.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's college baseball and the WNBA.Earlier dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and also Baltimore native with more take in at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Program series.In the past an expert along with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP ranking as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global opponents will reunite on Friday, as the USA women's basketball team faces the Australian Opals with a location in the 2024 Paris Games' gold medal suit on the line.Team United States, which is actually using a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic triumphes, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to an upset loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung with each other 3 upright triumphes, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA ladies have been actually the gold criterion for basketball around the globe, succeeding seven consecutive Olympic gold medals and also 9 total, Australia has been a historical goliath alongside all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past seven Summertimes Video games, taking home 3 silvers and also 2 bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris marks the very first time they've developed past the quarterfinals because the 2012 London Video games.2012 also was the last time the fabulous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic stage for the green as well as gold-- until now. While Team United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, appearing in her 5th Gamings as well as initially in 12 years. Jackson has regularly medaled in the competitors, and though she has observed restricted activity until now in France, she possesses a chance to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six active WNBA gamers-- possesses lots of momentum, yet the Opals are actually 0-20 all time 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 USA either in the semifinals or the gold award contest. The squads last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton malfunction several of the pressing questions moving into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Young for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Team U.S.A.'s 14-point sway Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team USA switched over up its beginning 5 versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the move correct its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful instead of Taurasi-- that possessed last go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal relocation. With 15 factors against Nigeria, Youthful looks carving out a role as Staff U.S.A.'s third scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Young is actually the only other united state gamer balancing dual designs at 10.3 points per video game.) Young, among 3 Las Vegas Aces players in the beginning five, exhibited her 3-point shooting earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless coming from deeper on Wednesday, it was her capacity to receive downhill as well as strike coming from midrange that stood apart, alongside her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took till the middle of the 2nd fourth for the united state to really put its feet on the gasoline against Nigeria, yet Young's hostility and also power on both ends should continue to pay dividends. And also Taurasi appeared to perform effectively off the seat, where she improved as a company along with four assists.Pelton: I will enjoy to see starting point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a hazard to score. She overlooked all 3 of her try tries in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 up until now throughout the Olympics. Remarkably, the united state outscored Nigeria by only 2 factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our final roundtable, the united state females can conquer one non-scorer in the beginning 5 so long as she is actually bringing another thing to the desk. As well as Gray is with her playmaking, having right now amounted to 22 assists versus only three turnovers. So, I don't presume trainer Cheryl Reeve needs to make more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat problems do the Australians pose, and what can make them a hard matchup?Top tales of the full week from Receive exclusive accessibility to 1000s of premium write-ups a year from leading writers. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB sophomore course "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP battle, other awards "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP race" Even more ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA followers are going to be actually well accustomed to this Opals team, which includes the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and also Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Liberty train Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not only do the Opals possess the skill to contend against Staff United States. They have momentum and fix following their unsatisfying start to the Olympics. Brondello has been pleased along with her staff's grace and also guts over the past full week, 2 qualities an opponent requires when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike includes 5 players averaging at the very least 8.0 PPG, can easily harm foes inside with Magbegor and Johnson however additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most ideal in the Olympic area and considerably more than Staff USA's puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff along with eight and seven treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is actually much deeper and much more accomplished than any sort of group in the field barring the U.S. women. Our company can debate the very best international player at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful applicants. But no crew has a set of players comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, each of whom will have been on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not named to the group this season in spite of similar development.) And also no team outside the USA possesses virtually as much WNBA experience throughout its roster.Given the only thing that talent, it was shocking when Australia dropped its position activity to Nigeria at that point hardly defeat winless Canada. In their past two games, we've observed the Opals our team counted on, as they beat surpassed France to develop to the knockout phase and led Serbia by as a lot of as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron permits. USA System as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can any individual stop Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any individual is mosting likely to contain them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson. Australia's message players position second (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game and also have the range of motion to stand up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the border. Magbegor is particularly experienced versus each challengers, having actually encountered Stewart in practice for 3 years as Tornado allies as well as matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant obstacle for Magbegor and also Smith is foul issue. Magbegor picked up 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and also Johnson possessed pair of in the initial one-fourth versus France, restricting their moments. Back-up George is a challenging, knowledgeable player (she scored 18 points in 24 moments against Serbia) however nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid worry. Yet provided the encounter Stewart and Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is choosing her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor as well as Smith are actually looking in their very first Gamings-- I will anticipate the Crew U.S.A. incredibly duo to produce the winning plays necessary in such a stressful circumstance to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would be actually a tougher challenger for Staff USA?Pelton: I am actually picking Belgium, which offered the united state females their most difficult Olympic test but. The Americans dominated by thirteen factors, although the scope was actually simply 7 going into the 4th one-fourth of a group phase game played in Lille, France, near the edge along with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, with Julie Vanloo particularly having a hard time from downtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring thirteen aspects along with seven aids (albeit with nine turnovers) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the just various other team besides the united state that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation with the group on its own side and also plenty of satisfaction on the line, a difficult protective group in France would not be actually a piece of cake, either, particularly if Marine Johannes can go off like she carried out versus Germany along with 24 points off the bench as well as with Gabby Williams leading the way on both ends.Has Staff USA played its own ideal baseball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, specifically on outburst, can easily still be actually an issue. There are opportunities when the lack of participating in time all together or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still apparent. Nevertheless, there's a reason that Sue Bird recently stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Basketball is the absolute most uncomfortable basketball she has ever before played. After a little a slow start, the USA ultimately led by 30 in the 3rd one-fourth against Nigeria, however Reeve could not have actually liked exactly how her staff enabled the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game before the last buzzer. By means of 4 activities, the Americans' lack of 3-point shooting have not truly been actually corrected, which might be a concern if enemies fume coming from deep.Team United States can not neglect any of the continuing to be crews in the business, however along with a protective identity as well as offensive expertise led by Stewart and Wilson, it has actually revealed it may place activities away when it needs to have to, something that needs to transfer over right into the ultimate pair of games.Pelton: On the other side, I presume the capturing is actually additionally reason to think there is actually an additional equipment for the united state girls. Jointly, the 12 players on the lineup have actually mixed to fire thirty three% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this period. That won't gain a "Splash Siblings" label whenever very soon, but it's likewise far better than Crew United States has taken care of coming from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are past due to heat up from long assortment. Watch out if they eventually perform.