.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's university basketball and also the WNBA.Recently covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and Baltimore indigenous with additional encounter at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seattle Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Prospectus set.Previously a professional with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP ranking and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide rivals will definitely reunite on Friday, as the USA ladies's baseball crew takes on the Australian Opals with an area in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal match on the line.Team U.S.A., which is actually riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic triumphes, advanced to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Following a distressed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung with each other three upright success, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state females have been actually the gold requirement for basketball across the world, succeeding seven consecutive Olympic gold medals and also nine total, Australia has been a historic giant along with all of them. The Opals have medaled in five of recent seven Summer Video games, take away three silvers as well as 2 bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris marks the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 London Video games.2012 also was the final opportunity the famous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly and gold-- until now. While Team United States 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 regularly medaled in the competition, and though she has actually seen restricted action until now in France, she possesses an opportunity to continue that streak this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts six active WNBA gamers-- possesses plenty of energy, yet the Opals are 0-20 all time versus the united state elderly nationwide team, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the course of the five Games in which they medaled, Australia dropped to the USA either in the semifinals or even the gold award competition. The teams final complied with in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break several of journalism inquiries moving right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart debts Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Staff USA's 14-point sway Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team United States changed up its own starting 5 versus Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the move fix its own concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful instead of Taurasi-- who possessed final go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal move. Along with 15 aspects against Nigeria, Youthful seems taking a duty as Crew United States's 3rd marker responsible for A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Young is the just various other USA player averaging double figures at 10.3 aspects per game.) Youthful, some of three Sin city Aces gamers in the beginning five, showed off her 3-point capturing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deeper on Wednesday, it was her capacity to receive downhill as well as hit from midrange that attracted attention, in addition to her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took up until the center of the 2nd quarter for the U.S. to definitely put its foot on the fuel against Nigeria, yet Young's hostility and also power on both ends should remain to return. As well as Taurasi appeared to do effectively off the bench, where she stepped up as a company with 4 assists.Pelton: I would certainly really love to see starting point guard Chelsea Gray be a danger to score. She missed all 3 of her shot attempts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 thus far during the Olympics. Incredibly, the united state outscored Nigeria by just 2 points 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 pointed out in our final roundtable, the USA females can easily eliminate one non-scorer in the starting 5 so long as she is actually carrying another thing to the desk. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually right now amounted to 22 assists versus merely 3 turn overs. Thus, I don't believe trainer Cheryl Reeve needs to make additional changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat issues carry out the Australians posture, and what could make all of them a difficult matchup?Top tales of the full week from Receive exclusive access to hundreds of fee posts a year from best writers. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB sophomore lesson "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP struggle, various other awards "u2022 25 most important players in CFP race" Additional ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA fans will be properly familiar with this Opals team, which includes the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Right trainer Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not only perform the Opals possess the ability to complete against Crew USA. They possess drive and also resolve observing their disappointing begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually felt free to with her crew's grace and also guts over the past week, pair of qualities an opponent needs when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike flaunts five gamers averaging at least 8.0 PPG, can harm enemies inside with Magbegor and Johnson but likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the greatest in the Olympic area and much greater than Staff USA's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Sin City Aces, lead the team along with eight and also 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is actually deeper and much more talented than any kind of group in the business barring the U.S. ladies. Our experts can easily dispute the most effective global player at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough applicants. But no group has a pair of gamers as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Johnson, each of whom will possess gotten on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not named to the group this season regardless of identical development.) And also no crew outside the united state possesses nearly as a lot WNBA experience throughout its roster.Given the only thing that talent, it was shocking when Australia shed its position activity to Nigeria after that scarcely trump winless Canada. In their past 2 games, our team have actually found the Opals our company anticipated, as they defeat exceeded France to develop to the knockout stage as well as led Serbia through as several as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron authorizes. U.S.A. Network and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily any person quit Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any person is going to contain all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's message players rank 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per video game and also possess the movement to stand up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the border. Magbegor is actually especially experienced versus each challengers, having encountered Stewart virtual for 3 years as Storm colleagues and also paired up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest difficulty for Magbegor and Johnson is actually foul difficulty. Magbegor grabbed 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and Smith had pair of in the 1st fourth versus France, confining their minutes. Backup George is a tough, competent gamer (she scored 18 aspects in 24 minutes against Serbia) but nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises an authentic worry. But offered the encounter Stewart and Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is going for her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Smith are actually showing up in their initial Video games-- I 'd expect the Staff U.S.A. extremely duo to produce the winning participates in essential in such a stressful scenario to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would certainly be a harder opponent for Team USA?Pelton: I am actually selecting Belgium, which gave the USA ladies their hardest Olympic examination however. The Americans prevailed through 13 aspects, although the scope was simply seven entering the 4th one-fourth of a group phase game played in Lille, France, near the border with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, with Julie Vanloo particularly struggling from downtown while missing 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring thirteen factors with 7 assists (albeit with 9 turnovers) as Belgium navigated past Spain, the only other group besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation with the crowd on its side and loads of pride vulnerable, a hard protective crew in France would not be a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes can easily go off like she did against Germany with 24 factors off the seat and along with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on both ends.Has Team United States played its greatest basketball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, specifically on offense, may still be a concern. There are times when the shortage of playing time together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still obvious. Besides, there's a reason that Sue Bird lately mentioned on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Basketball is one of the most uncomfortable basketball she has actually ever participated in. After a little a slow beginning, the united state inevitably led by 30 in the 3rd fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have actually loved exactly how her team allowed the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game before the ultimate buzzer. Via four video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point shooting hasn't truly been solved, which may be an issue if enemies fume from deep.Team USA can not neglect any one of the continuing to be staffs in the field, however with a protective identity and also offensive expertise led through Stewart and Wilson, it has actually presented it can put activities away when it needs to, something that must transfer over into the last 2 games.Pelton: On the flip side, I assume the shooting is actually additionally cause to believe there is actually one more gear for the U.S. ladies. Together, the 12 gamers on the lineup have integrated to shoot thirty three% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this season. That will not earn a "Splash Sisters" label any time quickly, however it's also much better than Staff United States has handled from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are overdue to heat coming from lengthy variety. Watch out if they finally perform.