.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's university basketball and the WNBA.Recently covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and also Baltimore indigenous along with further experience at the Dallas Early Morning Headlines, Seattle Times and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus series.Previously a professional with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP ranking and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international opponents will reunite on Friday, as the United States ladies's baseball group confronts the Australian Opals with an area in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold medal suit on the line.Team USA, which is using a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic success, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing an upset reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung all together three straight victories, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state females have actually been actually the gold requirement for baseball across the planet, gaining seven consecutive Olympic gold awards and nine total, Australia has been a famous powerhouse alongside all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past 7 Summertimes Video games, taking home three silvers and also two bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris marks the first time they've developed past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 London Video games.2012 additionally was actually the final time the legendary Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic stage for the eco-friendly as well as gold-- until now. While Team United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her 5th Video games and first in 12 years. Jackson has actually regularly medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has actually observed minimal action up until now in France, she possesses an odds to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 active WNBA gamers-- possesses loads of drive, yet the Opals are 0-20 all time against the USA senior nationwide staff, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the five Gamings through which they medaled, Australia lost to the USA either in the semifinals or even the gold medal contest. The teams last satisfied in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break down a few of journalism inquiries heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Crew USA's 14-point sway Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched over up its own beginning 5 against Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the step fix its problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young in place of Taurasi-- that had final come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the right move. With 15 points against Nigeria, Youthful appears to be carving out a duty as Team U.S.A.'s 3rd marker behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Young is actually the only various other U.S. gamer balancing double figures at 10.3 factors every activity.) Youthful, among three Sin city Aces players in the beginning five, showed off her 3-point capturing previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her potential to acquire downhill as well as attack coming from midrange that stood out, together with her trademark self defense in the backcourt. It took till the center of the 2nd quarter for the U.S. to definitely place its own feet on the gasoline against Nigeria, yet Youthful's aggressiveness and electricity on both ends ought to remain to return. And also Taurasi appeared to do effectively off the bench, where she boosted as a company with four assists.Pelton: I would certainly like to see starting point guard Chelsea Gray be a threat to score. She overlooked all 3 of her go efforts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 until now in the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the united state outscored Nigeria through merely pair of points in Gray's 17:27, while all four other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even better while on the court.Still, as I discussed in our final roundtable, the USA females may conquer one non-scorer in the starting five so long as she is actually carrying something else to the table. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having today totted 22 aids against just 3 turnovers. So, I do not think instructor Cheryl Reeve requires to create additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat concerns perform the Australians pose, and also what could possibly make all of them a hard matchup?Top tales of the week coming from Get special access to 1000s of fee short articles a year coming from top writers. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore training class "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP war, other awards "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP race" More ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA fans will certainly be well accustomed to this Opals team, which includes the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and also Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Liberty train Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not merely do the Opals have the talent to compete versus Crew United States. They have drive as well as resolve observing their disappointing begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually pleased with her group's grace as well as grit over recent full week, two premiums an enemy needs when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced attack includes five gamers balancing at least 8.0 PPG, may injure adversaries inside along with Magbegor and Johnson yet additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the very best in the Olympic industry and a lot greater than Team USA's puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the crew along with 8 and seven treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is much deeper and also more proficient than any type of staff in the field save for the united state ladies. Our team can question the best global player at the Paris Video Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong applicants. However no group has a pair of gamers as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Smith, each of whom would certainly have gotten on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not called to the staff this period regardless of comparable creation.) As well as no team outside the U.S. possesses virtually as a lot WNBA knowledge throughout its own roster.Given the only thing that talent, it was astonishing when Australia lost its opening video game to Nigeria at that point hardly beat winless Canada. In their past pair of video games, our team've viewed the Opals our company expected, as they trump bested France to develop to the knockout phase and also led Serbia by as a lot of as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for 3. LeBron accepts. United States System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anybody stop Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if anyone is mosting likely to contain them, it's the duo of Magbegor and Smith. Australia's message gamers place second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game and also possess the mobility to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced against both rivals, having experienced Stewart in practice for 3 years as Storm allies as well as compared with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest difficulty for Magbegor as well as Smith is actually nasty problem. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and also Smith had 2 in the first quarter versus France, limiting their mins. 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 given the take in Stewart and Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is going with her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her second, while Magbegor and also Johnson are actually appearing in their initial Gamings-- I would certainly count on the Team United States incredibly duo to make the winning participates in essential in such a high-pressure scenario to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium will be actually a tougher enemy for Crew USA?Pelton: I am actually picking Belgium, which gave the USA females their hardest Olympic examination but. The Americans prevailed through 13 factors, although the margin was actually only seven getting in the 4th one-fourth of a team phase game played in Lille, France, near the edge along with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, with Julie Vanloo particularly straining coming from midtown while missing 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring thirteen aspects along with seven supports (albeit along with 9 turn overs) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the simply various other group besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the lot nation with the group on its own edge as well as plenty of pride vulnerable, a challenging protective team in France wouldn't be a piece of cake, either, particularly if Marine Johannes may blow up like she carried out versus Germany with 24 factors off the bench as well as along with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on both ends.Has Staff USA played its own finest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, especially on offense, may still be actually an issue. There are actually times when the lack of playing opportunity together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still obvious. Besides, there is actually a reason Sue Bird just recently mentioned on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Basketball is actually the best uncomfortable baseball she has actually ever before played. After a little bit of a slow beginning, the USA inevitably led through 30 in the 3rd one-fourth versus Nigeria, but Reeve could not have really loved just how her staff permitted the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game prior to the ultimate buzzer. Through 4 activities, the Americans' shortage of 3-point firing hasn't truly been treated, which might be an issue if enemies fume coming from deep.Team USA can't neglect any one of the remaining staffs in the field, but along with a protective identity and also offensive expertise led through Stewart and Wilson, it has shown it may place activities away when it requires to, one thing that must transmit over into the final 2 games.Pelton: On the other side, I think the capturing is actually also cause to think there's yet another equipment for the united state females. Collectively, the 12 players on the lineup have actually mixed to fire thirty three% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this time. That won't get a "Burst Siblings" label whenever quickly, yet it's likewise far better than Team U.S.A. has taken care of 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 coming from long variety. Look out if they lastly do.