.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's college basketball as well as the WNBA.Earlier covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore native with more take in at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seattle Times and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Prospectus set.Formerly a specialist with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP ranking and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international opponents will definitely reunite on Friday, as the United States women's basketball crew goes up against the Australian Opals with a spot in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award match on the line.Team United States, which is using a touch of 59 successive Olympic triumphes, developed to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung together three straight triumphes, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state females have been the gold specification for basketball throughout the planet, winning seven consecutive Olympic gold awards and 9 general, Australia has actually been actually a historical giant along with all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of recent seven Summer seasons Games, taking home 3 silvers as well as 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the first time they've improved past the quarterfinals since the 2012 London Gamings.2012 also was the final opportunity the epic Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly and also gold-- previously. While Crew USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, appearing in her fifth Games and also first in 12 years. Jackson has always medaled in the competitors, and also though she has actually viewed limited activity thus far in France, she possesses a possibility to carry on that streak this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 energetic WNBA players-- possesses plenty of drive, yet the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the U.S. elderly national crew, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competition. Throughout the 5 Gamings through which they medaled, Australia lost to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The teams last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break down several of the pressing inquiries moving in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Young for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart speaks along with Brian Windhorst after Group United States's 14-point draw Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team United States shifted up its beginning 5 against Nigeria, along with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Performed the move repair its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young instead of Taurasi-- who had last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the correct action. With 15 aspects against Nigeria, Youthful seems carving out a function as Team USA's 3rd marker responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Youthful is the only various other USA player averaging dual designs at 10.3 factors every activity.) Youthful, one of 3 Las Vegas Aces gamers in the starting five, exhibited her 3-point shooting previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her capacity to receive downhill and strike coming from midrange that stood apart, along with her hallmark defense in the backcourt. It took up until the center of the second one-fourth for the U.S. to really place its own feet on the fuel versus Nigeria, but Youthful's aggression and also energy on both ends must continue to return. And also Taurasi appeared to perform properly off the seat, where she boosted as a facilitator with four assists.Pelton: I 'd like to view beginning point player Chelsea Gray be a threat to score. She missed all 3 of her try efforts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 until now during the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the united state outscored Nigeria by merely two points in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or far better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our last roundtable, the USA ladies can easily overcome one non-scorer in the beginning five such a long time as she is actually taking something else to the desk. And Gray is actually along with her playmaking, having actually right now amounted to 22 aids against simply 3 turnovers. Thus, I don't presume train Cheryl Reeve requires to create more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat concerns carry out the Australians present, and also what could possibly create them a challenging matchup?Top tales of the full week coming from Get exclusive accessibility to hundreds of premium posts a year from leading article writers. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB sophomore course "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP war, other awards "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP race" Additional ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA followers will definitely be actually well accustomed to this Opals team, which includes the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Liberty trainer Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not just do the Opals possess the talent to compete against Team USA. They have drive and also fix observing their unsatisfying begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually pleased along with her staff's grace and guts over the past full week, pair of qualities an enemy needs to have when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike flaunts 5 gamers averaging at the very least 8.0 PPG, can injure opponents inside with Magbegor and Smith yet likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most effective in the Olympic industry and much greater than Group United States's paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the team along with eight and seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually deeper as well as extra talented than any sort of group in the field save for the U.S. women. Our experts can dispute the greatest international player at the Paris Gamings, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy candidates. However no group possesses a pair of gamers comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson, each of whom will possess performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not called to the staff this time in spite of comparable development.) And no staff outside the USA possesses virtually as much WNBA knowledge throughout its roster.Given everything skill, it was actually stunning when Australia lost its own position video game to Nigeria after that rarely trump winless Canada. In their past 2 games, our company have actually viewed the Opals we counted on, as they defeat 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 meals to Stewie for 3. LeBron authorizes. U.S.A. Network as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can anyone stop Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if any person is actually mosting likely to include all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson. Australia's post gamers rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game as well as possess the movement to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is especially experienced versus both opponents, having actually experienced Stewart virtual for 3 years as Hurricane allies and also compared along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest challenge for Magbegor as well as Johnson is repulsive trouble. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, as well as Johnson had 2 in the very first quarter versus France, confining their mins. Data backup George is a challenging, skillful gamer (she scored 18 aspects in 24 minutes against Serbia) however no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate concern. Yet provided the take in Stewart and also Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is actually selecting her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Johnson are actually appearing in their first Games-- I will expect the Staff United States extremely duo to produce the winning plays required in such a high-pressure situation to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium would certainly be actually a harder rival for Staff USA?Pelton: I'm picking Belgium, which gave the USA ladies their most difficult Olympic exam yet. The Americans prevailed through 13 factors, although the frame was actually merely 7 going into the 4th one-fourth of a team phase activity played in Lille, France, near the perimeter along with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, with Julie Vanloo particularly having a hard time coming from midtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up 13 points with 7 aids (albeit along with nine turn overs) as Belgium travelled past Spain, the only various other team besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the host nation with the group on its side as well as loads of pleasure vulnerable, a complicated protective team in France definitely would not be a pushover, either, particularly if Marine Johannes may blow up like she performed versus Germany along with 24 aspects off the seat and also with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on both ends.Has Crew USA played its own absolute best baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, specifically on offense, may still be actually an issue. There are actually times when the lack of participating in opportunity all together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still evident. Besides, there is actually a reason why Sue Bird lately pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Basketball is the most annoying baseball she has ever participated in. After a bit of a sluggish begin, the united state ultimately led through 30 in the third quarter versus Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have actually liked just how her team made it possible for the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point activity just before the final buzzer. Through four video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point firing have not actually been corrected, which can be a problem if opponents get hot from deep.Team U.S.A. can not forget some of the continuing to be groups in the field, but along with a defensive identification and also offensive prowess led through Stewart and Wilson, it has actually revealed it can place games away when it requires to, one thing that ought to move over right into the ultimate 2 games.Pelton: On the other hand, I assume the firing is actually likewise cause to believe there's an additional equipment for the USA ladies. Jointly, the 12 gamers on the lineup have actually combined to shoot 33% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this season. That won't gain a "Dash Sis" label whenever quickly, however it's also better than Group U.S.A. has dealt with from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are outstanding to warm up from long array. Watch out if they eventually do.