.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's university baseball and the WNBA.Formerly dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and Baltimore indigenous with more experience at the Dallas Early Morning Updates, Seat Moments as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Program series.Previously a specialist with the Indiana Pacers.Established WARP score and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international rivals will definitely meet again on Friday, as the USA women's baseball crew faces the Australian Opals along with a place in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold award match on the line.Team United States, which is actually riding a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic victories, developed to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to an upset reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together three upright success, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state women have been the gold standard for basketball across the planet, succeeding 7 successive Olympic gold awards as well as 9 total, Australia has actually been a famous powerhouse along with all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of the past 7 Summer Gamings, take away three silvers and 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 London Video games.2012 also was actually the last opportunity the epic Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the green and also gold-- previously. While Crew United States possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her fifth Gamings and also initially in 12 years. Jackson has regularly medaled in the competition, and though she has viewed limited action thus far in France, she has an opportunity to proceed that streak this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 energetic WNBA gamers-- has a lot of drive, however the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the united state senior nationwide group, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competition. In the course of the five Video games through which they medaled, Australia shed to the USA either in the semifinals or even the gold medal competition. The squads last met in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton malfunction some of journalism inquiries moving in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit histories Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Team USA's 14-point sway Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched up its own beginning five against Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the step correct its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful in place of Taurasi-- that had final come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the best move. With 15 factors against Nigeria, Youthful looks carving out a duty as Team United States's third marker behind A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Youthful is the just other USA player balancing double figures at 10.3 factors every game.) Young, some of 3 Sin city Aces players in the starting 5, flaunted her 3-point capturing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless coming from deeper on Wednesday, it was her potential to acquire downhill and also reach coming from midrange that attracted attention, along with her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took till the center of the 2nd fourth for the USA to truly place its own feet on the fuel against Nigeria, however Young's aggression and power on each ends should remain to return. And Taurasi appeared to accomplish well off the bench, where she stepped up as a company with four assists.Pelton: I 'd adore to find beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be a hazard to score. She missed out on all 3 of her shot efforts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 until now in the course of the Olympics. Incredibly, the united state outscored Nigeria by just 2 aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the USA females can easily overcome one non-scorer in the starting 5 such a long time as she is carrying another thing to the table. And Gray is with her playmaking, having actually right now completed 22 supports against only three turnovers. Therefore, I don't assume coach Cheryl Reeve needs to create additional changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat problems carry out the Australians position, and what could make them a difficult matchup?Top accounts of the week coming from Receive unique access to thousands of costs posts a year from top writers. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB student lesson "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP battle, various other honors "u2022 25 most important gamers in CFP ethnicity" Additional ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts will definitely be well aware of this Opals team, which includes the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Liberty instructor Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not only carry out the Opals possess the ability to complete against Staff USA. They have energy and fix following their unsatisfying begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been satisfied with her staff's poise and also guts over the past week, two premiums an enemy needs to have when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack boasts five players balancing a minimum of 8.0 PPG, may injure adversaries inside along with Magbegor and Smith but additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the very best in the Olympic area and also much higher than Crew USA's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the group with 8 and 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually deeper and also extra gifted than any type of crew in the business save for the united state women. Our team can discuss the best worldwide player at the Paris Video Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong applicants. Yet no crew possesses a set of gamers just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, each of whom will have been on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not named to the staff this season even with similar creation.) As well as no crew outside the united state has virtually as much WNBA knowledge throughout its own roster.Given the only thing that talent, it was actually stunning when Australia shed its position video game to Nigeria after that hardly defeat winless Canada. In their past 2 video games, our company have actually observed the Opals we anticipated, as they trump exceeded France to develop to the knockout stage as well as led Serbia through as many as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for three. LeBron authorizes. United States System and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily any person quit Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if any person is actually mosting likely to include them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and Johnson. Australia's article gamers position second (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity and also possess the flexibility to stand up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the border. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced versus both opponents, having actually experienced Stewart in practice for three years as Hurricane allies and matched up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest challenge for Magbegor and Smith is foul difficulty. Magbegor got three first-half fouls versus Canada, and Smith had two in the initial fourth versus France, restricting their moments. Backup George is actually a difficult, trained player (she scored 18 aspects in 24 mins against Serbia) yet nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up an authentic problem. But offered the experience Stewart and Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is opting for her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her second, while Magbegor and also Smith are showing up in their very first Games-- I 'd count on the Staff USA very duo to create the winning participates in important in such a stressful scenario to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium will be actually a harder opponent for Group USA?Pelton: I am actually picking Belgium, which gave the U.S. girls their most difficult Olympic exam yet. The Americans prevailed by thirteen points, although the margin was actually merely seven entering into the 4th quarter of a group stage video game played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo specifically straining coming from midtown while missing 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up thirteen points along with seven aids (albeit with nine turnovers) as Belgium travelled past Spain, the just other staff besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation along with the crowd on its side and lots of satisfaction on the line, a complicated defensive staff in France would not be actually a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes can blow up like she did against Germany with 24 factors off the bench and also with Gabby Williams leading the way on each ends.Has Team United States played its own absolute best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, especially on offense, can easily still be actually a problem. There are actually opportunities when the lack of participating in time together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still apparent. It goes without saying, there is actually a reason Sue Bird lately claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Basketball is actually the most unpleasant basketball she has actually ever participated in. After a bit of a slow-moving beginning, the USA inevitably led by 30 in the 3rd fourth against Nigeria, but Reeve could not have really loved exactly how her crew made it possible for the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point activity just before the final buzzer. By means of 4 games, the Americans' absence of 3-point capturing have not definitely been actually remedied, which might be a concern if enemies fume coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can't overlook some of the remaining groups in the field, but along with a protective identification and also offensive expertise led through Stewart and also Wilson, it has revealed it can easily put activities away when it needs to, something that needs to transmit over into the final 2 games.Pelton: On the flip side, I believe the capturing is also main reason to feel there is actually an additional equipment for the united state ladies. Jointly, the 12 players on the lineup have incorporated to shoot thirty three% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this time. That will not get a "Splash Sis" nickname at any time very soon, however it is actually likewise much better than Crew U.S.A. has actually dealt with from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are past due to warm coming from lengthy variation. Keep an eye out if they lastly carry out.