.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's college baseball and the WNBA.Formerly covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and also Baltimore native along with additional take in at the Dallas Early Morning Information, Seat Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Author Co-author, Pro Basketball Program set.Previously a consultant with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP rating and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international competitors are going to meet again on Friday, as the USA girls's baseball staff goes up against the Australian Opals with a place in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold award match on the line.Team United States, which is actually using a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic success, developed to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Following a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung with each other three upright triumphes, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. girls have been the gold criterion for baseball around the world, gaining seven successive Olympic gold medals as well as nine total, Australia has actually been actually a historic goliath alongside them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of recent seven Summertimes Video games, take away three silvers and two bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals because the 2012 Greater london Video games.2012 additionally was the last opportunity the fabulous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the green and gold-- previously. While Staff USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her fifth Games as well as first in 12 years. Jackson has actually always medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has actually seen limited activity up until now in France, she has a chance to proceed that streak this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts six energetic WNBA gamers-- possesses a lot of drive, yet the Opals are 0-20 all time against the USA senior nationwide group, including 0-8 in Olympic competitors. In the course of the 5 Gamings through which they medaled, Australia dropped to the united state either in the semifinals or even the gold medal contest. The teams last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton malfunction a number of the pressing concerns heading right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Young for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Team United States's 14-point get Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team United States switched up its own starting 5 against Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the step correct its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young instead of Taurasi-- that had last go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the correct step. With 15 points against Nigeria, Youthful seems taking a function as Staff United States's third scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Youthful is actually the only various other U.S. player averaging dual designs at 10.3 aspects every game.) Youthful, one of 3 Las Vegas Aces gamers in the starting five, displayed her 3-point firing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her potential to acquire downhill as well as reach from midrange that stood out, along with her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the 2nd quarter for the united state to definitely put its foot on the fuel versus Nigeria, however Youthful's aggressiveness and electricity on each ends need to remain to pay dividends. And also Taurasi seemed to perform well off the seat, where she stepped up as a facilitator along with four assists.Pelton: I 'd enjoy to observe starting point player Chelsea Gray be a hazard to credit rating. She overlooked all 3 of her chance attempts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 until now in the course of the Olympics. Remarkably, the U.S. outscored Nigeria through merely two factors in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or far better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our last roundtable, the U.S. girls can conquer one non-scorer in the beginning 5 such a long time as she is bringing another thing to the table. And Gray is actually with her playmaking, having now totted 22 aids against simply 3 turnovers. So, I do not believe trainer Cheryl Reeve requires to make further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat problems carry out the Australians position, as well as what might make all of them a challenging matchup?Top accounts of the week coming from Receive unique accessibility to 1000s of costs write-ups a year coming from best authors. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB student class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP struggle, various other awards "u2022 25 essential players in CFP race" Even more ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts will definitely be well knowledgeable about this Opals team, which features the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Liberty instructor Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not merely perform the Opals have the talent to contend against Group U.S.A.. They possess energy as well as willpower observing their unsatisfying beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually felt free to along with her staff's poise and also grit over recent week, pair of premiums a challenger requires when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced attack flaunts five players averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can easily harm adversaries inside with Magbegor as well as Johnson but likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most ideal in the Olympic field as well as a lot more than Group USA's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Sin City Aces, lead the group along with 8 as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is much deeper and more skilled than any type of crew in the business except for the U.S. women. Our company may question the greatest worldwide gamer at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong prospects. Yet no crew possesses a set of gamers comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, both of whom will have gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not named to the group this season in spite of comparable manufacturing.) And also no group outside the united state possesses nearly as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given all that skill, it was astonishing when Australia lost its own position game to Nigeria then barely trump winless Canada. In their previous pair of video games, our team've found the Opals we expected, as they trump topped France to advance to the knockout stage as well as led Serbia by as several as 28 in an askew quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals 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 any person cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if any individual is mosting likely to have all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and Johnson. Australia's message players position 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per video game as well as possess the flexibility to defend Stewart and Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is especially experienced against both rivals, having experienced Stewart in practice for three years as Hurricane teammates and compared with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest challenge for Magbegor as well as Johnson is foul difficulty. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls against Canada, and also Smith had pair of in the first fourth versus France, restricting their moments. Backup George is actually a hard, experienced player (she scored 18 points in 24 mins against Serbia) however nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a valid concern. But given the experience Stewart and Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is actually selecting her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and Smith are showing up in their 1st Gamings-- I 'd expect the Crew United States super duo to produce the winning participates in necessary in such a stressful scenario to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium would certainly be a more durable challenger for Team USA?Pelton: I'm opting for Belgium, which offered the U.S. females their hardest Olympic exam but. The Americans prevailed by thirteen aspects, although the scope was actually just seven entering into the fourth quarter of a group stage activity played in Lille, France, near the borderline with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo especially struggling from downtown while skipping 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up thirteen points along with 7 assists (albeit with 9 turn overs) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the simply other staff besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the host nation with the group on its side as well as a lot of honor vulnerable, a difficult defensive crew in France definitely would not be actually a piece of cake, either, especially if Marine Johannes can go off like she carried out versus Germany with 24 aspects off the seat and with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on each ends.Has Team United States played its best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, especially on outburst, can easily still be actually a problem. There are actually times when the lack of participating in time together or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still noticeable. It goes without saying, there is actually a reason Sue Bird lately claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Baseball is the best uneasy baseball she has ever before played. After a little a slow begin, the USA at some point led through 30 in the third one-fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve could not have enjoyed exactly how her staff permitted the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point game prior to the ultimate buzzer. Through 4 activities, the Americans' shortage of 3-point shooting hasn't truly been fixed, which could be a problem if opponents fume coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can not overlook any one of the continuing to be crews in the field, yet along with a protective identity and also aggressive adeptness led through Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually shown it can easily put activities away when it needs to have to, something that ought to transfer over into the final pair of games.Pelton: On the flip side, I assume the firing is likewise explanation to think there is actually one more gear for the U.S. ladies. Jointly, the 12 players on the lineup have actually blended to shoot 33% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this season. That won't get a "Burst Sisters" label whenever quickly, but it's also better than Staff United States has taken care of coming from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to warm from long assortment. Keep an eye out if they ultimately perform.