.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's university basketball and the WNBA.Formerly covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore indigenous along with more take in at the Dallas Morning News, Seat Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Author Co-author, Pro Basketball Program collection.Previously an expert with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP score and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global competitors will definitely reunite on Friday, as the USA females's basketball crew confronts the Australian Opals with an area in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold award suit on the line.Team USA, which is using a touch of 59 successive Olympic success, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a dismayed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung with each other three straight success, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA women have been actually the gold specification for baseball across the world, gaining seven successive Olympic gold medals and 9 general, Australia has actually been a historical giant along with all of them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of the past 7 Summer seasons Gamings, taking home 3 silvers as well as two bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris denotes the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals due to the fact that the 2012 London Video games.2012 additionally was the last opportunity the fabulous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic stage for the green as well as gold-- until now. While Group United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, appearing in her fifth Games and also initially in 12 years. Jackson has actually regularly medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has found restricted action so far in France, she has an odds to carry on that touch this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 active WNBA gamers-- has plenty of drive, however the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the USA elderly national group, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the 5 Games in which they medaled, Australia lost to the united state either in the semifinals or even the gold medal contest. The teams final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton break down some of the pressing inquiries moving into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit ratings Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Crew U.S.A.'s 14-point get Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team USA changed up its own starting five versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the action repair its own concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful instead of Taurasi-- that had last go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the ideal relocation. With 15 factors versus Nigeria, Youthful looks taking a task as Staff United States's 3rd scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Young is the only other U.S. gamer averaging double figures at 10.3 factors per activity.) Young, one of three Las Vegas Aces players in the starting five, flaunted her 3-point firing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her capacity to acquire downhill and also attack coming from midrange that stuck out, alongside her trademark protection in the backcourt. It took up until the middle of the 2nd quarter for the united state to actually place its own foot on the fuel versus Nigeria, however Youthful's aggressiveness and energy on each ends ought to remain to pay dividends. And also Taurasi appeared to accomplish properly off the seat, where she improved as a company along with 4 assists.Pelton: I would certainly like to observe beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to rating. She skipped all three of her try tries in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 up until now throughout the Olympics. Incredibly, the united state outscored Nigeria through simply 2 points in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or much better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our final roundtable, the U.S. ladies may get over one non-scorer in the beginning five such a long time as she is actually delivering another thing to the desk. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually today totaled 22 assists against just three turnovers. Thus, I do not presume coach Cheryl Reeve needs to make more changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat complications perform the Australians position, and what could possibly create them a difficult matchup?Top tales of the week from Acquire special access to hundreds of fee write-ups a year from leading writers. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore training class "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP struggle, other honors "u2022 25 most important players in CFP nationality" Even more ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA followers are going to be actually properly aware of this Opals squad, which includes the Seat Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Liberty trainer Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not merely do the Opals possess the talent to contend versus Team USA. They possess energy and also willpower following their disappointing beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has been felt free to along with her group's poise as well as grit over the past week, two high qualities an opponent needs to have when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike includes 5 players balancing at the very least 8.0 PPG, can easily hurt opponents inside with Magbegor and also Johnson yet also from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the best in the Olympic field and much more than Group USA's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Sin City Aces, lead the team with 8 and 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is actually much deeper as well as a lot more gifted than any type of team in the field save for the U.S. girls. Our experts can dispute the very best global gamer at the Paris Gamings, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as solid candidates. But no team possesses a set of players just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, both of whom will have gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not named to the group this period regardless of similar production.) And also no team outside the united state has almost as much WNBA experience throughout its roster.Given everything talent, it was surprising when Australia shed its opening game to Nigeria after that rarely defeat winless Canada. In their past two video games, our company have actually viewed the Opals we anticipated, as they beat topped France to develop to the knockout phase as well as led Serbia through as several as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for three. LeBron authorizes. U.S.A. Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can anybody stop Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anybody is heading to have all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's article players position second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity as well as have the mobility to stand up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the border. Magbegor is specifically experienced versus both opponents, having actually experienced Stewart virtual for three years as Tornado colleagues as well as matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest difficulty for Magbegor and Johnson is actually filthy problem. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and also Smith possessed pair of in the initial one-fourth versus France, restricting their moments. Data backup George is a hard, skillful gamer (she racked up 18 factors in 24 moments versus Serbia) yet nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a legitimate problem. Yet provided the encounter Stewart and also Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is selecting her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Smith are showing up in their first Gamings-- I will anticipate the Group United States super duo to help make the winning participates in necessary in such a stressful condition to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium would be a tougher opponent for Group USA?Pelton: I am actually picking Belgium, which offered the USA girls their toughest Olympic test however. The Americans dominated through 13 factors, although the frame was merely seven getting in the fourth quarter of a team phase video game played in Lille, France, near the borderline with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, with Julie Vanloo specifically straining from midtown while skipping 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up 13 factors along with seven helps (albeit along with 9 turnovers) as Belgium travelled previous Spain, the just various other crew besides the united state that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the bunch country along with the crowd on its side as well as loads of pleasure vulnerable, a hard protective team in France would not be actually a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can blow up like she performed against Germany along with 24 points off the bench and along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Group USA played its own finest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, particularly on offense, can still be actually an issue. There are opportunities when the shortage of playing time all together or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still noticeable. Nevertheless, there is actually a reason Sue Bird just recently claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is actually the most annoying basketball she has ever played. After a bit of a slow-moving start, the USA inevitably led through 30 in the 3rd quarter versus Nigeria, yet Reeve couldn't have actually really loved just how her group enabled the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game just before the ultimate buzzer. Via 4 games, the Americans' absence of 3-point shooting have not really been actually treated, which may be a problem if rivals get hot coming from deep.Team United States can't ignore any one of the continuing to be crews in the business, but with a defensive identification as well as offensive adeptness led through Stewart and also Wilson, it has revealed it can put games away when it needs to, something that ought to move over in to the final two games.Pelton: On the flip side, I believe the shooting is also cause to feel there is actually an additional gear for the united state females. Together, the 12 players on the lineup have actually incorporated to shoot 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this period. That will not earn a "Dash Siblings" label any time quickly, however it is actually additionally much better than Team U.S.A. has actually handled coming from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to warm coming from lengthy assortment. Look out if they eventually carry out.