.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's college baseball as well as the WNBA.Recently covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Early Morning Headlines, Seat Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus set.Previously a specialist along with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP score and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide opponents are going to reunite on Friday, as the United States ladies's basketball crew goes up against the Australian Opals with a location in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award match on the line.Team USA, which is using a touch of 59 successive Olympic triumphes, developed to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung with each other 3 straight victories, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. ladies have been the gold standard for baseball across the world, succeeding seven consecutive Olympic gold medals and nine overall, Australia has been actually a historic giant along with them. The Opals have medaled in five of the past seven Summer seasons Games, take away 3 silvers and also pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the very first time they've improved past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 London Gamings.2012 likewise was actually the last opportunity the famous Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly and gold-- previously. While Crew USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, seeming in her 5th Video games and to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has constantly medaled in the competition, and though she has found restricted activity so far in France, she has an opportunity to proceed that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six energetic WNBA gamers-- possesses lots of energy, but the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the united state senior national staff, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. Throughout the five Games through which they medaled, Australia shed to the U.S. either in the semifinals or even the gold medal competition. The teams final complied with in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break down a number of the pressing concerns heading right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit histories Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Crew USA's 14-point gain Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched up its beginning five versus Nigeria, with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Performed the action correct its problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful instead of Taurasi-- that possessed last come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the right move. With 15 points versus Nigeria, Youthful appears to be carving out a part as Crew United States's 3rd scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Youthful is actually the just various other USA player averaging dual figures at 10.3 factors per game.) Youthful, one of three Sin city Aces gamers in the starting five, showed off her 3-point firing earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her potential to acquire downhill as well as strike from midrange that stood apart, together with her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took until the center of the 2nd fourth for the united state to actually place its own foot on the gasoline versus Nigeria, however Young's hostility and also energy on each ends ought to remain to return. And Taurasi appeared to accomplish properly off the seat, where she stepped up as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd adore to observe beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a danger to rating. She missed out on all three of her shot efforts in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 thus far throughout the Olympics. Remarkably, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by only 2 aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or much better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our final roundtable, the USA women can get over one non-scorer in the beginning 5 such a long time as she is actually delivering another thing to the desk. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually now totaled 22 aids versus only three turnovers. Therefore, I don't believe trainer Cheryl Reeve requires to create more changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat concerns perform the Australians present, and what could create all of them a difficult matchup?Top stories of the week from Obtain special access to thousands of fee write-ups a year coming from best writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB student lesson "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP war, other honors "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP race" Additional ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA supporters are going to be well knowledgeable about this Opals team, which features the Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Right instructor Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not merely do the Opals possess the ability to contend against Group U.S.A.. They have energy and also fix following their frustrating begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been felt free to with her team's grace as well as guts over the past week, pair of top qualities a rival requires when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault flaunts 5 players averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can harm enemies inside along with Magbegor and also Johnson however additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most effective in the Olympic area and also a lot higher than Team United States's puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the group with eight and also 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is deeper as well as extra skilled than any kind of staff in the business save for the U.S. girls. Our team may debate the very best global gamer at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as solid applicants. But no staff possesses a set of gamers like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, both of whom will possess performed my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not named to the crew this season in spite of identical creation.) As well as no group outside the united state possesses virtually as a lot WNBA experience throughout its roster.Given the only thing that talent, it was actually astonishing when Australia dropped its own position activity to Nigeria after that hardly defeat winless Canada. In their previous pair of video games, our company've found the Opals our team counted on, as they defeat topped France to develop to the knockout phase and led Serbia by as a lot of as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for 3. LeBron authorizes. United States Network as well as 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 mosting likely to include them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson. Australia's article gamers rank second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity as well as have the movement to defend Stewart as well as Wilson on the border. Magbegor is especially experienced versus both challengers, having actually faced Stewart virtual for three years as Hurricane allies as well as matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant challenge for Magbegor and Smith is foul trouble. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and Smith possessed 2 in the very first one-fourth versus France, restricting their minutes. Back-up George is a hard, skillful player (she racked up 18 aspects in 24 moments against Serbia) yet no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a legitimate concern. However given the take in Stewart and also Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is choosing her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Johnson are seeming in their first Games-- I 'd anticipate the Staff United States extremely duo to make the winning participates in important in such a high-pressure situation to breakthrough to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would certainly be a tougher challenger for Crew USA?Pelton: I am actually picking Belgium, which gave the USA ladies their hardest Olympic test but. The Americans dominated by thirteen factors, although the frame was simply seven going into the 4th quarter of a team stage video game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter along with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo particularly straining coming from midtown while skipping 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up 13 points with seven supports (albeit along with 9 turn overs) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the simply other staff besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the multitude nation along with the group on its edge and also loads of take pride in on the line, a hard defensive staff in France definitely would not be actually a piece of cake, either, especially if Marine Johannes can blow up like she did against Germany with 24 aspects off the seat as well as along with Gabby Williams leading the way on each ends.Has Crew United States played its ideal baseball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, specifically on outburst, can still be actually a problem. There are actually times when the lack of participating in opportunity all together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still apparent. Besides, there is actually a reason why Sue Bird lately stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is actually the best uncomfortable basketball she has ever participated in. After a little a slow-moving beginning, the USA ultimately led through 30 in the 3rd fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve could not have actually loved just how her crew made it possible for the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game just before the final buzzer. Through 4 video games, the Americans' absence of 3-point capturing hasn't truly been actually remedied, which might be an issue if opponents fume from deep.Team United States can not forget any one of the staying teams in the field, yet along with a protective identification and aggressive adeptness led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has presented it can easily put games away when it needs to have to, one thing that should transfer over in to the final pair of games.Pelton: On the flip side, I think the shooting is likewise explanation to strongly believe there's yet another equipment for the united state ladies. Together, the 12 players on the lineup have actually integrated to fire 33% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this period. That won't earn a "Burst Siblings" nickname whenever very soon, however it's also much better than Crew USA has actually handled from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to warm coming from long range. Keep an eye out if they finally carry out.