.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's college basketball and also the WNBA.Earlier dealt with UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore native with further take in at the Dallas Morning News, Seat Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus set.In the past an expert along with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP score as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global competitors are going to meet again on Friday, as the USA females's basketball team faces the Australian Opals along with a spot in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award suit on the line.Team United States, which is using a touch of 59 successive Olympic success, advanced to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together 3 straight success, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA ladies have been the gold specification for baseball throughout the planet, winning seven consecutive Olympic gold medals as well as 9 general, Australia has actually been a historical goliath together with all of them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of recent 7 Summer Gamings, taking home 3 silvers and two bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris marks the very first time they have actually improved past the quarterfinals because the 2012 Greater london Video games.2012 additionally was actually the last opportunity the famous Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic stage for the green and gold-- until now. While Team USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, appearing in her 5th Gamings and initially in 12 years. Jackson has constantly medaled in the competitors, and also though she has actually found minimal action thus far in France, she possesses an odds to carry on that streak this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts six energetic WNBA players-- has plenty of momentum, but the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity against the USA senior nationwide staff, including 0-8 in Olympic competitors. In the course of the 5 Games through which they medaled, Australia lost to the U.S. either in the semifinals or even the gold award contest. The teams last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton malfunction some of journalism questions moving into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit histories Jackie Young for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Crew USA's 14-point gain Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched over up its own starting five versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the action fix its problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful in place of Taurasi-- who had final come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal step. With 15 aspects against Nigeria, Young seems taking a job as Crew United States's 3rd marker behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Young is actually the just other USA gamer balancing double designs at 10.3 aspects every video game.) Young, some of three Las Vegas Aces gamers in the starting five, displayed her 3-point firing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her capacity to receive downhill and attack from midrange that stood out, in addition to her trademark self defense in the backcourt. It took till the center of the second quarter for the united state to truly place its own foot on the fuel versus Nigeria, however Youthful's aggression as well as power on both ends need to remain to return. And Taurasi seemed to perform well off the seat, where she improved as a company along with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd love to observe beginning point player Chelsea Gray be a threat to rating. She overlooked all three of her try tries in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 so far during the Olympics. Amazingly, the U.S. outscored Nigeria through simply 2 aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even much better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our final roundtable, the U.S. ladies can easily beat one non-scorer in the beginning 5 such a long time as she is actually delivering another thing to the desk. And Gray is actually along with her playmaking, having today totted 22 assists versus only three turnovers. Thus, I do not think train Cheryl Reeve needs to create more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat issues perform the Australians position, and also what could possibly make all of them a hard matchup?Top stories of the full week coming from Get unique access to lots of costs posts a year coming from leading article writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB student class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP fight, other awards "u2022 25 essential players in CFP race" Additional ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts are going to be well knowledgeable about this Opals team, which includes the Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and also Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Right coach Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not only do the Opals have the skill to compete versus Team USA. They possess drive and also fix observing their frustrating start to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually felt free to along with her group's grace and also guts over recent week, two high qualities an opponent requires when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack includes 5 players averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can easily injure opponents inside along with Magbegor and Johnson but additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the best in the Olympic area and also much higher than Team U.S.A.'s puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the crew along with 8 as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually much deeper as well as more skilled than any sort of team in the field save for the united state women. Our company can question the greatest international gamer at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong prospects. Yet no crew possesses a set of players like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Smith, both of whom would certainly possess performed my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not called to the team this time even with comparable creation.) As well as no group outside the USA possesses almost as a lot WNBA knowledge throughout its own roster.Given everything talent, it was stunning when Australia dropped its own opening game to Nigeria then barely trump winless Canada. In their previous 2 activities, our team have actually seen the Opals our company counted on, as they trump surpassed France to develop to the knockout stage and led Serbia through as several as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron permits. U.S.A. System as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can any person cease Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if any individual is actually visiting include them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's blog post gamers rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every video game as well as possess the mobility to speak up for Stewart and also Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is actually especially experienced against both rivals, having actually faced Stewart virtual for three years as Hurricane allies and also compared along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest obstacle for Magbegor and also Smith is actually repulsive difficulty. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls against Canada, as well as Johnson possessed 2 in the first quarter versus France, restricting their minutes. Back-up George is a challenging, skillful player (she racked up 18 factors in 24 minutes against Serbia) however nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate worry. However given the experience Stewart as well as Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is going with her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Johnson are actually seeming in their very first Video games-- I 'd anticipate the Crew United States extremely duo to make the winning participates in important in such a high-pressure circumstance to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium would be actually a more durable rival for Crew USA?Pelton: I am actually going with Belgium, which offered the U.S. females their toughest Olympic test but. The Americans dominated through 13 aspects, although the scope was merely 7 entering the fourth one-fourth of a group stage video game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter along with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo specifically having a hard time coming from midtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring 13 points along with seven assists (albeit along with 9 turnovers) as Belgium navigated previous Spain, the merely various other team besides the USA that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the lot country with the crowd on its own side as well as plenty of pride on the line, a difficult defensive group in France wouldn't be actually a pushover, either, particularly if Marine Johannes can easily blow up like she carried out against Germany with 24 aspects off the bench as well as with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on each ends.Has Crew United States played its finest basketball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, particularly on outburst, can easily still be an issue. There are opportunities when the absence of participating in opportunity with each other or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still obvious. Besides, there's a reason Sue Bird recently said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Baseball is actually one of the most uneasy basketball she has actually ever participated in. After a bit of a sluggish begin, the USA at some point led by 30 in the 3rd fourth versus Nigeria, yet Reeve could not have actually adored how her crew made it possible for the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game just before the final buzzer. With four activities, the Americans' shortage of 3-point firing have not truly been actually solved, which can be a concern if challengers get hot from deep.Team U.S.A. can't ignore any one of the continuing to be staffs in the business, however with a defensive identity and also offensive prowess led through Stewart and Wilson, it has actually presented it can easily place games away when it needs to have to, one thing that ought to transmit over right into the ultimate 2 games.Pelton: On the other hand, I assume the firing is likewise cause to strongly believe there is actually yet another equipment for the USA women. Jointly, the 12 players on the lineup have blended to fire 33% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this time. That won't get a "Burst Sis" nickname at any time quickly, but it is actually likewise better than Staff U.S.A. has managed from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are overdue to heat from long variation. Look out if they eventually carry out.