.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's college baseball as well as the WNBA.Previously covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and Baltimore indigenous along with additional experience at the Dallas Morning Information, Seat Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Program collection.Formerly a specialist along with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP score and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global opponents are going to reunite on Friday, as the USA women's baseball group faces the Australian Opals along with an area in the 2024 Paris Games' gold award suit on the line.Team USA, which is riding a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic victories, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing a dismayed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together 3 straight victories, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state females have actually been actually the gold criterion for basketball all over the globe, winning 7 consecutive Olympic gold medals and also nine total, Australia has been actually a famous powerhouse alongside all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of the past 7 Summer seasons Games, take away three silvers and pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals because the 2012 Greater london Gamings.2012 also was the final time the famous Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic stage for the eco-friendly and also gold-- until now. While Group USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Gamings and also first in 12 years. Jackson has actually consistently medaled in the competitors, and also though she has found minimal activity up until now in France, she has a chance to carry on that touch this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 energetic WNBA gamers-- possesses a lot of drive, but the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity against the united state senior nationwide crew, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. In the course of the five Video games through which they medaled, Australia dropped to the united state either in the semifinals or the gold medal contest. The teams last complied with in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break a number of the pressing questions heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart debts Jackie Young for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart speaks along with Brian Windhorst after Crew U.S.A.'s 14-point sway Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team USA shifted up its own starting five against Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the technique fix its problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young instead of Taurasi-- that had last come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the best action. With 15 points against Nigeria, Youthful looks taking a job as Staff United States's 3rd marker behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Young is the merely various other USA player balancing double figures at 10.3 aspects every activity.) Young, some of 3 Sin city Aces players in the starting 5, displayed her 3-point firing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her potential to get downhill as well as strike from midrange that attracted attention, together with her trademark protection in the backcourt. It took up until the middle of the 2nd quarter for the USA to definitely place its foot on the fuel against Nigeria, but Youthful's aggressiveness and also energy on both ends should remain to return. And Taurasi seemed to carry out well off the seat, where she stepped up as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd really love to see starting point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to score. She overlooked all 3 of her chance efforts in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 up until now during the course of the Olympics. Remarkably, the united state outscored Nigeria by just two aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our final roundtable, the U.S. females can easily overcome one non-scorer in the starting five as long as she is actually carrying something else to the desk. As well as Gray is actually with her playmaking, having actually today totted 22 aids versus merely 3 turn overs. Thus, I do not presume trainer Cheryl Reeve requires to make additional changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat troubles carry out the Australians pose, and what could possibly create them a hard matchup?Top accounts of the week from Receive special access to hundreds of superior write-ups a year from top article writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP battle, various other awards "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP ethnicity" Additional ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA fans will certainly be actually effectively acquainted with this Opals team, which includes the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New York Liberty trainer Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not merely carry out the Opals possess the ability to compete against Crew USA. They have momentum as well as willpower observing their unsatisfying begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been satisfied with her staff's poise and grit over the past full week, pair of premiums a challenger requires when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack includes 5 gamers averaging at least 8.0 PPG, may hurt adversaries inside along with Magbegor as well as Smith but additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the very best in the Olympic area and also a lot higher than Team USA's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Sin City Aces, lead the team with eight as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is deeper and also extra skilled than any type of team in the field save for the USA females. Our team may discuss the most ideal worldwide player at the Paris Gamings, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as solid applicants. But no team has a set of gamers comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Smith, both of whom would certainly have gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not named to the team this period despite comparable development.) And no staff outside the USA possesses virtually as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given all that talent, it was actually astonishing when Australia lost its own opening game to Nigeria after that hardly beat winless Canada. In their previous 2 games, our experts have actually seen the Opals our company anticipated, as they defeat surpassed France to advance to the knockout stage as well as led Serbia through as several as 28 in an askew quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron authorizes. U.S.A. System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can any person stop Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if any individual is actually going to have them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's blog post gamers rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every video game and also have the mobility to speak up for Stewart and Wilson on the border. Magbegor is actually especially experienced versus each challengers, having experienced Stewart in practice for three years as Storm colleagues and also matched up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest hurdle for Magbegor as well as Smith is actually nasty problem. Magbegor got three first-half fouls versus Canada, as well as Smith had 2 in the initial fourth versus France, confining their minutes. Backup George is actually a tough, trained player (she racked up 18 points in 24 minutes versus Serbia) however nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a legitimate worry. But provided the take in Stewart and also Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is actually going for her third Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor and also Johnson are actually appearing in their first Gamings-- I 'd expect the Staff USA incredibly duo to produce the winning plays required in such a stressful circumstance to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would be actually a harder rival for Group USA?Pelton: I am actually selecting Belgium, which provided the U.S. ladies their hardest Olympic test but. The Americans dominated through thirteen aspects, although the margin was actually simply seven going into the 4th quarter of a team stage video game played in Lille, France, near the edge with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo specifically battling coming from downtown while skipping 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring thirteen factors along with seven helps (albeit with 9 turnovers) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the just various other staff besides the united state that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the host nation along with the group on its edge and also lots of take pride in on the line, a complicated protective team in France definitely would not be actually a pushover, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can easily go off like she carried out against Germany with 24 factors off the seat and also with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Staff United States played its own absolute best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, especially on offense, can still be a concern. There are times when the lack of participating in opportunity together or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still evident. Nevertheless, there is actually a main reason why Sue Bird recently pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Baseball is actually the best uneasy baseball she has actually ever played. After a little a slow begin, the USA at some point led by 30 in the third quarter against Nigeria, however Reeve could not have really loved just how her staff allowed the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game prior to the last buzzer. By means of 4 activities, the Americans' absence of 3-point capturing have not truly been actually remedied, which might be a concern if opponents fume coming from deep.Team United States can't neglect some of the staying groups in the field, but with a defensive identity and offensive expertise led by Stewart as well as Wilson, it has shown it may place video games away when it requires to, one thing that needs to transfer over right into the ultimate two games.Pelton: On the other side, I assume the shooting is likewise cause to feel there is actually one more equipment for the U.S. girls. Collectively, the 12 players on the lineup have actually combined to fire thirty three% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this period. That won't gain a "Sprinkle Sis" label at any time soon, however it's also far better than Team United States has handled coming from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually past due to heat up coming from long assortment. Keep an eye out if they finally carry out.