.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's university basketball as well as the WNBA.Earlier covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and also Baltimore native with additional encounter at the Dallas Morning Information, Seat Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Prospectus set.In the past a consultant with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide competitors will meet again on Friday, as the USA girls's baseball staff faces the Australian Opals with a spot in the 2024 Paris Games' gold medal match on the line.Team United States, which is using a streak of 59 successive Olympic triumphes, developed to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung all together three upright triumphes, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA women have actually been the gold specification for basketball across the world, succeeding 7 consecutive Olympic gold awards and also 9 general, Australia has actually been a historic goliath along with all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of recent 7 Summertimes Video games, taking home 3 silvers and also pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the very first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals due to the fact that the 2012 Greater london Gamings.2012 likewise was actually the last opportunity the famous Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic stage for the environment-friendly and also gold-- until now. While Crew United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Video games as well as initially in 12 years. Jackson has actually always medaled in the competition, and though she has observed limited action up until now in France, she possesses a possibility to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts six active WNBA gamers-- has a lot of drive, yet the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the USA senior nationwide team, including 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the 5 Games in which they medaled, Australia shed to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The squads last satisfied in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton malfunction several of the pressing inquiries moving into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Team U.S.A.'s 14-point get Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team United States changed up its own starting five against Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the technique correct its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young in place of Taurasi-- that possessed final go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the right technique. Along with 15 points versus Nigeria, Youthful seems taking a function as Crew U.S.A.'s 3rd scorer behind A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Youthful is the just various other united state player averaging dual figures at 10.3 points every activity.) Young, some of 3 Las Vegas Aces gamers in the starting five, displayed her 3-point shooting previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her capability to acquire downhill and also strike coming from midrange that attracted attention, along with her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the 2nd one-fourth for the united state to actually put its feet on the fuel against Nigeria, however Young's aggressiveness and also power on both ends must continue to pay dividends. And also Taurasi seemed to be to do well off the seat, where she improved as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd enjoy to view beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be a threat to rating. She overlooked all 3 of her chance tries in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 up until now throughout the Olympics. Extremely, the USA outscored Nigeria through simply pair of factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the USA ladies can conquer one non-scorer in the starting five such a long time as she is actually carrying another thing to the table. As well as Gray is actually along with her playmaking, having actually right now amounted to 22 assists against simply three turn overs. Therefore, I don't believe coach Cheryl Reeve requires to make additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat concerns do the Australians posture, and also what could possibly create them a hard matchup?Top stories of the week coming from Get special accessibility to lots of premium articles a year from top authors. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB student training class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP battle, other honors "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP race" More ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA supporters will certainly be well aware of this Opals team, which includes the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New York Liberty instructor Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not merely perform the Opals have the ability to complete versus Group USA. They have momentum as well as willpower observing their frustrating begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been felt free to with her team's poise and also guts over the past full week, pair of qualities a rival requires when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike includes 5 gamers balancing at the very least 8.0 PPG, can hurt enemies inside with Magbegor and also Johnson but likewise coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most ideal in the Olympic area as well as a lot higher than Group United States's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the staff with eight as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is much deeper and also a lot more skilled than any sort of team in the field save for the united state girls. Our company may question the very best international player at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough candidates. However no team has a set of players like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Johnson, each of whom would possess gotten on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not called to the crew this period in spite of similar development.) And no group outside the USA possesses almost as much WNBA expertise throughout its roster.Given the only thing that ability, it was stunning when Australia dropped its own opening activity to Nigeria after that hardly trump winless Canada. In their past pair of video games, our experts've seen the Opals our experts expected, as they beat surpassed France to advance to the knockout phase as well as led Serbia through as many as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for three. LeBron accepts. U.S.A. Network as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily any individual cease Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any individual is going to have them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and Smith. Australia's article players place 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity as well as possess the wheelchair to stand up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is particularly experienced against each challengers, having actually faced Stewart in practice for three years as Hurricane allies and also paired up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest hurdle for Magbegor and also Smith is foul problem. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls against Canada, and also Johnson had 2 in the 1st quarter versus France, limiting their minutes. Data backup George is actually a hard, competent player (she racked up 18 points in 24 mins against Serbia) yet no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate concern. But offered the encounter Stewart as well as Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is opting for her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and also Smith are actually appearing in their first Games-- I would certainly anticipate the Group United States extremely duo to make the winning plays necessary in such a stressful circumstance to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium will be actually a more durable rival for Group USA?Pelton: I'm opting for Belgium, which gave the U.S. girls their hardest Olympic examination yet. The Americans prevailed through 13 aspects, although the scope was only seven going into the 4th quarter of a team stage game played in Lille, France, near the borderline with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, with Julie Vanloo particularly battling from midtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up 13 factors with 7 helps (albeit with nine turn overs) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the merely other team besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch country along with the group on its own edge as well as plenty of take pride in vulnerable, a tough protective team in France wouldn't be actually a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes can blow up like she carried out versus Germany along with 24 points off the seat and also with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Team United States played its own best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, especially on offense, may still be a concern. There are times when the lack of playing opportunity together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still noticeable. Besides, there is actually a reason that Sue Bird just recently claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Baseball is the absolute most annoying basketball she has actually ever participated in. After a little bit of a slow start, the U.S. inevitably led through 30 in the 3rd quarter versus Nigeria, yet Reeve couldn't have liked how her group enabled the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game just before the ultimate buzzer. Via four games, the Americans' absence of 3-point capturing hasn't really been actually solved, which may be a problem if challengers fume from deep.Team U.S.A. can't disregard any one of the remaining crews in the business, yet along with a defensive identity and aggressive expertise led through Stewart and also Wilson, it has shown it may place activities away when it needs to, something that ought to move over into the final pair of games.Pelton: On the other side, I assume the shooting is actually likewise cause to think there's another equipment for the U.S. females. Jointly, the 12 players on the roster have combined to shoot 33% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this period. That will not gain a "Burst Sisters" label any time soon, yet it's likewise far better than Group U.S.A. has actually taken care of from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to heat coming from long selection. Keep an eye out if they ultimately do.