.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's college basketball as well as the WNBA.Formerly covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore indigenous with further take in at the Dallas Early Morning Updates, Seat Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus collection.Formerly a professional along with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP ranking and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide competitors will definitely meet again on Friday, as the United States females's baseball team goes up against the Australian Opals with a spot in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award suit on the line.Team United States, which is riding a streak of 59 successive Olympic wins, developed 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 victories, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. ladies have actually been the gold criterion for basketball around the world, gaining seven consecutive Olympic gold awards as well as nine overall, Australia has been actually a historical giant together with them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of recent 7 Summers months Games, taking home 3 silvers and pair of bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 Greater london Games.2012 also was actually the final time the famous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic stage for the eco-friendly and gold-- until now. While Staff USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Games and also to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has consistently medaled in the competitors, and though she has actually seen restricted action until now in France, she possesses an opportunity to carry on that touch this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts 6 energetic WNBA players-- has lots of energy, yet the Opals are 0-20 all time versus the USA senior nationwide crew, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competitors. In the course of the 5 Video games in which they medaled, Australia lost to the united state either in the semifinals or the gold award competition. The teams final met in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton break down some of journalism questions heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart debts Jackie Young for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Staff USA's 14-point get Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched up its beginning five versus Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the relocation repair its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful instead of Taurasi-- that possessed last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal relocation. With 15 points against Nigeria, Youthful appears to be carving out a role as Crew USA's 3rd scorer behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Young is actually the only various other USA gamer averaging double figures at 10.3 aspects per game.) Youthful, one of three Las Vegas Aces players in the beginning five, showed off her 3-point capturing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her potential to acquire downhill and also hit coming from midrange that stood out, alongside her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took until the center of the second quarter for the united state to definitely place its foot on the fuel versus Nigeria, but Youthful's aggression as well as power on both ends ought to remain to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi appeared to do properly off the seat, where she boosted as a facilitator along with 4 assists.Pelton: I will adore to find beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a risk to rating. She missed all 3 of her go attempts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 up until now during the Olympics. Remarkably, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by just two factors 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 U.S. girls can easily eliminate one non-scorer in the starting 5 so long as she is actually carrying something else to the table. And also Gray is actually with her playmaking, having actually today completed 22 helps versus only three turnovers. So, I do not believe trainer Cheryl Reeve requires to make more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat problems perform the Australians pose, as well as what can make them a difficult matchup?Top stories of the full week from Acquire special accessibility to lots of costs posts a year from best authors. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore course "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP war, other awards "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP race" Additional ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts will certainly be actually well knowledgeable about this Opals squad, which includes the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Liberty instructor Sandy Brondello responsible. Not simply perform the Opals possess the skill to complete against Staff United States. They possess momentum as well as fix following their unsatisfying begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually felt free to along with her crew's grace and grit over the past full week, two high qualities a rival needs to have when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike flaunts five gamers averaging at least 8.0 PPG, may hurt adversaries inside with Magbegor as well as Smith however additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the greatest in the Olympic area and considerably more than Group U.S.A.'s puny 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Sin City Aces, lead the team along with eight and also seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is actually deeper and also extra skilled than any type of staff in the business barring the U.S. females. Our team can discuss the best worldwide player at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy applicants. Yet no group has a set of gamers as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Smith, each of whom would have performed my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not called to the crew this period even with comparable creation.) And also no staff outside the united state possesses almost as much WNBA expertise throughout its roster.Given the only thing that skill, it was actually surprising when Australia shed its opening game to Nigeria after that barely beat winless Canada. In their previous two games, we've seen the Opals our team counted on, as they beat surpassed France to develop to the knockout stage and led Serbia through as many as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron permits. USA System and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily any individual quit Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anyone is actually visiting include them, it's the duo of Magbegor and Smith. Australia's post players rank second (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game and also possess the mobility to speak up for Stewart and Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is actually especially experienced against each opponents, having dealt with Stewart in practice for three years as Hurricane allies and also paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest challenge for Magbegor and Johnson is repulsive issue. Magbegor picked up 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and also Smith had 2 in the very first one-fourth versus France, confining their moments. Data backup George is a challenging, skillful gamer (she scored 18 aspects in 24 mins versus Serbia) yet no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises an authentic problem. But offered the experience Stewart as well as Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is going for her third Olympic gold as well as Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Johnson are showing up in their initial Games-- I will count on the Staff U.S.A. super duo to help make the winning plays essential in such a high-pressure circumstance to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would be a tougher rival for Group USA?Pelton: I am actually choosing Belgium, which offered the U.S. women their toughest Olympic examination however. The Americans prevailed by thirteen points, although the margin was merely seven entering the fourth one-fourth of a team stage activity played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo particularly straining coming from downtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring thirteen factors with seven helps (albeit along with 9 turnovers) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the merely other group besides the USA that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation along with the group on its own side and lots of satisfaction vulnerable, a difficult defensive group in France would not be actually a piece of cake, either, especially if Marine Johannes can easily blow up like she did against Germany along with 24 factors off the seat as well as with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Staff U.S.A. played its absolute best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, especially on outburst, can easily still be an issue. There are times when the shortage of playing opportunity together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still noticeable. It goes without saying, there is actually a main reason why Sue Bird just recently claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Basketball is one of the most awkward basketball she has ever before played. After a little bit of a slow start, the USA eventually led through 30 in the 3rd quarter versus Nigeria, but Reeve couldn't have actually liked just how her crew enabled the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game just before the final buzzer. Via 4 games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point capturing hasn't definitely been actually solved, which could be a problem if rivals get hot from deep.Team United States can't disregard some of the remaining groups in the business, however along with a defensive identity and aggressive prowess led through Stewart as well as Wilson, it has revealed it can put video games away when it requires to, one thing that needs to transfer over right into the last pair of games.Pelton: On the other side, I believe the shooting is likewise cause to feel there's one more gear for the U.S. ladies. Together, the 12 gamers on the lineup have incorporated to fire 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this season. That will not get a "Dash Siblings" label whenever very soon, however it is actually likewise better than Group United States has dealt with coming from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to warm up coming from lengthy selection. Watch out if they finally do.