.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's university baseball as well as the WNBA.Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore indigenous along with more experience at the Dallas Morning Headlines, Seat Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Program series.Formerly a professional along with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP rating and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global opponents will certainly meet again on Friday, as the United States females's basketball team takes on the Australian Opals along with a location in the 2024 Paris Games' gold award match on the line.Team United States, which is actually using a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic triumphes, developed to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to a distressed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung together 3 straight triumphes, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. girls have actually been the gold requirement for baseball around the world, gaining 7 consecutive Olympic gold awards and 9 overall, Australia has been a famous powerhouse along with them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of recent seven Summer seasons Video games, taking home 3 silvers and also pair of bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 London Games.2012 likewise was actually the final time the fabulous Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic stage for the green and gold-- until now. While Staff USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Video games as well as to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has consistently medaled in the competitors, and also though she has actually seen limited action so far in France, she possesses an odds to continue that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six active WNBA gamers-- has lots of drive, but the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the USA elderly nationwide staff, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. In the course of the five Games through which they medaled, Australia shed to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold award contest. The teams last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton malfunction a number of the pressing inquiries heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Group USA's 14-point get Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team United States changed up its beginning five versus Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Performed the action repair its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young in place of Taurasi-- who possessed last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the right action. With 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Youthful appears to be taking a task as Team U.S.A.'s third scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Youthful is the only other U.S. player averaging double designs at 10.3 factors every video game.) Youthful, some of three Las Vegas Aces players in the beginning 5, exhibited her 3-point capturing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her capability to get downhill and strike from midrange that stood apart, in addition to her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took up until the middle of the 2nd quarter for the united state to truly place its own foot on the gasoline against Nigeria, yet Youthful's hostility and electricity on both ends must continue to return. And also Taurasi seemed to do well off the bench, where she boosted as a company along with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd love to observe beginning point player Chelsea Gray be actually a danger to score. She missed all three of her shot efforts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 thus far in the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the united state outscored Nigeria by simply pair of factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or even better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our last roundtable, the united state females can easily beat one non-scorer in the beginning 5 as long as she is taking another thing to the desk. And Gray is along with her playmaking, having today totted 22 assists against just three turn overs. Thus, I do not assume coach Cheryl Reeve requires to make additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat problems perform the Australians present, as well as what might make them a difficult matchup?Top tales of the full week from Obtain special access to countless superior short articles a year coming from top article writers. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB student class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP fight, other awards "u2022 25 most important players in CFP race" Additional ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA fans will be effectively knowledgeable about this Opals squad, which includes the Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Right coach Sandy Brondello responsible. Not only perform the Opals possess the talent to compete versus Staff U.S.A.. They possess drive and also resolve observing their disappointing start to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually satisfied with her crew's poise and also grit over recent week, pair of qualities an opponent needs when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike includes five players averaging at least 8.0 PPG, may injure opponents inside with Magbegor and also Johnson but also coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most ideal in the Olympic industry and also much greater than Crew United States's puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the crew with eight and 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually deeper and a lot more gifted than any type of group in the field barring the united state women. Our experts may question the greatest worldwide player at the Paris Video Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful applicants. Yet no group has a set of players like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, each of whom would possess performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not called to the team this season regardless of similar production.) And no team outside the U.S. possesses almost as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given all that ability, it was actually astonishing when Australia shed its opening game to Nigeria after that rarely defeat winless Canada. In their past 2 video games, our experts have actually found the Opals our team anticipated, as they beat surpassed France to develop to the knockout phase and led Serbia by as lots of as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for 3. LeBron accepts. U.S.A. System and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily anyone cease Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if any individual is mosting likely to include them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Smith. Australia's post players rank second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity and have the mobility to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced versus both opponents, having actually faced Stewart in practice for three years as Hurricane allies as well as matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest obstacle for Magbegor as well as Smith is foul trouble. Magbegor got three first-half fouls against Canada, and Johnson had two in the initial one-fourth versus France, restricting their moments. Back-up George is a tough, skilled player (she scored 18 factors in 24 minutes versus Serbia) however no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid worry. Yet provided the take in Stewart and Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is selecting her third Olympic gold as well as Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and also Smith are actually seeming in their very first Gamings-- I 'd count on the Crew USA very duo to produce the winning plays essential in such a stressful condition to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium will be a harder enemy for Staff USA?Pelton: I'm opting for Belgium, which provided the U.S. females their most difficult Olympic examination but. The Americans dominated by 13 factors, although the frame was just seven entering into the 4th one-fourth of a group stage game played in Lille, France, near the borderline with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo especially struggling from midtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up 13 points along with 7 aids (albeit with nine turn overs) as Belgium navigated previous Spain, the just various other crew besides the USA that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the multitude country with the group on its own side as well as a lot of pride vulnerable, a challenging protective team in France would not be a piece of cake, either, especially if Marine Johannes can go off like she did against Germany along with 24 points off the seat and along with Gabby Williams leading the way on each ends.Has Team USA played its finest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, especially on outburst, can easily still be actually a problem. There are times when the shortage of playing opportunity all together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still apparent. After all, there's a reason Sue Bird recently claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is actually one of the most uneasy baseball she has ever played. After a little bit of a slow beginning, the USA inevitably led by 30 in the third quarter against Nigeria, but Reeve could not have actually loved how her team permitted the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game prior to the last buzzer. Via 4 video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point shooting have not actually been treated, which may be a problem if rivals fume from deep.Team U.S.A. can't forget any of the continuing to be crews in the business, yet along with a protective identity as well as aggressive adeptness led through Stewart as well as Wilson, it has actually revealed it can put games away when it requires to, something that must move over into the final 2 games.Pelton: On the flip side, I think the capturing is additionally factor to believe there's an additional gear for the U.S. ladies. Together, the 12 gamers on the lineup have incorporated to shoot thirty three% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this period. That won't earn a "Dash Siblings" label at any time very soon, yet it is actually likewise much better than Group United States has handled from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are past due to warm from long range. Keep an eye out if they lastly perform.