.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's university baseball and the WNBA.Earlier covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and Baltimore native along with further encounter at the Dallas Early Morning Information, Seat Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus series.In the past a consultant with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP score as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global opponents will meet again on Friday, as the United States girls's basketball staff confronts the Australian Opals with a place in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold medal suit on the line.Team U.S.A., which is actually riding a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic wins, developed to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Following a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together three straight triumphes, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. females have been the gold specification for baseball throughout the planet, succeeding 7 consecutive Olympic gold awards and 9 general, Australia has been actually a historical goliath alongside all of them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of the past 7 Summer Games, take away 3 silvers and two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the first time they have actually improved past the quarterfinals since the 2012 London Gamings.2012 also was the final opportunity the epic Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic stage for the green and also gold-- until now. While Staff USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her fifth Gamings as well as to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has constantly medaled in the competition, as well as though she has actually viewed restricted activity so far in France, she possesses an opportunity to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 active WNBA gamers-- possesses lots of drive, however the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the U.S. elderly nationwide team, including 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the course of the 5 Video games in which they medaled, Australia dropped to the USA either in the semifinals or even the gold medal competition. The squads final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton malfunction a few of the pressing inquiries moving right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit histories Jackie Young for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Staff U.S.A.'s 14-point get Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched up its starting 5 versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the action correct its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful instead of Taurasi-- who had final come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the best relocation. With 15 factors versus Nigeria, Young looks carving out a role as Staff United States's 3rd marker responsible for A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Youthful is the simply various other USA gamer averaging double figures at 10.3 factors per game.) Young, some of 3 Sin city Aces players in the starting 5, exhibited her 3-point capturing earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her capability to receive downhill as well as strike coming from midrange that stuck out, in addition to her trademark protection in the backcourt. It took until the center of the second one-fourth for the U.S. to actually put its feet on the fuel against Nigeria, yet Young's hostility and power on both ends need to remain to return. As well as Taurasi appeared to do properly off the bench, where she stepped up as a facilitator along with 4 assists.Pelton: I would certainly like to see starting point guard Chelsea Gray be a hazard to rating. She overlooked all 3 of her go attempts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 up until now throughout the Olympics. Extremely, the united state outscored Nigeria through just two factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even much better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our last roundtable, the united state girls can easily get rid of one non-scorer in the starting five such a long time as she is taking another thing to the desk. And also Gray is actually with her playmaking, having actually right now amounted to 22 helps versus merely three turnovers. Thus, I do not think instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create further changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat troubles perform the Australians pose, and what can make them a difficult matchup?Top accounts of the week from Obtain unique accessibility to thousands of costs posts a year coming from best article writers. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore course "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP battle, various other honors "u2022 25 most important players in CFP nationality" More ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts will certainly be well knowledgeable about this Opals team, which includes the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Right train Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not just carry out the Opals possess the ability to complete against Crew U.S.A.. They have momentum and also willpower observing their unsatisfactory start to the Olympics. Brondello has been felt free to along with her staff's grace and guts over recent week, pair of qualities an opponent needs when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced attack flaunts five gamers balancing at least 8.0 PPG, can hurt adversaries inside along with Magbegor and also Johnson however additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most effective in the Olympic area and considerably greater than Crew USA's puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the staff along with 8 and seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is much deeper and a lot more accomplished than any sort of crew in the field except for the USA females. We may question the greatest worldwide player at the Paris Gamings, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough applicants. But no group possesses a set of players comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Johnson, each of whom would certainly have gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not called to the team this time in spite of comparable development.) And no crew outside the U.S. possesses virtually as a lot WNBA experience throughout its roster.Given the only thing that talent, it was actually surprising when Australia lost its position video game to Nigeria at that point hardly beat winless Canada. In their previous pair of activities, our company have actually found the Opals our team counted on, as they beat exceeded France to develop to the knockout phase and led Serbia by as a lot of as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron accepts. USA Network and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily any person stop Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any person is actually heading to have them, it's the duo of Magbegor and Smith. Australia's blog post players rate second (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every video game as well as have the movement to defend Stewart and also Wilson on the border. Magbegor is specifically experienced against each challengers, having actually faced Stewart virtual for three years as Hurricane allies and paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant barrier for Magbegor and also Johnson is filthy problem. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and also Smith possessed 2 in the 1st fourth versus France, confining their minutes. Back-up George is a hard, skillful gamer (she scored 18 factors in 24 mins versus Serbia) but no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate problem. But offered the take in Stewart and Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is actually selecting her third Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor as well as Smith are actually appearing in their very first Gamings-- I will anticipate the Group USA super duo to make the winning plays necessary in such a stressful condition to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would be actually a more durable rival for Crew USA?Pelton: I'm opting for Belgium, which offered the U.S. women their most difficult Olympic examination yet. The Americans dominated by 13 factors, although the margin was actually just seven entering the fourth one-fourth of a group phase activity played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, along with Julie Vanloo especially straining coming from midtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring 13 factors along with 7 aids (albeit along with nine turn overs) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the merely various other staff besides the USA that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the lot nation with the group on its own side and also loads of pleasure on the line, a complicated defensive group in France definitely would not be actually a pushover, either, particularly if Marine Johannes may blow up like she performed versus Germany with 24 aspects off the seat and also along with Gabby Williams leading the way on both ends.Has Team United States played its own greatest basketball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, particularly on outburst, can still be an issue. There are actually opportunities when the lack of participating in opportunity all together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still obvious. After all, there is actually a reason that Sue Bird lately pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Basketball is actually the absolute most awkward baseball she has actually ever played. After a little bit of a sluggish beginning, the U.S. ultimately led through 30 in the 3rd quarter versus Nigeria, but Reeve could not have actually liked how her staff permitted the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point video game prior to the ultimate buzzer. Via 4 activities, the Americans' shortage of 3-point firing have not really been fixed, which might be a problem if enemies get hot coming from deep.Team United States can not forget any one of the staying teams in the field, yet along with a defensive identification and also offensive adeptness led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually presented it may put video games away when it needs to have to, one thing that needs to transmit over right into the final two games.Pelton: On the other hand, I believe the capturing is also explanation to feel there's one more equipment for the USA women. Jointly, the 12 gamers on the lineup have mixed to fire 33% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this season. That won't earn a "Sprinkle Siblings" label at any time soon, yet it is actually likewise much better than Staff United States has managed from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are outstanding to heat from lengthy selection. Watch out if they lastly perform.