.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's college baseball and the WNBA.Formerly covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore indigenous with additional encounter at the Dallas Morning Information, Seat Moments as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Author Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus series.Previously a professional along with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP score as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global competitors will certainly reunite on Friday, as the United States girls's baseball group faces the Australian Opals along with an area in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award match on the line.Team USA, which is actually riding a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic success, advanced to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Following an upset loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together three straight triumphes, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA women have been actually the gold requirement for basketball across the world, succeeding seven successive Olympic gold awards as well as nine general, Australia has actually been actually a historic goliath alongside all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past seven Summertimes Gamings, taking home three silvers and also pair of bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the very first time they have actually improved past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 Greater london Video games.2012 likewise was actually the final time the legendary Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic stage for the eco-friendly and also gold-- until now. While Team USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her 5th Video games and also initially in 12 years. Jackson has consistently medaled in the competition, as well as though she has actually observed limited activity until now in France, she has a chance to carry on that touch this weekend.Australia-- which includes six active WNBA players-- has lots of drive, but the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity against the USA elderly national crew, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the 5 Gamings through which they medaled, Australia dropped to the USA either in the semifinals or even the gold medal competition. The squads final met in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break a few of journalism questions heading right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Group U.S.A.'s 14-point draw Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched up its own beginning five versus Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the move fix its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful instead of Taurasi-- that possessed final come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the best technique. Along with 15 aspects against Nigeria, Youthful seems carving out a task as Crew U.S.A.'s third marker responsible for A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Indeed, Youthful is actually the only various other U.S. gamer averaging double figures at 10.3 aspects every game.) Youthful, some of 3 Sin city Aces players in the beginning five, flaunted her 3-point capturing previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless coming from deep on Wednesday, it was her potential to receive downhill and reach coming from midrange that stuck out, together with her trademark self defense in the backcourt. It took up until the center of the 2nd fourth for the U.S. to actually put its feet on the fuel against Nigeria, however Youthful's aggressiveness as well as power on each ends should continue to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi seemed to be to accomplish properly off the seat, where she boosted as a company along with four assists.Pelton: I will really love to observe starting point player Chelsea Gray be a hazard to rating. She missed all 3 of her try attempts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 thus far during the Olympics. Extremely, the united state outscored Nigeria through merely 2 points in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or even better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our final roundtable, the united state women can overcome one non-scorer in the beginning 5 as long as she is taking another thing to the desk. And Gray is actually with her playmaking, having actually now completed 22 assists against simply 3 turnovers. Therefore, I don't presume train Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create additional changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat troubles carry out the Australians present, and what can make all of them a difficult matchup?Top tales of the week from Obtain unique accessibility to lots of costs articles a year coming from top authors. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore course "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP battle, other honors "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP ethnicity" Even more ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA fans will definitely be actually well aware of this Opals team, which features the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Right trainer Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not only perform the Opals have the talent to compete versus Staff United States. They possess drive and also fix observing their frustrating beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually felt free to with her crew's poise and guts over recent week, 2 top qualities a challenger needs to have when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike includes 5 players averaging at least 8.0 PPG, can easily injure enemies inside along with Magbegor and Johnson however likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most ideal in the Olympic field and considerably higher than Staff USA's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the group along with 8 and also 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is actually much deeper and also much more gifted than any type of team in the field barring the USA women. Our company may debate the greatest global gamer at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful applicants. However no group has a pair of gamers comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, each of whom will possess performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not named to the group this period regardless of comparable development.) And no staff outside the united state has virtually as much WNBA expertise throughout its roster.Given the only thing that skill, it was surprising when Australia dropped its own opening activity to Nigeria at that point barely trump winless Canada. In their previous pair of activities, our company have actually found the Opals our team expected, as they beat topped France to advance to the knockout stage as well as led Serbia through as several as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron accepts. United States Network and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May any individual stop Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anyone is going to contain them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson. Australia's article gamers rate second (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity and possess the movement to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is especially experienced against both challengers, having actually encountered Stewart virtual for three years as Storm allies and also compared along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest hurdle for Magbegor and also Johnson is actually repulsive issue. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and Smith had pair of in the first quarter versus France, confining their moments. Backup George is a difficult, competent gamer (she racked up 18 aspects in 24 moments versus Serbia) yet nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up an authentic concern. Yet offered the experience Stewart as well as Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is actually choosing her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and also Smith are actually seeming in their very first Video games-- I 'd count on the Staff United States super duo to help make the winning participates in important in such a stressful condition to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would be actually a harder opponent for Crew USA?Pelton: I'm selecting Belgium, which offered the united state ladies their hardest Olympic exam but. The Americans dominated through thirteen factors, although the margin was actually only 7 entering the fourth quarter of a group phase video game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, along with Julie Vanloo especially straining from downtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring 13 factors along with 7 assists (albeit with 9 turn overs) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the merely various other staff besides the USA that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation along with the group on its own edge and plenty of honor vulnerable, a challenging defensive team in France definitely would not be a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes can easily blow up like she carried out against Germany with 24 factors off the seat as well as with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Group United States played its own greatest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, particularly on offense, can easily still be a problem. There are times when the lack of playing opportunity all together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still noticeable. Besides, there's a main reason why Sue Bird recently said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Basketball is actually one of the most uncomfortable basketball she has ever played. After a little bit of a slow-moving begin, the USA ultimately led by 30 in the 3rd fourth against Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have really loved exactly how her group made it possible for the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point video game just before the last buzzer. By means of four video games, the Americans' lack of 3-point capturing have not definitely been actually treated, which could be a concern if challengers get hot from deep.Team U.S.A. can not overlook any one of the continuing to be groups in the business, however with a defensive identification as well as aggressive expertise led by Stewart and Wilson, it has revealed it can easily place games away when it needs to have to, something that needs to transmit over right into the final 2 games.Pelton: On the other hand, I think the capturing is actually likewise reason to strongly believe there's an additional equipment for the united state women. Jointly, the 12 players on the lineup have incorporated to fire thirty three% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this period. That won't gain a "Splash Sis" label at any time soon, however it is actually also better than Team United States has actually managed from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are past due to heat from lengthy selection. Keep an eye out if they eventually do.