.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's university basketball as well as the WNBA.Earlier dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Early Morning Updates, Seattle Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Prospectus collection.Previously a professional along with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide competitors will certainly meet again on Friday, as the United States girls's basketball staff confronts the Australian Opals along with a place in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal match on the line.Team U.S.A., which is actually riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic success, advanced to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a distressed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together 3 upright victories, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA ladies have been the gold criterion for basketball around the globe, gaining seven consecutive Olympic gold awards and also nine total, Australia has actually been actually a historical giant together with them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past 7 Summer seasons Games, taking home 3 silvers and also two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris marks the first time they have actually improved past the quarterfinals due to the fact that the 2012 London Games.2012 additionally was the final time the famous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic stage for the eco-friendly as well as gold-- until now. While Team United States possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, appearing in her 5th Video games and also to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has actually regularly medaled in the competition, and though she has actually viewed minimal activity up until now in France, she has a chance to carry on that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six active WNBA players-- possesses lots of energy, however the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity against the USA senior nationwide crew, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the five Games through which they medaled, Australia lost to the U.S. either in the semifinals or even the gold award competition. The teams last satisfied in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton malfunction some of the pressing questions heading right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart chats with Brian Windhorst after Team United States's 14-point sway Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team USA switched over up its own beginning five versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the technique repair its problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young instead of Taurasi-- that had last come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the right relocation. Along with 15 points versus Nigeria, Young appears to be taking a role as Team U.S.A.'s 3rd marker behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Young is actually the just other U.S. player balancing double designs at 10.3 factors every game.) Youthful, one of 3 Las Vegas Aces players in the starting five, showed off her 3-point capturing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless coming from deeper on Wednesday, it was her capacity to get downhill as well as reach from midrange that attracted attention, alongside her trademark self defense in the backcourt. It took till the center of the second fourth for the united state to really place its feet on the gas versus Nigeria, however Youthful's aggression and also energy on both ends ought to continue to return. And also Taurasi seemed to be to do well off the bench, where she boosted as a company along with 4 assists.Pelton: I will enjoy to find starting point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a risk to credit rating. She missed out on all 3 of her try attempts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 until now throughout the Olympics. Amazingly, the USA outscored Nigeria through merely 2 factors 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 discussed in our final roundtable, the USA females can easily overcome one non-scorer in the starting 5 as long as she is actually bringing something else to the table. And Gray is along with her playmaking, having right now totaled 22 assists versus simply three turnovers. Thus, I do not think train Cheryl Reeve requires to make additional changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat issues perform the Australians posture, and what could possibly create all of them a difficult matchup?Top accounts of the full week coming from Obtain unique access to lots of premium articles a year from leading writers. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB sophomore training class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP fight, other honors "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP nationality" More ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA supporters are going to be actually well familiar with this Opals team, which features the Seattle Storm'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 High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New York Right instructor Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not simply carry out the Opals possess the ability to contend against Crew USA. They have drive and willpower following their unsatisfactory begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been pleased along with her crew's grace and guts over recent week, two qualities an opponent needs to have when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike flaunts 5 players balancing at the very least 8.0 PPG, can easily harm enemies inside along with Magbegor and also Johnson yet additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the greatest in the Olympic field as well as a lot more than Staff United States's paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the group along with eight and 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is actually much deeper and much more gifted than any sort of staff in the business except for the USA girls. Our company can easily discuss the most effective worldwide player at the Paris Video Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough candidates. However no group possesses a set of gamers as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, both of whom would have gotten on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not named to the group this season regardless of comparable manufacturing.) And also no crew outside the U.S. possesses nearly as much WNBA expertise throughout its roster.Given all that ability, it was actually astonishing when Australia shed its opening video game to Nigeria at that point barely beat winless Canada. In their past pair of games, our team have actually observed the Opals our team anticipated, as they defeat exceeded France to advance to the knockout phase and also led Serbia by as numerous as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron authorizes. United States Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can any person stop Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if any person is going to include them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and Johnson. Australia's message players rank second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per video game as well as have the flexibility to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced versus each enemies, having actually encountered Stewart in practice for three years as Storm teammates as well as paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest hurdle for Magbegor and Smith is actually filthy issue. Magbegor grabbed 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and Smith had two in the first one-fourth versus France, limiting their mins. Back-up George is actually a challenging, skilled player (she racked up 18 points in 24 moments against Serbia) yet no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up an authentic issue. Yet provided the encounter Stewart as well as Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is actually opting for her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Johnson are appearing in their 1st Games-- I will expect the Staff USA super duo to create the winning plays necessary in such a stressful condition to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium will be actually a harder rival for Staff USA?Pelton: I'm opting for Belgium, which gave the USA females their hardest Olympic examination however. The Americans dominated through thirteen factors, although the margin was just 7 going into the 4th quarter of a group stage video game played in Lille, France, near the edge along with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo particularly battling from downtown while missing 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring 13 aspects along with 7 supports (albeit along with nine turnovers) as Belgium travelled past Spain, the just various other crew besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the multitude country with the crowd on its side and a lot of pleasure vulnerable, a difficult defensive crew in France definitely would not be actually a pushover, either, particularly if Marine Johannes can go off like she performed versus Germany with 24 aspects off the seat and with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on each ends.Has Group United States played its own best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, particularly on offense, can still be actually a concern. There are times when the lack of playing time with each other or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still apparent. It goes without saying, there is actually a reason Sue Bird lately pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is the absolute most awkward baseball she has ever participated in. After a little bit of a slow beginning, the USA inevitably led by 30 in the third one-fourth against Nigeria, yet Reeve couldn't have actually liked just how her group made it possible for the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game before the final buzzer. Through 4 games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point firing hasn't really been actually fixed, which could be an issue if rivals fume from deep.Team USA can not neglect some of the remaining staffs in the business, yet with a defensive identity and also aggressive prowess led through Stewart as well as Wilson, it has presented it can place video games away when it needs to have to, one thing that must move over right into the ultimate two games.Pelton: On the other hand, I think the firing is additionally reason to think there's one more gear for the united state women. Collectively, the 12 players on the roster have actually combined to fire 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this time. That will not gain a "Splash Siblings" label whenever soon, however it's additionally much better than Staff U.S.A. has dealt with from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are past due to warm coming from lengthy range. Keep an eye out if they finally carry out.