.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's university basketball and the WNBA.Recently covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore indigenous along with additional experience at the Dallas Morning Updates, Seattle Times and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Article Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus collection.Previously an expert along with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP rating and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international competitors will definitely meet again on Friday, as the USA females's basketball crew goes up against the Australian Opals along with a location in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal match on the line.Team USA, which is using a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic victories, advanced to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung together three upright triumphes, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. women have actually been the gold specification for baseball around the world, succeeding 7 successive Olympic gold medals and also 9 overall, Australia has been actually a famous giant together with all of them. The Opals have medaled in five of the past 7 Summertimes Gamings, taking home 3 silvers as well as two bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris denotes the very first time they've improved past the quarterfinals because the 2012 London Gamings.2012 additionally was actually the final opportunity the legendary Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly and gold-- until now. While Crew USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Games as well as initially in 12 years. Jackson has actually always medaled in the competition, and also though she has viewed limited activity so far in France, she possesses a chance to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts 6 energetic WNBA gamers-- has lots of drive, however the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the USA senior nationwide group, including 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the 5 Video games through which they medaled, Australia dropped to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold medal contest. The squads final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton malfunction several of the pressing concerns moving into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart debts Jackie Young for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart speaks along with Brian Windhorst after Staff U.S.A.'s 14-point sway Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team United States switched up its own starting 5 versus Nigeria, with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the step fix its issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful instead of Taurasi-- who possessed final come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal action. Along with 15 factors versus Nigeria, Young seems taking a function as Staff USA's third marker responsible for A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Indeed, Youthful is the merely various other USA gamer balancing dual figures at 10.3 factors per activity.) Young, among three Las Vegas Aces players in the beginning 5, showed off her 3-point shooting previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her ability to obtain downhill as well as strike coming from midrange that stuck out, in addition to her trademark self defense in the backcourt. It took until the center of the 2nd quarter for the united state to definitely place its own feet on the gasoline versus Nigeria, however Young's aggressiveness as well as electricity on each ends need to continue to return. As well as Taurasi appeared to accomplish effectively off the bench, where she boosted as a company along with four assists.Pelton: I will love to find beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to score. She missed out on all three of her shot attempts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 so far during the Olympics. Remarkably, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by simply 2 factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our last roundtable, the united state girls can easily get rid of one non-scorer in the starting 5 so long as she is delivering another thing to the desk. And Gray is with her playmaking, having now totaled 22 helps against simply three turn overs. Thus, I don't think instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to make additional changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat issues carry out the Australians posture, as well as what could possibly make them a tough matchup?Top stories of the week coming from Obtain special access to thousands of superior posts a year coming from leading authors. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB student lesson "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP fight, various other honors "u2022 25 most important players in CFP race" Additional ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA fans will be well knowledgeable about this Opals squad, which features the Seattle Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Freedom instructor Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not merely perform the Opals possess the talent to complete versus Team United States. They have drive as well as fix following their unsatisfactory start to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually satisfied with her crew's poise and also guts over recent full week, pair of qualities a rival requires when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced assault includes 5 players averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can easily injure foes inside with Magbegor and Johnson however also coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the very best in the Olympic industry and also considerably more than Team United States's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the crew along with eight and also seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is actually much deeper as well as more gifted than any type of team in the business except for the united state girls. Our experts can discuss the greatest global gamer at the Paris Video Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy candidates. However no crew has a set of gamers just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Smith, each of whom would have performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not called to the crew this season regardless of comparable production.) And no team outside the USA possesses almost as a lot WNBA adventure throughout its own roster.Given the only thing that talent, it was actually surprising when Australia shed its own opening game to Nigeria after that barely defeat winless Canada. In their past two video games, our experts've seen the Opals we counted on, as they defeat bested France to develop to the knockout stage and also led Serbia through as a lot of as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron authorizes. USA Network and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily any individual quit Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anybody is actually going to include all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's article players place second (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game and also possess the flexibility to speak up for Stewart and Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is actually especially experienced versus each rivals, having dealt with Stewart virtual for 3 years as Tornado teammates as well as paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest barrier for Magbegor and Johnson is filthy issue. Magbegor grabbed 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, as well as Smith possessed two in the very first one-fourth versus France, limiting their moments. Data backup George is a tough, proficient gamer (she racked up 18 factors in 24 minutes against Serbia) but nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate issue. However given the experience Stewart and Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is going for her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her second, while Magbegor and also Smith are appearing in their 1st Video games-- I 'd expect the Team U.S.A. extremely duo to help make the winning plays required in such a stressful condition to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium would be a tougher enemy for Staff USA?Pelton: I am actually opting for Belgium, which gave the U.S. women their most difficult Olympic examination however. The Americans prevailed through 13 factors, although the frame was actually merely 7 going into the fourth one-fourth of a group phase video game played in Lille, France, near the border with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, with Julie Vanloo especially straining coming from midtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up 13 factors with 7 helps (albeit with 9 turn overs) as Belgium travelled previous Spain, the merely other team besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the multitude nation along with the crowd on its own side and plenty of honor vulnerable, a difficult protective staff in France wouldn't be a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes can blow up like she did versus Germany with 24 points off the bench and with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Crew U.S.A. played its absolute best baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, especially on offense, may still be actually a concern. There are actually times when the lack of playing time with each other or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still apparent. Besides, there's a reason that Sue Bird just recently stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Baseball is one of the most awkward basketball she has ever participated in. After a little a sluggish beginning, the USA eventually led through 30 in the third one-fourth against Nigeria, but Reeve could not have actually enjoyed exactly how her staff enabled the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point activity prior to the last buzzer. Through four games, the Americans' lack of 3-point firing have not really been actually fixed, which may be a problem if challengers fume from deep.Team USA can't ignore any one of the staying groups in the field, but along with a defensive identity and offensive prowess led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has presented it can easily put games away when it needs to, something that ought to move over into the final two games.Pelton: On the other hand, I think the capturing is additionally reason to feel there's an additional gear for the U.S. females. Jointly, the 12 gamers on the roster have incorporated to shoot 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this season. That won't make a "Sprinkle Siblings" nickname whenever very soon, yet it is actually likewise better than Crew United States has actually handled coming from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to warm coming from long variety. Watch out if they lastly do.