.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's college basketball and also the WNBA.Earlier dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore indigenous with more encounter at the Dallas Early Morning Updates, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Program set.Formerly a consultant with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP score as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide competitors will reunite on Friday, as the United States ladies's basketball group goes up against the Australian Opals along with a place in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal match on the line.Team United States, which is riding a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic wins, developed to the semifinals with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing an upset loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung all together 3 straight victories, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. females have actually been the gold specification for baseball across the world, gaining 7 consecutive Olympic gold medals as well as nine total, Australia has actually been a famous giant along with them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of the past 7 Summer Video games, take away three silvers as well as 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris marks the first time they have actually improved past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 London Video games.2012 likewise was actually the final time the legendary Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the green and also gold-- until now. While Crew USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Gamings and also first in 12 years. Jackson has actually constantly medaled in the competitors, and though she has actually found limited activity until now in France, she has a chance to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 energetic WNBA gamers-- has plenty of momentum, yet the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity versus the USA senior national crew, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the five Gamings in which they medaled, Australia dropped to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold medal contest. The squads final fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break some of journalism inquiries heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit histories Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Crew USA's 14-point get Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team USA changed up its beginning five versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the move correct its problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young in place of Taurasi-- who possessed final go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the right relocation. With 15 factors versus Nigeria, Youthful looks taking a part as Team USA's 3rd marker behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Young is the just various other USA gamer balancing double designs at 10.3 points every activity.) Young, among 3 Sin city Aces gamers in the beginning 5, showed off her 3-point capturing previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her capability to obtain downhill as well as reach coming from midrange that attracted attention, together with her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the second quarter for the USA to truly place its own foot on the gas versus Nigeria, but Youthful's aggression and also power on both ends ought to remain to pay dividends. And also Taurasi appeared to carry out properly off the seat, where she boosted as a company with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd like to see starting point player Chelsea Gray be actually a danger to rating. She skipped all three of her chance attempts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 up until now during the course of the Olympics. Amazingly, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by just 2 aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all four other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or much better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our final roundtable, the U.S. ladies can conquer one non-scorer in the beginning 5 as long as she is taking another thing to the table. And Gray is actually with her playmaking, having actually now completed 22 aids versus only 3 turnovers. So, I do not presume trainer Cheryl Reeve requires to create more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat concerns perform the Australians pose, as well as what can create all of them a tough matchup?Top tales of the week from Get unique accessibility to lots of superior posts a year from leading authors. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB student training class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP fight, other awards "u2022 25 most important players in CFP race" Even more ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA fans will certainly be actually effectively knowledgeable about this Opals team, which includes the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and also Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Freedom coach Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not only carry out the Opals possess the talent to compete against Staff U.S.A.. They have momentum and also resolve following their disappointing beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has been pleased with her staff's grace and grit over recent week, two top qualities an opponent needs to have when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced assault boasts five gamers averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can easily injure foes inside along with Magbegor and also Smith but also coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the greatest in the Olympic industry as well as considerably higher than Staff U.S.A.'s paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the crew with eight and seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is actually deeper and much more skilled than any type of staff in the field except for the united state ladies. Our team may debate the very best international player at the Paris Video Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong prospects. However no staff possesses a set of players like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, both of whom would possess gotten on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not named to the group this time despite identical manufacturing.) And also no staff outside the USA has nearly as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given the only thing that talent, it was actually shocking when Australia lost its own opening game to Nigeria after that scarcely defeat winless Canada. In their previous two activities, our company have actually found the Opals we expected, as they defeat surpassed France to advance to the knockout phase and led Serbia by as a lot of as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for three. LeBron authorizes. United States System and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anybody cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if any individual is actually heading to have all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and Johnson. Australia's blog post gamers place second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every video game and have the movement to speak up for Stewart and also Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is especially experienced versus each challengers, having actually faced Stewart in practice for 3 years as Hurricane colleagues and paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest challenge for Magbegor as well as Johnson is repulsive difficulty. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls against Canada, as well as Johnson had two in the initial fourth versus France, confining their minutes. Backup George is actually a difficult, trained gamer (she scored 18 factors in 24 mins versus Serbia) but no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate issue. But given the take in Stewart as well as Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is actually choosing her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor and also Smith are looking in their very first Video games-- I would certainly expect the Staff United States incredibly duo to produce the winning plays necessary in such a stressful circumstance to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would be actually a harder rival for Group USA?Pelton: I am actually opting for Belgium, which provided the united state women their most difficult Olympic test however. The Americans prevailed by thirteen aspects, although the margin was simply 7 going into the fourth one-fourth of a team stage game played in Lille, France, near the borderline with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo particularly having a hard time from midtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring 13 points with seven aids (albeit along with 9 turnovers) as Belgium navigated past Spain, the merely other crew besides the USA that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation with the group on its side and lots of take pride in on the line, a complicated defensive team in France definitely would not be a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can blow up like she carried out against Germany with 24 points off the bench and along with Gabby Williams leading the way on both ends.Has Staff USA played its own finest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, particularly on offense, may still be a concern. There are actually opportunities when the shortage of participating in time all together or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still evident. It goes without saying, there is actually a reason that Sue Bird just recently said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is the absolute most unpleasant basketball she has actually ever before participated in. After a little bit of a slow start, the U.S. eventually led by 30 in the 3rd fourth versus Nigeria, yet Reeve could not have actually loved just how her crew allowed the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point activity before the final buzzer. With four games, the Americans' absence of 3-point shooting hasn't definitely been actually solved, which can be a problem if rivals fume coming from deep.Team USA can not neglect some of the remaining teams in the business, but with a protective identification and also aggressive prowess led by Stewart as well as Wilson, it has shown it can put activities away when it needs to, one thing that must transmit over right into the ultimate 2 games.Pelton: On the other hand, I assume the shooting is actually additionally cause to think there's an additional gear for the U.S. girls. Together, the 12 gamers on the lineup have incorporated to fire 33% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this season. That won't get a "Splash Siblings" nickname at any time very soon, however it is actually additionally much better than Team USA has managed from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to warm coming from lengthy array. Keep an eye out if they finally carry out.