.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's university basketball and the WNBA.Recently dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad as well as Baltimore indigenous along with more encounter at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus collection.Formerly a specialist with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP ranking and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global opponents will certainly meet again on Friday, as the United States women's basketball staff goes up against the Australian Opals along with an area in the 2024 Paris Games' gold medal match on the line.Team USA, which is riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic victories, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with an upset reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung with each other 3 upright victories, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state women have actually been actually the gold requirement for baseball across the globe, gaining 7 consecutive Olympic gold medals and 9 general, Australia has actually been actually a historic powerhouse alongside them. The Opals have medaled in five of the past 7 Summers months Gamings, take away 3 silvers as well as pair of bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals since the 2012 London Gamings.2012 likewise was the final opportunity the epic Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly and gold-- until now. While Team USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her 5th Video games as well as initially in 12 years. Jackson has actually always medaled in the competition, and also though she has actually found restricted activity up until now in France, she possesses a chance to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six active WNBA gamers-- possesses plenty of energy, but the Opals are actually 0-20 all time against the united state senior national crew, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competition. Throughout the five Games in which they medaled, Australia lost to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The squads final fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton malfunction several of the pressing concerns heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Young for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Crew United States's 14-point draw Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team USA switched over up its beginning 5 versus Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the technique correct its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young in place of Taurasi-- that possessed final come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal step. With 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Youthful appears to be taking a role as Group U.S.A.'s third marker responsible for A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Youthful is the just other united state gamer balancing dual figures at 10.3 aspects per game.) Youthful, among 3 Sin city Aces players in the starting 5, exhibited her 3-point shooting previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her capacity to get downhill and also hit coming from midrange that stood out, together with her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took until the center of the second fourth for the united state to truly put its own feet on the fuel versus Nigeria, yet Young's hostility as well as power on both ends should remain to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi appeared to perform effectively off the bench, where she stepped up as a company with 4 assists.Pelton: I will adore to observe starting point guard Chelsea Gray be a hazard to score. She missed out on all 3 of her chance tries in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 thus far during the course of the Olympics. Incredibly, the USA outscored Nigeria by just pair of points in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or much better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our last roundtable, the USA women can eliminate one non-scorer in the beginning five as long as she is actually carrying another thing to the table. As well as Gray is with her playmaking, having actually now totaled 22 helps versus just 3 turnovers. Therefore, I don't think coach Cheryl Reeve requires to create further changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat issues perform the Australians present, and what might create all of them a challenging matchup?Top accounts of the week from Get exclusive accessibility to lots of superior posts a year coming from best authors. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB sophomore course "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP fight, other honors "u2022 25 essential players in CFP ethnicity" Even more ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA followers will definitely be actually properly knowledgeable about this Opals team, which features the Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and also Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Right train Sandy Brondello responsible. Not merely carry out the Opals possess the ability to complete versus Crew United States. They possess drive and fix observing their unsatisfactory begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually satisfied with her group's poise as well as grit over the past week, 2 high qualities an opponent needs when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced attack flaunts five players averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can easily harm opponents inside along with Magbegor and Smith but additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the very best in the Olympic field as well as a lot greater than Group United States's puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the team along with eight as well as seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is actually deeper and more skilled than any type of crew in the field barring the united state females. We may debate the most effective international gamer at the Paris Gamings, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as solid prospects. However no team has a pair of gamers as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Smith, each of whom would possess gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not called to the staff this period in spite of similar manufacturing.) And no crew outside the united state possesses nearly as much WNBA knowledge throughout its own roster.Given everything ability, it was astonishing when Australia lost its position activity to Nigeria at that point hardly defeat winless Canada. In their previous two games, we've seen the Opals our team expected, as they trump exceeded France to develop to the knockout phase and also led Serbia through as several as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for three. LeBron approves. U.S.A. System and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can anyone quit Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if any person is actually going to have them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's post gamers place second (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity as well as possess the movement to speak up for Stewart and Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is particularly experienced against both challengers, having actually encountered Stewart virtual for three years as Hurricane colleagues and matched up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant obstacle for Magbegor and Smith is nasty issue. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and also Smith had two in the very first quarter versus France, restricting their minutes. Back-up George is a difficult, proficient gamer (she scored 18 aspects in 24 minutes against Serbia) yet no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a valid issue. But given the experience Stewart as well as Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is actually selecting her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her second, while Magbegor as well as Johnson are seeming in their first Video games-- I 'd expect the Group United States incredibly duo to produce the winning participates in essential in such a stressful situation to breakthrough to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would certainly be a tougher challenger for Staff USA?Pelton: I am actually opting for Belgium, which offered the united state ladies their hardest Olympic examination yet. The Americans prevailed through 13 factors, although the frame was merely seven getting in the 4th one-fourth of a team phase video game played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo specifically struggling coming from midtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up thirteen factors with 7 helps (albeit along with 9 turn overs) as Belgium navigated previous Spain, the only various other team besides the USA that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the multitude nation along with the group on its own edge and a lot of pleasure vulnerable, a complicated protective crew in France wouldn't be actually a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can go off like she carried out versus Germany along with 24 aspects off the bench as well as with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on each ends.Has Group U.S.A. played its best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, especially on outburst, can still be actually a concern. There are actually opportunities when the lack of participating in time with each other or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still noticeable. After all, there is actually a reason that Sue Bird recently said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Baseball is actually one of the most annoying basketball she has ever participated in. After a little a slow begin, the U.S. inevitably led through 30 in the 3rd quarter against Nigeria, but Reeve couldn't have actually loved just how her group enabled the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point video game just before the last buzzer. By means of 4 video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point shooting hasn't truly been actually treated, which might be an issue if challengers get hot from deep.Team United States can not forget any of the remaining teams in the business, however with a defensive identification and aggressive expertise led by Stewart as well as Wilson, it has actually revealed it may put activities away when it needs to have to, something that must transmit over into the final pair of games.Pelton: On the flip side, I believe the firing is also explanation to strongly believe there's one more gear for the U.S. ladies. Jointly, the 12 players on the lineup have blended to fire 33% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this period. That will not make a "Sprinkle Sisters" label any time quickly, yet it is actually also much better than Crew United States has taken care of coming from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually past due to warm up coming from long range. Look out if they ultimately perform.