.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's university basketball and the WNBA.Previously covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore native along with further experience at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seat Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Author Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus set.In the past an expert along with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP score as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global competitors will meet again on Friday, as the USA ladies's basketball team confronts the Australian Opals with a spot in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award match on the line.Team USA, which is actually riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic wins, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to an upset reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung together three straight success, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state ladies have actually been actually the gold requirement for basketball all over the globe, winning 7 successive Olympic gold medals and also nine overall, Australia has been actually a historic giant along with them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of recent seven Summers months Video games, taking home three silvers as well as two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris marks the first time they have actually improved past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 Greater london Gamings.2012 likewise was the last opportunity the epic Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic stage for the green and gold-- until now. While Staff United States possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her 5th Gamings as well as initially in 12 years. Jackson has always medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has viewed minimal action until now in France, she has a chance to proceed that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six energetic WNBA gamers-- has a lot of drive, but the Opals are actually 0-20 all time against the U.S. senior national group, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. Throughout the five Video games through which they medaled, Australia lost to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold award contest. The squads last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton malfunction a number of journalism concerns heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit histories Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart speaks along with Brian Windhorst after Crew U.S.A.'s 14-point gain Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched over up its beginning 5 versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Performed the relocation correct its issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young in place of Taurasi-- that possessed last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the correct technique. With 15 points against Nigeria, Youthful seems carving out a function as Staff USA's third scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Indeed, Youthful is actually the only other USA gamer balancing double designs at 10.3 points per video game.) Youthful, some of three Sin city Aces players in the beginning five, exhibited her 3-point firing earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless coming from deep on Wednesday, it was her potential to get downhill as well as attack from midrange that stood apart, in addition to her trademark protection in the backcourt. It took until the center of the 2nd fourth for the U.S. to definitely place its feet on the fuel versus Nigeria, yet Young's aggression and power on both ends should continue to return. And Taurasi appeared to accomplish well off the bench, where she boosted as a company with 4 assists.Pelton: I would certainly enjoy to observe starting point player Chelsea Gray be actually a danger to rating. She missed all 3 of her try tries in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 so far in the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by simply two aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all four other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or much better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the USA ladies can get rid of one non-scorer in the starting five such a long time as she is carrying another thing to the table. And Gray is actually along with her playmaking, having actually right now totted 22 helps against only three turn overs. Thus, I do not presume train Cheryl Reeve needs to make additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat problems carry out the Australians pose, and also what could make them a challenging matchup?Top tales of the full week from Obtain exclusive accessibility to hundreds of fee articles a year coming from top writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore lesson "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP struggle, other honors "u2022 25 most important players in CFP nationality" More ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA followers will be actually well acquainted with this Opals team, which features the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Liberty train Sandy Brondello responsible. Not merely do the Opals possess the ability to complete versus Staff United States. They have energy as well as willpower following their unsatisfying beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually satisfied along with her team's poise and grit over the past full week, two qualities an enemy needs when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack flaunts 5 players balancing at the very least 8.0 PPG, may hurt opponents inside along with Magbegor and Smith however likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the very best in the Olympic industry and also a lot greater than Crew USA's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff with 8 as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is much deeper and much more proficient than any type of staff in the business save for the U.S. females. Our team can easily discuss the very best international gamer at the Paris Gamings, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful applicants. But no staff has a set of players as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Johnson, each of whom would certainly have performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not called to the crew this season even with identical creation.) And also no crew outside the U.S. possesses virtually as much WNBA experience throughout its own roster.Given all that talent, it was surprising when Australia dropped its opening activity to Nigeria after that rarely beat winless Canada. In their past two video games, our experts have actually observed the Opals our company counted on, as they defeat outdoed France to advance to the knockout phase and led Serbia through as many as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for 3. LeBron permits. USA System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anyone stop Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anyone is going to include them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's blog post gamers position second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per video game as well as have the range of motion to speak up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is specifically experienced against each opponents, having faced Stewart in practice for three years as Storm teammates as well as matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest hurdle for Magbegor as well as Smith is actually filthy issue. Magbegor got three first-half fouls versus Canada, and Johnson had two in the first one-fourth versus France, confining their moments. Back-up George is a hard, proficient player (she scored 18 aspects in 24 moments versus Serbia) however nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up an authentic issue. But given the encounter Stewart as well as Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is going for her third Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Smith are actually looking in their initial Games-- I 'd expect the Crew United States super duo to make the winning plays necessary in such a high-pressure scenario to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium will be a tougher opponent for Team USA?Pelton: I am actually opting for Belgium, which provided the U.S. ladies their toughest Olympic exam however. The Americans dominated by thirteen factors, although the scope was actually simply 7 getting into the fourth quarter of a team stage activity played in Lille, France, near the edge with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, along with Julie Vanloo specifically having a hard time coming from downtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up thirteen aspects along with 7 supports (albeit along with 9 turnovers) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the simply other crew besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the host nation with the crowd on its own edge as well as plenty of honor vulnerable, a challenging defensive group in France would not be a pushover, either, specifically if Marine Johannes may blow up like she did against Germany with 24 points off the seat and also along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Staff USA played its own ideal baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, particularly on outburst, can easily still be a concern. There are times when the lack of participating in opportunity together or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still noticeable. After all, there's a main reason why Sue Bird lately said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Baseball is the most unpleasant baseball she has ever played. After a bit of a sluggish begin, the U.S. at some point led through 30 in the third fourth against Nigeria, yet Reeve couldn't have actually adored how her crew enabled the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point activity before the last buzzer. Through 4 activities, the Americans' absence of 3-point shooting have not actually been remedied, which may be a problem if challengers get hot coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can't neglect any of the staying groups in the business, however along with a protective identity and also offensive prowess led through Stewart as well as Wilson, it has revealed it can put activities away when it needs to, one thing that needs to move over right into the ultimate 2 games.Pelton: On the flip side, I think the firing is actually also main reason to think there is actually yet another equipment for the U.S. females. Together, the 12 players on the lineup have actually combined to shoot 33% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this season. That won't make a "Burst Sisters" label whenever soon, but it's also much better than Team United States has handled coming from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are overdue to heat up from long range. Look out if they lastly do.