop Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anybody is actually heading to have all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's blog post gamers place second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per video game as well as possess the wheelchair to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the border. Magbegor is specifically experienced versus each rivals, having actually dealt with Stewart in practice for 3 years as Storm colleagues and also compared along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest challenge for Magbegor and also Johnson is foul problem. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls versus Canada, and also Smith had pair of in the very first quarter versus France, limiting their minutes. Backup George is actually a tough, trained gamer (she scored 18 factors in 24 minutes against Serbia) but nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate issue. However given the take in Stewart as well as Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is selecting her 3rd Olympic gold and also Wilson her second, while Magbegor and also Smith are seeming in their initial Games-- I will expect the Group United States super duo to help make the winning participates in important in such a high-pressure situation to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium will be a tougher challenger for Staff USA?Pelton: I am actually choosing Belgium, which gave the united state females their toughest Olympic examination but. The Americans prevailed through 13 factors, although the frame was actually merely seven getting in the 4th one-fourth of a team stage game played in Lille, France, near the edge with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, along with Julie Vanloo especially straining from midtown while missing 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring thirteen aspects along with 7 assists (albeit along with nine turnovers) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the merely various other staff besides the USA that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the multitude country with the crowd on its own edge as well as lots of honor vulnerable, a complicated protective team in France wouldn't be a pushover, either, particularly if Marine Johannes may blow up like she performed versus Germany along with 24 points off the bench as well as along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Team U.S.A. played its ideal baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, particularly on outburst, can easily still be a concern. There are times when the lack of participating in opportunity with each other or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still evident. Besides, there's a reason that Sue Bird lately stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is actually the best uneasy baseball she has actually ever before participated in. After a little a slow start, the USA ultimately led by 30 in the third fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have loved how her crew enabled the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point activity just before the last buzzer. Via four video games, the Americans' lack of 3-point capturing hasn't definitely been actually corrected, which can be a concern if challengers get hot from deep.Team USA can not neglect some of the remaining teams in the field, however along with a protective identification and also aggressive adeptness led through Stewart and Wilson, it has actually presented it can easily put activities away when it requires to, something that ought to transfer over in to the final two games.Pelton: On the other hand, I think the capturing is additionally main reason to think there is actually an additional gear for the U.S. females. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the lineup have actually integrated to shoot 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this time. That won't make a "Dash Siblings" label any time quickly, but it is actually likewise better than Group United States has actually taken care of coming from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to warm up from long array. Keep an eye out if they ultimately carry out.