.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's college basketball and the WNBA.Previously covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore indigenous with further take in at the Dallas Morning Headlines, Seat Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Prospectus set.Formerly a professional with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP rating as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide opponents are going to meet again on Friday, as the United States girls's basketball team goes up against the Australian Opals along with a place in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold award match on the line.Team U.S.A., which is riding a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic wins, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with an upset reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung together 3 straight triumphes, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state girls have been actually the gold requirement for basketball across the world, gaining 7 successive Olympic gold awards and nine overall, Australia has been actually a historical powerhouse along with all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past seven Summers months Games, taking home 3 silvers and pair of bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the very first time they've developed past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 London Gamings.2012 additionally was actually the final opportunity the legendary Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic stage for the eco-friendly and also gold-- until now. While Staff U.S.A. has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Games as well as to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has always medaled in the competitors, and also though she has found minimal action so far in France, she has an odds to carry on that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 active WNBA gamers-- possesses loads of drive, however the Opals are 0-20 all time against the united state elderly national team, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. Throughout the 5 Games in which they medaled, Australia shed to the U.S. either in the semifinals or even the gold award contest. The squads last complied with in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break some of the pressing questions heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Crew United States's 14-point gain Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team USA switched up its beginning five versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the step correct its issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young in place of Taurasi-- who possessed last go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the correct action. Along with 15 factors against Nigeria, Young appears to be carving out a role as Team United States's 3rd marker responsible for A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Youthful is the just other united state player balancing dual figures at 10.3 factors per video game.) Youthful, among 3 Sin city Aces gamers in the beginning five, exhibited her 3-point shooting earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her ability to acquire downhill as well as strike from midrange that stood apart, along with her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took till the middle of the 2nd quarter for the U.S. to actually place its own feet on the gasoline against Nigeria, however Young's aggression as well as electricity on each ends should remain to return. And also Taurasi seemed to be to do effectively off the seat, where she stepped up as a company with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd enjoy to find beginning point player Chelsea Gray be actually a risk to rating. She missed out on all 3 of her go attempts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 so far during the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the USA outscored Nigeria by just 2 points in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even much better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our final roundtable, the united state girls can easily conquer one non-scorer in the beginning five so long as she is carrying something else to the table. And Gray is with her playmaking, having right now amounted to 22 aids against only 3 turn overs. Therefore, I don't think trainer Cheryl Reeve needs to have to make additional changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat complications carry out the Australians position, as well as what can make all of them a hard matchup?Top tales of the week from Receive special accessibility to countless superior short articles a year from top article writers. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore training class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP war, other honors "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP ethnicity" Even more ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA fans will definitely be properly knowledgeable about this Opals squad, which features the Seattle Tornado's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Freedom trainer Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not only do the Opals possess the skill to complete against Crew United States. They possess drive and fix observing their unsatisfactory begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been pleased with her staff's grace as well as grit over recent week, 2 top qualities a rival requires when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike boasts 5 players balancing a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can harm adversaries inside with Magbegor and Smith but also coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the best in the Olympic area and a lot higher than Crew USA's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the team with 8 and seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is deeper as well as a lot more proficient than any sort of crew in the field save for the U.S. ladies. We can easily dispute the best global player at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy prospects. Yet no team possesses a set of gamers like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, each of whom will possess gotten on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not named to the staff this season in spite of comparable creation.) And also no crew outside the USA possesses almost as a lot WNBA adventure throughout its roster.Given all that ability, it was actually astonishing when Australia shed its opening video game to Nigeria at that point scarcely trump winless Canada. In their previous 2 games, we've found the Opals our company anticipated, as they beat exceeded France to advance to the knockout phase and also led Serbia through as several as 28 in an askew quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for 3. LeBron authorizes. USA System and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anyone cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if any person is actually going to include all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's article players place second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every video game as well as possess the flexibility to speak up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually specifically experienced versus both rivals, having actually encountered Stewart virtual for three years as Tornado colleagues and also paired up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest hurdle for Magbegor as well as Smith is repulsive trouble. Magbegor picked up 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, as well as Smith had two in the very first one-fourth versus France, confining their minutes. Data backup George is actually a tough, proficient player (she racked up 18 points in 24 mins versus Serbia) but nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate problem. Yet provided the encounter Stewart and also Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is actually going for her third Olympic gold as well as Wilson her second, while Magbegor as well as Smith are seeming in their first Video games-- I 'd count on the Group United States super duo to help make the winning plays essential in such a stressful scenario to breakthrough to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium will be a tougher rival for Group USA?Pelton: I'm choosing Belgium, which provided the USA ladies their hardest Olympic test but. The Americans prevailed through thirteen aspects, although the frame was just 7 entering the fourth one-fourth of a team phase game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo especially struggling 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 assists (albeit with 9 turn overs) as Belgium travelled past Spain, the just other group besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the host country along with the crowd on its edge and also lots of satisfaction vulnerable, a difficult defensive crew in France would not be a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes can easily go off like she carried out versus Germany with 24 factors off the seat as well as along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Staff USA played its own finest basketball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, specifically on offense, may still be a concern. There are opportunities when the shortage of playing time together or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still noticeable. After all, there is actually a main reason why Sue Bird recently claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Basketball is the absolute most awkward basketball she has actually ever before participated in. After a little a slow-moving begin, the USA eventually led by 30 in the 3rd one-fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have actually adored exactly how her group enabled the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point activity just before the last buzzer. With 4 video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point capturing hasn't really been actually solved, which might be a problem if challengers fume from deep.Team USA can not overlook any of the remaining teams in the business, yet along with a defensive identity as well as aggressive expertise led through Stewart and Wilson, it has presented it can easily put games away when it needs to have to, one thing that must transfer over in to the ultimate two games.Pelton: On the other hand, I think the firing is actually additionally factor to believe there's yet another equipment for the united state females. Collectively, the 12 players on the lineup have mixed to fire 33% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this period. That will not gain a "Sprinkle Sis" nickname at any time soon, yet it's additionally better than Crew U.S.A. has taken care of 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 from lengthy variety. Keep an eye out if they lastly carry out.