.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's university baseball and the WNBA.Recently dealt with UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad as well as Baltimore indigenous with additional experience at the Dallas Morning Information, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Article Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus series.Previously a consultant with the Indiana Pacers.Established WARP ranking and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide competitors will definitely reunite on Friday, as the USA girls's baseball team takes on the Australian Opals along with a place in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal match on the line.Team U.S.A., which is riding a streak of 59 successive Olympic victories, advanced to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Following an upset reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together three straight success, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. girls have actually been the gold requirement for basketball across the world, succeeding 7 consecutive Olympic gold medals and also 9 general, Australia has been a famous powerhouse together with them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of recent seven Summer seasons Gamings, taking home three silvers as well as two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the very first time they have actually advanced past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 London Gamings.2012 additionally was the final time the famous Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic stage for the green and also gold-- previously. While Staff United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her 5th Games and also to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has actually constantly medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has actually found limited activity thus far in France, she possesses an odds to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts 6 active WNBA players-- possesses lots of momentum, however the Opals are actually 0-20 all time against the U.S. senior national staff, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. In the course of the five Games in which they medaled, Australia lost to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The teams final met in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton malfunction a few of journalism questions moving right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Young for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart talks along with Brian Windhorst after Team United States's 14-point win over Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team USA changed up its starting 5 versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the technique correct its own concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young in place of Taurasi-- that had last go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the best move. Along with 15 aspects against Nigeria, Youthful appears to be taking a part as Staff United States's third scorer behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Youthful is actually the only other U.S. gamer averaging double figures at 10.3 points every video game.) Young, among 3 Sin city Aces players in the starting 5, showed off her 3-point capturing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her ability to receive downhill as well as hit coming from midrange that attracted attention, together with her hallmark defense in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the 2nd fourth for the U.S. to truly put its feet on the fuel against Nigeria, however Youthful's aggressiveness and also electricity on each ends should continue to return. As well as Taurasi seemed to carry out effectively off the bench, where she boosted as a facilitator along with four assists.Pelton: I 'd enjoy to see beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be a risk to score. She missed out on all three of her chance attempts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 thus far during the Olympics. Remarkably, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by only 2 aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or far better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our final roundtable, the U.S. females may get rid of one non-scorer in the beginning five such a long time as she is actually bringing something else to the table. And Gray is with her playmaking, having actually right now amounted to 22 assists against simply three turn overs. So, I don't assume train Cheryl Reeve requires to create more changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat problems carry out the Australians pose, and also what could create them a challenging matchup?Top stories of the week coming from Acquire special access to countless costs articles a year coming from leading writers. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore course "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP fight, other awards "u2022 25 essential gamers in CFP ethnicity" More ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA followers will definitely be properly accustomed to this Opals squad, which features the Seat Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and also Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Liberty trainer Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not only do the Opals have the skill to compete versus Team U.S.A.. They have drive and also willpower observing their unsatisfactory start to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually pleased with her staff's poise as well as grit over recent week, two top qualities a challenger needs to have when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack boasts five players balancing at the very least 8.0 PPG, can easily hurt adversaries inside along with Magbegor as well as Smith however likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the very best in the Olympic area and considerably more than Crew USA's paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the crew along with eight as well as seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is actually much deeper and more accomplished than any kind of team in the business except for the U.S. females. We can easily question the most effective worldwide player at the Paris Gamings, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough applicants. Yet no staff possesses a pair of players like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, both of whom will possess performed my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not called to the group this season regardless of identical creation.) As well as no group outside the USA possesses nearly as much WNBA experience throughout its roster.Given everything skill, it was stunning when Australia shed its own opening game to Nigeria after that rarely trump winless Canada. In their past pair of activities, our experts've viewed the Opals our company expected, as they trump topped France to develop to the knockout stage and also led Serbia through as a lot of as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for three. LeBron approves. USA Network and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily anybody cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if anyone is actually heading to contain all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's article gamers rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per activity as well as have the movement to defend Stewart and Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is especially experienced versus both challengers, having experienced Stewart in practice for three years as Tornado teammates as well as matched up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant difficulty for Magbegor and also Johnson is filthy trouble. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls versus Canada, and Smith had 2 in the initial fourth versus France, confining their moments. Data backup George is actually a difficult, proficient gamer (she scored 18 aspects in 24 moments versus Serbia) but no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid issue. However given the encounter Stewart and Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is actually opting for her 3rd Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and Johnson are actually appearing in their very first Gamings-- I 'd expect the Staff United States extremely duo to help make the winning participates in necessary in such a stressful circumstance to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium will be a tougher rival for Staff USA?Pelton: I am actually going with Belgium, which offered the U.S. females their toughest Olympic examination but. The Americans prevailed by thirteen aspects, although the frame was actually just seven entering the fourth quarter of a group stage video game played in Lille, France, near the edge with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, with Julie Vanloo particularly battling from downtown while missing 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring 13 factors along with 7 assists (albeit along with nine turn overs) as Belgium navigated past Spain, the just various other team besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the multitude country with the group on its side and plenty of take pride in vulnerable, a hard protective team in France would not be actually a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes can blow up like she carried out against Germany with 24 aspects off the bench as well as with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on both ends.Has Team U.S.A. played its own ideal baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, particularly on outburst, can still be actually a problem. There are actually times when the absence of participating in time all together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still obvious. It goes without saying, there's a main reason why Sue Bird lately mentioned on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Baseball is the absolute most uncomfortable basketball she has ever participated in. After a bit of a slow-moving beginning, the USA at some point led through 30 in the 3rd one-fourth against Nigeria, but Reeve could not have liked exactly how her group made it possible for the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point video game before the last buzzer. Through four activities, the Americans' absence of 3-point capturing have not truly been fixed, which could be an issue if opponents get hot coming from deep.Team USA can not disregard any of the staying crews in the field, yet along with a defensive identity and aggressive prowess led by Stewart as well as Wilson, it has revealed it may put video games away when it needs to have to, one thing that should transmit over in to the final two games.Pelton: On the flip side, I presume the firing is additionally explanation to feel there's an additional gear for the united state women. Together, the 12 gamers on the roster have combined to shoot thirty three% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this period. That won't get a "Splash Sisters" label at any time soon, yet it is actually also much better than Staff United States has taken care of coming from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are outstanding to warm from long variation. Watch out if they finally do.