.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's university baseball as well as the WNBA.Formerly covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore indigenous with additional take in at the Dallas Morning News, Seat Times and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus set.Previously a specialist along with the Indiana Pacers.Established WARP ranking as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international rivals will certainly meet again on Friday, as the United States girls's basketball team takes on the Australian Opals along with a location in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award suit on the line.Team United States, which is actually using a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic success, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung all together 3 upright victories, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state ladies have been the gold specification for basketball across the globe, winning 7 consecutive Olympic gold awards and nine general, Australia has actually been actually a historic giant together with all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of the past 7 Summertimes Gamings, take away three silvers and two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris marks the very first time they have actually advanced past the quarterfinals due to the fact that the 2012 London Gamings.2012 also was actually the final time the fabulous Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic phase for the environment-friendly and also gold-- previously. While Staff United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, showing up in her fifth Games as well as to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has actually constantly medaled in the competitors, and though she has actually observed restricted activity until now in France, she has a chance to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 active WNBA players-- possesses lots of energy, but the Opals are 0-20 all time against the USA senior nationwide staff, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the five Gamings through which they medaled, Australia lost to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold award competition. The squads final met in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton break down several of journalism concerns heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart debts Jackie Young for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart chats with Brian Windhorst after Crew USA's 14-point win over Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team USA switched over up its own beginning five against Nigeria, along with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Performed the step correct its own concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young instead of Taurasi-- that had final go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the correct action. With 15 factors against Nigeria, Young appears to be carving out a duty as Crew USA's third scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Indeed, Young is the merely various other USA gamer balancing double figures at 10.3 points per video game.) Youthful, among 3 Sin city Aces players in the starting 5, flaunted her 3-point capturing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her potential to acquire downhill and strike from midrange that attracted attention, along with her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took until the center of the 2nd one-fourth for the U.S. to definitely place its own feet on the gasoline against Nigeria, yet Youthful's hostility and electricity on each ends should continue to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi seemed to accomplish effectively off the bench, where she boosted as a company along with 4 assists.Pelton: I would certainly love to see starting point player Chelsea Gray be actually a danger to rating. She missed all three of her chance efforts in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 until now during the course of the Olympics. Incredibly, the U.S. outscored Nigeria through only 2 factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or far better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our final roundtable, the U.S. ladies may beat one non-scorer in the beginning five as long as she is actually carrying another thing to the desk. And Gray is with her playmaking, having actually today amounted to 22 supports versus merely 3 turnovers. So, I don't presume coach Cheryl Reeve needs to have to make additional changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat troubles perform the Australians position, as well as what can make them a tough matchup?Top tales of the week from Obtain exclusive accessibility to thousands of premium posts a year coming from leading writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB student class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP struggle, various other awards "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP race" Additional ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts will be effectively knowledgeable about this Opals team, which includes the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Freedom instructor Sandy Brondello responsible. Not merely perform the Opals possess the skill to compete against Team U.S.A.. They possess momentum and resolve observing their disappointing start to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been felt free to with her staff's grace and also guts over recent week, pair of qualities a challenger requires when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault includes five gamers balancing at least 8.0 PPG, can hurt enemies inside with Magbegor and also Smith however additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the greatest in the Olympic industry and considerably greater than Team United States's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the team with 8 and also seven treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is much deeper and even more talented than any type of crew in the field barring the USA ladies. Our experts can discuss the greatest worldwide gamer at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful candidates. Yet no crew possesses a pair of players comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Smith, both of whom will possess been on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not called to the group this period regardless of comparable manufacturing.) And also no crew outside the USA has nearly as much WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given all that talent, it was astonishing when Australia dropped its own opening activity to Nigeria after that barely trump winless Canada. In their past pair of games, we've observed the Opals our experts counted on, as they trump outdoed France to advance to the knockout phase as well as led Serbia through as several as 28 in an askew quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for 3. LeBron permits. U.S.A. Network and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can anyone stop Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anyone is actually going to include all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's post players place second (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per activity and possess the wheelchair to speak up for Stewart and also Wilson on the border. Magbegor is specifically experienced against both challengers, having actually encountered Stewart virtual for 3 years as Hurricane teammates and paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest barrier for Magbegor and Johnson is nasty difficulty. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls against Canada, and Johnson had pair of in the initial fourth versus France, restricting their moments. Backup George is a hard, knowledgeable player (she racked up 18 aspects in 24 moments against Serbia) but nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises an authentic problem. Yet offered the encounter Stewart and Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is opting for her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and also Smith are actually seeming in their first Video games-- I 'd expect the Crew USA very duo to make the winning plays needed in such a high-pressure situation to breakthrough to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would certainly be a harder opponent for Staff USA?Pelton: I am actually selecting Belgium, which offered the U.S. ladies their most difficult Olympic exam however. The Americans dominated by 13 factors, although the scope was merely 7 going into the 4th quarter of a team stage game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo particularly straining coming from midtown while skipping 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring 13 factors along with 7 helps (albeit with 9 turn overs) as Belgium navigated previous Spain, the merely various other crew besides the USA that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the host country with the group on its edge and lots of satisfaction on the line, a tough defensive team in France would not be actually a pushover, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can blow up like she carried out against Germany along with 24 aspects off the seat as well as with Gabby Williams leading the way on each ends.Has Staff United States played its own absolute best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, especially on offense, may still be a problem. There are opportunities when the shortage of playing opportunity with each other or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still noticeable. After all, there is actually a reason Sue Bird lately said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Basketball is actually one of the most uncomfortable baseball she has ever played. After a bit of a slow begin, the united state at some point led through 30 in the third fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have actually loved how her crew made it possible for the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game just before the last buzzer. Through four games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point firing have not definitely been actually solved, which may be a problem if opponents get hot from deep.Team United States can't forget any one of the staying crews in the field, however along with a protective identity and offensive adeptness led through Stewart and Wilson, it has actually shown it may put activities away when it needs to have to, one thing that ought to move over in to the ultimate 2 games.Pelton: On the flip side, I believe the firing is actually also main reason to feel there's yet another gear for the USA females. Collectively, the 12 players on the lineup have combined to shoot 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this time. That won't get a "Splash Sis" label at any time very soon, however it's likewise much better than Crew U.S.A. has managed coming from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are outstanding to warm up from lengthy selection. Keep an eye out if they eventually perform.