.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's university basketball and also the WNBA.Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore native along with more encounter at the Dallas Early Morning Headlines, Seat Moments as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Article Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus set.Formerly a professional with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international rivals will certainly meet again on Friday, as the USA females's baseball team confronts the Australian Opals with a place in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award match on the line.Team United States, which is using a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic victories, developed to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Following a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung together three straight triumphes, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA girls have actually been the gold standard for basketball around the planet, gaining seven successive Olympic gold medals and also 9 overall, Australia has actually been a famous giant alongside them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of the past 7 Summers months Games, take away three silvers as well as 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the very first time they have actually advanced past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 Greater london Games.2012 additionally was the last time the legendary Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the green as well as gold-- until now. While Team United States possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, appearing in her 5th Gamings and also initially in 12 years. Jackson has regularly medaled in the competition, as well as though she has found restricted action so far in France, she possesses an opportunity to carry on that touch this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts six active WNBA players-- possesses a lot of momentum, but the Opals are actually 0-20 all time against the united state elderly national staff, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the course of the 5 Video games through which they medaled, Australia lost to the U.S. 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 a number of journalism questions heading right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit histories Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart talks along with Brian Windhorst after Team U.S.A.'s 14-point gain Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team USA changed up its own starting five versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the move repair its own concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful in place of Taurasi-- who possessed last come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the best technique. Along with 15 points versus Nigeria, Young seems taking a duty as Crew U.S.A.'s third scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Young is actually the only various other U.S. gamer balancing dual designs at 10.3 points every video game.) Youthful, one of 3 Las Vegas Aces players in the starting 5, displayed her 3-point capturing earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her capacity to obtain downhill and also hit coming from midrange that stood apart, alongside her trademark protection in the backcourt. It took until the center of the second fourth for the united state to definitely place its feet on the fuel versus Nigeria, yet Youthful's hostility and power on each ends must continue to return. As well as Taurasi seemed to carry out properly off the bench, where she improved as a facilitator along with four assists.Pelton: I 'd adore to view starting point guard Chelsea Gray be a hazard to credit rating. She missed out on all three of her shot efforts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 up until now during the Olympics. Extremely, the united state outscored Nigeria by simply two factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even far better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the U.S. ladies can easily beat one non-scorer in the beginning five as long as she is carrying something else to the table. And Gray is with her playmaking, having actually today totted 22 helps against simply 3 turnovers. So, I don't think trainer Cheryl Reeve requires to create more changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat issues carry out the Australians position, and also what can create them a challenging matchup?Top stories of the week coming from Get unique access to lots of superior write-ups a year from best writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP war, various other honors "u2022 25 essential players in CFP ethnicity" Even more ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA followers are going to be actually properly acquainted with this Opals squad, which features the Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and also Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Right coach Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not simply perform the Opals possess the ability to complete against Team U.S.A.. They possess energy as well as resolve observing their frustrating begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been satisfied with her staff's poise as well as grit over recent full week, two qualities an enemy requires when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike boasts five gamers balancing at least 8.0 PPG, can easily injure foes inside along with Magbegor and Smith however likewise coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the greatest in the Olympic industry as well as a lot greater than Crew USA's puny 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Sin City Aces, lead the group along with eight and also 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is much deeper as well as extra proficient than any staff in the business except for the USA females. Our team can easily discuss the greatest international gamer at the Paris Gamings, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as solid applicants. Yet no team possesses a set of players just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, both of whom would possess gotten on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not named to the team this season in spite of comparable development.) And no staff outside the U.S. possesses virtually as a lot WNBA adventure throughout its own roster.Given everything ability, it was actually shocking when Australia shed its own opening video game to Nigeria at that point scarcely beat winless Canada. In their past 2 games, we've found the Opals our team expected, as they beat exceeded France to advance to the knockout stage and led Serbia by as lots of as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for three. LeBron accepts. USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May any individual cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any person is actually mosting likely to contain them, it's the duo of Magbegor and Smith. Australia's post gamers rank 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game and have the flexibility to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced versus both challengers, having actually faced Stewart in practice for three years as Storm allies as well as matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest difficulty for Magbegor and also Johnson is foul trouble. Magbegor grabbed three first-half fouls versus Canada, and also Johnson possessed 2 in the first quarter versus France, confining their minutes. Data backup George is a hard, skillful gamer (she racked up 18 factors in 24 moments versus Serbia) but no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate problem. However offered the experience Stewart as well as Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is going with her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and Smith are actually seeming in their 1st Gamings-- I 'd anticipate the Group United States extremely duo to help make the winning participates in essential in such a stressful condition to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would certainly be actually a more durable rival for Group USA?Pelton: I am actually opting for Belgium, which offered the united state females their most difficult Olympic examination yet. The Americans dominated by thirteen points, although the frame was actually just seven entering the 4th one-fourth of a group phase video game played in Lille, France, near the edge with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo specifically straining from midtown while missing 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up thirteen points along with 7 helps (albeit along with nine turn overs) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the only various other team besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the lot country with the crowd on its own edge as well as lots of pleasure on the line, a hard protective staff in France wouldn't be a piece of cake, either, especially if Marine Johannes can blow up like she did versus Germany with 24 points off the seat and with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Staff U.S.A. played its finest basketball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, especially on offense, can still be actually a concern. There are actually times when the shortage of participating in opportunity with each other or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still obvious. After all, there's a reason that Sue Bird lately stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Basketball is actually one of the most annoying basketball she has actually ever played. After a little bit of a sluggish start, the united state eventually led through 30 in the 3rd quarter versus Nigeria, but Reeve couldn't have actually enjoyed just how her team made it possible for the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point activity just before the final buzzer. Through 4 video games, the Americans' lack of 3-point capturing hasn't actually been actually treated, which may be an issue if challengers fume from deep.Team USA can't overlook any one of the staying teams in the field, yet with a defensive identification and offensive adeptness led by Stewart and Wilson, it has shown it may place activities away when it requires to, one thing that needs to move over right into the last 2 games.Pelton: On the flip side, I presume the firing is additionally reason to strongly believe there is actually one more equipment for the U.S. ladies. Together, the 12 players on the roster have actually integrated to shoot thirty three% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this season. That won't make a "Burst Siblings" nickname at any time soon, yet it is actually additionally far better than Team U.S.A. has managed from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to heat coming from long variation. Look out if they eventually perform.