.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's college baseball and the WNBA.Formerly dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore indigenous along with more encounter at the Dallas Morning Headlines, Seat Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Article Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus series.Formerly a consultant with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP rating and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global opponents will certainly reunite on Friday, as the United States girls's basketball team goes up against the Australian Opals along with an area in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold award match on the line.Team United States, which is using a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic wins, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung together 3 upright victories, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA females have actually been the gold specification for baseball across the world, winning 7 successive Olympic gold awards and also nine total, Australia has actually been a historic goliath together with all of them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of recent 7 Summers months Gamings, take away 3 silvers and pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the first time they have actually advanced past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 London Video games.2012 additionally was actually the final time the fabulous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly and also gold-- previously. While Team USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Gamings as well as to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has consistently medaled in the competition, and though she has observed minimal action thus far in France, she has a possibility to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six energetic WNBA players-- possesses loads of drive, but the Opals are actually 0-20 all time against the USA senior nationwide team, including 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the course of the five Gamings through which they medaled, Australia dropped to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold medal contest. The squads final fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break down a number of the pressing concerns heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit ratings Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Crew USA's 14-point gain Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched over up its beginning 5 versus Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the technique fix its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful in place of Taurasi-- that possessed last go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal move. With 15 factors against Nigeria, Youthful looks taking a function as Staff USA's 3rd scorer behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Young is actually the simply various other U.S. player averaging double figures at 10.3 factors per activity.) Youthful, among three Sin city Aces players in the starting 5, flaunted her 3-point shooting previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless coming from deeper on Wednesday, it was her capacity to acquire downhill and strike coming from midrange that stood apart, together with her hallmark defense in the backcourt. It took until the center of the second one-fourth for the U.S. to actually put its feet on the gasoline versus Nigeria, however Young's aggression and also energy on each ends should continue to pay dividends. And also Taurasi seemed to be to accomplish effectively off the bench, where she stepped up as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I would certainly like to see beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a danger to rating. She missed all three of her go efforts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 thus far in the course of the Olympics. Remarkably, the united state outscored Nigeria through just pair of aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or even far better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our last roundtable, the U.S. females may overcome one non-scorer in the starting 5 so long as she is delivering something else to the desk. And also Gray is with her playmaking, having actually right now completed 22 assists versus only three turn overs. So, I do not presume trainer Cheryl Reeve needs to make further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat troubles perform the Australians posture, and also what can create them a tough matchup?Top tales of the week coming from Acquire special access to 1000s of costs short articles a year from top writers. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB student training class "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP fight, other honors "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP ethnicity" Even more ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts are going to be well familiar with this Opals squad, which includes the Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and also Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Right train Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not merely do the Opals possess the skill to contend versus Team USA. They possess momentum and fix following their unsatisfactory begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually felt free to along with her staff's grace as well as guts over recent week, 2 high qualities a challenger requires when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault flaunts 5 gamers balancing a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can harm foes inside with Magbegor as well as Smith yet also from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most effective in the Olympic field and also considerably higher than Staff U.S.A.'s puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff along with eight as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is actually much deeper as well as a lot more gifted than any type of team in the business barring the U.S. women. Our experts can easily discuss the best global gamer at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong prospects. Yet no staff has a set of players as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson, both of whom will possess been on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not called to the group this time in spite of comparable development.) And no team outside the U.S. possesses nearly as a lot WNBA knowledge throughout its roster.Given all that ability, it was astonishing when Australia dropped its own position game to Nigeria then scarcely defeat winless Canada. In their previous two video games, our team have actually seen the Opals we counted on, as they trump outdoed France to advance to the knockout stage and led Serbia by as numerous as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for 3. LeBron approves. USA Network as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily anyone cease Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anyone is actually visiting include all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's message players rate second (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game and have the flexibility to defend Stewart and Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is particularly experienced versus both rivals, having encountered Stewart in practice for three years as Storm allies and also matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest barrier for Magbegor and Smith is actually repulsive issue. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls versus Canada, and Johnson possessed two in the initial quarter versus France, limiting their mins. Back-up George is actually a tough, skilled gamer (she scored 18 points in 24 moments versus Serbia) however nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up an authentic problem. However offered the encounter Stewart and also Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is going for her 3rd Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and Johnson are appearing in their very first Video games-- I will expect the Team United States very duo to produce the winning plays needed in such a stressful condition to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium will be a harder opponent for Staff USA?Pelton: I am actually selecting Belgium, which provided the U.S. girls their toughest Olympic exam but. The Americans prevailed by thirteen aspects, although the margin was just 7 getting into the 4th one-fourth of a group phase activity played in Lille, France, near the edge along with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo specifically battling from downtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up 13 aspects along with seven assists (albeit along with nine turnovers) as Belgium travelled previous Spain, the only various other crew besides the USA that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the multitude nation with the group on its edge and also loads of satisfaction vulnerable, a challenging defensive group in France definitely would not be actually a piece of cake, either, particularly if Marine Johannes can go off like she performed against Germany with 24 points off the seat and with Gabby Williams leading the way on each ends.Has Group U.S.A. played its own greatest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, especially on offense, can easily still be a concern. There are opportunities when the shortage of playing time with each other or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still evident. After all, there is actually a reason that Sue Bird recently claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Basketball is the absolute most annoying baseball she has ever played. After a little bit of a sluggish begin, the U.S. inevitably led by 30 in the third quarter versus Nigeria, yet Reeve could not have liked how her staff made it possible for the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game prior to the final buzzer. By means of 4 activities, the Americans' lack of 3-point shooting hasn't actually been actually treated, which could be a concern if enemies get hot from deep.Team United States can't forget any of the staying staffs in the field, yet along with a defensive identity and also offensive expertise led by Stewart and Wilson, it has presented it can easily put activities away when it requires to, one thing that needs to transmit over right into the last pair of games.Pelton: On the flip side, I believe the firing is actually additionally main reason to think there's yet another equipment for the USA females. Jointly, the 12 gamers on the lineup have blended to shoot thirty three% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this period. That won't gain a "Dash Siblings" label whenever very soon, however it is actually also far better than Crew United States has dealt with from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are overdue to heat from long selection. Keep an eye out if they finally carry out.