.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's college basketball and the WNBA.Earlier dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore indigenous with additional encounter at the Dallas Early Morning Updates, Seat Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Prospectus set.Formerly a professional with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP score and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide rivals will definitely meet again on Friday, as the USA girls's basketball group goes up against the Australian Opals with an area in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal match on the line.Team USA, which is riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic wins, advanced to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung together 3 upright success, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA females have actually been the gold specification for baseball all over the globe, succeeding 7 successive Olympic gold medals and nine general, Australia has actually been actually a historic powerhouse together with all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of recent 7 Summertimes Games, taking home 3 silvers as well as pair of bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris marks the very first time they've improved past the quarterfinals because the 2012 London Games.2012 also was actually the last time the legendary Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the green as well as gold-- previously. While Group U.S.A. has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Video games as well as initially in 12 years. Jackson has always medaled in the competition, as well as though she has seen restricted action until now in France, she has an odds to carry on that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 energetic WNBA players-- has lots of drive, yet the Opals are actually 0-20 all time against the USA senior nationwide team, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. In the course of the five Video games through which they medaled, Australia dropped to the USA either in the semifinals or even the gold medal competition. The teams last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break several of the pressing inquiries heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Young for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Group United States's 14-point gain Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team USA shifted up its beginning five against Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the action correct its problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful instead of Taurasi-- that possessed final go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the ideal technique. With 15 points against Nigeria, Young looks carving out a job as Crew U.S.A.'s third scorer behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Young is actually the simply various other U.S. gamer balancing double figures at 10.3 points per game.) Young, among three Las Vegas Aces gamers in the beginning five, displayed her 3-point capturing previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her capacity to acquire downhill and reach coming from midrange that stuck out, along with her trademark protection in the backcourt. It took up until the center of the 2nd quarter for the united state to actually place its feet on the gasoline against Nigeria, however Youthful's aggression and energy on both ends must remain to pay dividends. And Taurasi appeared to do effectively off the bench, where she boosted as a facilitator along with four assists.Pelton: I 'd like to find starting point player Chelsea Gray be actually a hazard to credit rating. She missed out on all three of her try efforts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 so far during the Olympics. Incredibly, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by just pair of factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or far better while on the court.Still, as I discussed in our last roundtable, the USA girls can get rid of one non-scorer in the beginning five so long as she is bringing another thing to the table. And Gray is actually along with her playmaking, having actually now completed 22 supports against merely 3 turnovers. Thus, I do not presume instructor Cheryl Reeve requires to make more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat troubles do the Australians present, and what might make all of them a challenging matchup?Top tales of the full week coming from Get exclusive access to countless premium short articles a year coming from leading authors. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB sophomore course "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP battle, various other awards "u2022 25 most important gamers in CFP ethnicity" Additional ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA followers will certainly be actually properly familiar with this Opals squad, which features the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New York Liberty coach Sandy Brondello responsible. Not only carry out the Opals possess the talent to compete against Staff U.S.A.. They possess energy and also willpower observing their unsatisfactory begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually pleased along with her crew's poise and guts over the past week, 2 top qualities an enemy needs when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault flaunts five players averaging at least 8.0 PPG, can hurt opponents inside with Magbegor as well as Johnson yet likewise coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the best in the Olympic area as well as much greater than Team U.S.A.'s tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff along with 8 and also seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is much deeper and also even more accomplished than any team in the business save for the united state women. We can easily dispute the best international player at the Paris Video Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy candidates. However no team possesses a pair of gamers as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson, both of whom would certainly have been on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not called to the group this time regardless of identical development.) And also no group outside the united state has almost as much WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given everything talent, it was actually surprising when Australia shed its opening game to Nigeria after that hardly trump winless Canada. In their previous two activities, our experts've seen the Opals our team expected, as they trump topped France to advance to the knockout stage as well as led Serbia by as many as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for 3. LeBron permits. United States Network and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily anybody cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if anybody is going to include all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson. Australia's message gamers rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per video game and also possess the range of motion to defend Stewart and Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is actually specifically experienced against both opponents, having actually dealt with Stewart in practice for 3 years as Hurricane colleagues and also paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest hurdle for Magbegor and also Johnson is nasty problem. Magbegor grabbed 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and also Smith had pair of in the very first one-fourth versus France, limiting their moments. Data backup George is actually a tough, proficient gamer (she racked up 18 points in 24 mins versus Serbia) but no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises an authentic worry. However given the take in Stewart and also Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is opting for her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Smith are seeming in their initial Gamings-- I would certainly expect the Staff United States super duo to create the winning participates in essential in such a high-pressure scenario to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium will be a harder enemy for Group USA?Pelton: I'm opting for Belgium, which gave the USA girls their toughest Olympic test yet. The Americans prevailed through 13 points, although the scope was actually simply seven entering the 4th quarter of a group phase game played in Lille, France, near the borderline with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, along with Julie Vanloo specifically battling from downtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring 13 points along with seven helps (albeit along with 9 turn overs) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the simply various other staff besides the united state that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the host country along with the group on its own edge and lots of pride on the line, a challenging defensive crew in France would not be actually a piece of cake, either, particularly if Marine Johannes may go off like she performed against Germany along with 24 points off the bench as well as along with Gabby Williams leading the way on each ends.Has Crew United States played its own best baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, specifically on outburst, can easily still be a concern. There are opportunities when the lack of participating in opportunity all together or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still evident. Nevertheless, there's a reason Sue Bird lately stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is the most unpleasant baseball she has actually ever before played. After a bit of a slow-moving beginning, the USA ultimately led through 30 in the third one-fourth versus Nigeria, yet Reeve could not have loved just how her crew allowed the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point activity prior to the final buzzer. By means of four games, the Americans' lack of 3-point shooting have not truly been actually remedied, which may be a concern if challengers fume from deep.Team USA can not disregard any of the remaining staffs in the business, however with a defensive identity and also aggressive prowess led through Stewart and also Wilson, it has revealed it may place games away when it needs to have to, something that must move over in to the ultimate 2 games.Pelton: On the other hand, I believe the capturing is also explanation to think there is actually another gear for the united state females. Together, the 12 players on the lineup have actually integrated to shoot 33% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this period. That won't make a "Splash Sisters" label at any time soon, but it is actually likewise better than Group USA has actually taken care of coming from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to heat from lengthy variation. Look out if they ultimately carry out.