.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's university baseball and the WNBA.Formerly dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad as well as Baltimore native with further take in at the Dallas Morning News, Seat Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus collection.In the past a specialist with the Indiana Pacers.Established WARP score and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide competitors will reunite on Friday, as the United States girls's baseball crew confronts the Australian Opals with a location in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal suit on the line.Team U.S.A., which is actually using a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic victories, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung together three upright victories, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. girls have actually been actually the gold requirement for basketball across the world, gaining seven consecutive Olympic gold medals as well as nine general, Australia has actually been actually a historic goliath alongside all of them. The Opals have medaled in five of recent seven Summer seasons Video games, take away three silvers and also two bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris marks the very first time they've improved past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 London Gamings.2012 additionally was actually the last opportunity the famous Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the environment-friendly and also gold-- until now. While Group USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, appearing in her 5th Gamings as well as initially in 12 years. Jackson has constantly medaled in the competition, and though she has actually viewed limited action up until now in France, she has an opportunity to carry on that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 energetic WNBA players-- has lots of energy, however the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the united state elderly national crew, including 0-8 in Olympic competitors. In the course of the five Video games through which they medaled, Australia shed to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold medal contest. The teams last met in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton malfunction some of the pressing inquiries heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Young for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Crew U.S.A.'s 14-point win over Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team United States shifted up its own beginning five against Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the step repair its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful in place of Taurasi-- that had final go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the best move. Along with 15 points against Nigeria, Youthful looks carving out a task as Crew United States's third marker responsible for A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Young is the just various other U.S. player averaging double figures at 10.3 points every video game.) Youthful, one of three Las Vegas Aces gamers in the starting five, flaunted her 3-point firing earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deeper on Wednesday, it was her ability to obtain downhill and attack from midrange that attracted attention, in addition to her trademark protection in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the second one-fourth for the united state to truly place its own feet on the fuel against Nigeria, however Youthful's hostility and energy on both ends ought to continue to pay dividends. And Taurasi seemed to be to do properly off the bench, where she improved as a company along with four assists.Pelton: I will adore to view starting point player Chelsea Gray be actually a risk to score. She missed out on all 3 of her go attempts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 so far during the course of the Olympics. Remarkably, the united state outscored Nigeria by merely pair of points in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or even better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our last roundtable, the U.S. ladies can easily eliminate one non-scorer in the starting 5 as long as she is carrying another thing to the desk. As well as Gray is actually with her playmaking, having actually now totted 22 supports against only three turnovers. So, I do not assume train Cheryl Reeve needs to have to make further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat issues do the Australians posture, and what could possibly make them a difficult matchup?Top stories of the week coming from Get special accessibility to lots of premium articles a year from leading article writers. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore lesson "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP fight, various other awards "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP ethnicity" More ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts are going to be well acquainted with this Opals squad, which features the Seat Storm'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 trainer Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not only do the Opals have the skill to compete versus Group United States. They have momentum and resolve observing their disappointing beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has been felt free to with her crew's grace as well as grit over the past week, pair of premiums an opponent needs to have when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced assault includes five gamers balancing a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can easily harm opponents inside with Magbegor and Smith yet additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the best in the Olympic industry and a lot greater than Staff USA's puny 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the team along with 8 and also 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is deeper and more accomplished than any kind of staff in the business except for the U.S. ladies. Our company can discuss the greatest global gamer at the Paris Video Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong prospects. However no group has a set of players just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, both of whom would have performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not called to the crew this season regardless of comparable creation.) And also no crew outside the U.S. has virtually as a lot WNBA experience throughout its own roster.Given the only thing that ability, it was stunning when Australia shed its opening activity to Nigeria at that point rarely trump winless Canada. In their past two video games, we have actually found the Opals our company anticipated, as they defeat exceeded France to develop to the knockout stage as well as led Serbia by as several as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for 3. LeBron approves. USA Network as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can anybody cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if any individual is visiting have all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson. Australia's message players rate second (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game as well as have the wheelchair to speak up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually specifically experienced against both opponents, having actually experienced Stewart virtual for 3 years as Hurricane colleagues and also paired up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest difficulty for Magbegor as well as Johnson is actually foul issue. Magbegor got three first-half fouls versus Canada, and Smith possessed 2 in the initial quarter versus France, confining their moments. Data backup George is a difficult, skillful gamer (she racked up 18 points in 24 minutes against Serbia) yet nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate worry. However provided the experience Stewart as well as Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is choosing her third Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor and also Johnson are looking in their first Gamings-- I will anticipate the Crew USA tremendously duo to create the winning participates in essential in such a high-pressure scenario to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium will be actually a harder challenger for Staff USA?Pelton: I am actually picking Belgium, which gave the U.S. women their hardest Olympic examination however. The Americans prevailed by 13 factors, although the margin was actually just 7 entering into the fourth quarter of a team stage video game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo especially straining from midtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up thirteen factors along with seven assists (albeit along with 9 turnovers) as Belgium navigated previous Spain, the merely other crew besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the multitude country with the crowd on its own side and also a lot of take pride in on the line, a complicated protective group in France definitely would not be a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes can easily blow up like she performed versus Germany with 24 factors off the seat as well as along with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on each ends.Has Crew United States played its greatest basketball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, particularly on offense, can easily still be a concern. There are times when the shortage of playing opportunity with each other or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still obvious. Besides, there is actually a main reason why Sue Bird recently pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Basketball is one of the most unpleasant baseball she has actually ever played. After a little a sluggish beginning, the united state ultimately led by 30 in the 3rd quarter against Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have actually enjoyed just how her staff made it possible for the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point activity prior to the final buzzer. With 4 games, the Americans' lack of 3-point shooting hasn't really been solved, which may be an issue if rivals fume from deep.Team USA can not neglect some of the remaining teams in the field, yet with a defensive identification and also offensive adeptness led through Stewart as well as Wilson, it has revealed it can place activities away when it needs to have to, something that ought to transfer over right into the ultimate two games.Pelton: On the flip side, I believe the shooting is actually additionally reason to strongly believe there's another gear for the U.S. girls. Jointly, the 12 players on the roster have actually integrated to shoot thirty three% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this period. That won't earn a "Splash Siblings" label any time very soon, however it is actually likewise better than Team United States has actually taken care of coming from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to heat up coming from lengthy range. Look out if they finally perform.