.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's university basketball and also the WNBA.Formerly dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and Baltimore indigenous with further encounter at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Prospectus series.Formerly a consultant with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP ranking as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide opponents will definitely meet again on Friday, as the USA ladies's basketball crew goes up against the Australian Opals with an area in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award suit on the line.Team USA, which is actually riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic success, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing an upset loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung all together 3 upright victories, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. females have been the gold specification for baseball throughout the globe, gaining 7 successive Olympic gold medals and also nine overall, Australia has actually been actually a famous giant together with all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past seven Summers months Games, take away three silvers and pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris marks the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 London Video games.2012 additionally was the final opportunity the epic Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic stage for the environment-friendly and also gold-- previously. While Staff U.S.A. possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Games and also first in 12 years. Jackson has actually regularly medaled in the competition, and though she has actually seen minimal action until now in France, she possesses an odds to carry on that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 active WNBA gamers-- possesses a lot of energy, yet the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity against the USA senior national staff, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the course of the 5 Video games in which they medaled, Australia shed to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold medal contest. The squads final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton malfunction several of journalism inquiries heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit histories Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart talks along with Brian Windhorst after Staff United States's 14-point draw Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team United States changed up its own beginning five versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the relocation correct its issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful in place of Taurasi-- who had final come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the best relocation. Along with 15 aspects against Nigeria, Young looks carving out a part as Group United States's 3rd marker responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Young is actually the simply various other U.S. gamer balancing dual figures at 10.3 aspects per game.) Young, among 3 Las Vegas Aces players in the beginning five, exhibited her 3-point shooting previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her capability to obtain downhill and hit coming from midrange that attracted attention, in addition to her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the 2nd one-fourth for the united state to truly place its feet on the gas against Nigeria, but Youthful's hostility and power on each ends should continue to pay dividends. And Taurasi seemed to be to perform well off the bench, where she improved as a facilitator along with 4 assists.Pelton: I will love to view beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be a hazard to score. She skipped all three of her chance efforts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 thus far in the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the united state outscored Nigeria by merely 2 factors in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or even better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the united state ladies can eliminate one non-scorer in the starting 5 as long as she is actually bringing something else to the table. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having right now completed 22 supports versus simply three turnovers. So, I don't assume coach Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create more changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat complications do the Australians present, as well as what could possibly make them a hard matchup?Top tales of the full week from Receive special access to countless premium posts a year coming from leading article writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore training class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP struggle, various other honors "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP nationality" Additional ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA followers are going to be effectively familiar with this Opals squad, which features the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Liberty instructor Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not only do the Opals possess the skill to compete versus Group U.S.A.. They have energy and also willpower observing their frustrating start to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually felt free to along with her group's grace and also guts over the past full week, two qualities a challenger needs when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike flaunts 5 players balancing at least 8.0 PPG, can easily hurt foes inside with Magbegor as well as Johnson yet additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most ideal in the Olympic industry and also a lot more than Staff U.S.A.'s puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the crew with 8 and seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually much deeper and also even more talented than any team in the field save for the united state women. Our experts can easily debate the best worldwide player at the Paris Gamings, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy applicants. Yet no crew possesses a pair of gamers like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Johnson, both of whom would have performed my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not called to the group this period despite identical production.) As well as no team outside the U.S. has almost as much WNBA experience throughout its own roster.Given the only thing that skill, it was actually shocking when Australia dropped its position activity to Nigeria after that barely beat winless Canada. In their previous two activities, our experts've observed the Opals our company expected, as they trump bested France to develop to the knockout phase and led Serbia by as numerous as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron permits. United States Network and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily anybody quit Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if any person is actually visiting include all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's article players place second (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per video game and also possess the range of motion to stand up for Stewart and Wilson on the border. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced against each challengers, having actually encountered Stewart in practice for 3 years as Hurricane teammates and also matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest difficulty for Magbegor and Smith is nasty issue. Magbegor grabbed 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and Johnson had 2 in the very first fourth versus France, limiting their mins. Backup George is actually a difficult, skilled player (she racked up 18 aspects in 24 moments versus Serbia) however nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid concern. Yet offered the encounter Stewart and Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is actually going with her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor as well as Smith are showing up in their initial Video games-- I would certainly anticipate the Group United States very duo to make the winning participates in necessary in such a high-pressure situation to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would be a tougher enemy for Group USA?Pelton: I'm selecting Belgium, which provided the U.S. ladies their hardest Olympic test however. The Americans prevailed through 13 points, although the margin was only 7 getting into the fourth quarter of a team phase game played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo especially having a hard time coming from midtown while skipping 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up 13 aspects with 7 aids (albeit along with nine turn overs) as Belgium navigated previous Spain, the just other crew besides the U.S. that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the lot country along with the crowd on its own side and a lot of take pride in on the line, a hard protective team in France wouldn't be a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can easily go off like she performed versus Germany along with 24 aspects off the bench and along with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on both ends.Has Group United States played its best baseball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, specifically on offense, can still be a concern. There are actually times when the lack of participating in time all together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still apparent. Besides, there's a reason why Sue Bird just recently mentioned on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Baseball is the absolute most annoying baseball she has actually ever before played. After a little a sluggish start, the USA eventually led through 30 in the 3rd quarter against Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have actually liked exactly how her team made it possible for the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game prior to the ultimate buzzer. Via four games, the Americans' lack of 3-point firing have not definitely been actually corrected, which could be a concern if rivals get hot coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can not neglect some of the continuing to be groups in the field, yet along with a defensive identity and also offensive adeptness led through Stewart as well as Wilson, it has actually revealed it may place games away when it requires to, something that needs to move over in to the ultimate pair of games.Pelton: On the other hand, I assume the shooting is actually also reason to feel there's another equipment for the USA girls. Jointly, the 12 players on the roster have mixed to fire 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this period. That will not make a "Splash Sis" nickname whenever very soon, but it's additionally far better than Group United States has dealt with coming from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to heat up from long variety. Watch out if they finally perform.