.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's university basketball as well as the WNBA.Recently dealt with UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad as well as Baltimore native along with additional take in at the Dallas Morning Updates, Seat Times and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus series.Formerly an expert with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP ranking and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide opponents will meet again on Friday, as the USA girls's baseball crew faces the Australian Opals along with a location in the 2024 Paris Games' gold medal suit on the line.Team USA, which is riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic success, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Following an upset reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung all together three upright success, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state females have actually been the gold standard for baseball across the planet, gaining seven successive Olympic gold medals and also nine overall, Australia has actually been actually a historic powerhouse together with all of them. The Opals have medaled in five of the past 7 Summer seasons Video games, taking home 3 silvers as well as pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 Greater london Video games.2012 likewise was the final opportunity the famous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the green and gold-- until now. While Staff USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her fifth Video games and also initially in 12 years. Jackson has always medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has actually observed restricted action thus far in France, she has a chance to carry on that touch this weekend.Australia-- which includes six energetic WNBA gamers-- has plenty of drive, however the Opals are 0-20 all time against the USA senior national group, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the course of the five Gamings through which they medaled, Australia lost to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold medal contest. The teams final complied with in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton malfunction a number of the pressing inquiries moving into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit ratings Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Crew U.S.A.'s 14-point gain Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched up its own starting 5 against Nigeria, with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the step correct its problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful in place of Taurasi-- who had final go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the best step. With 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Young looks carving out a duty as Group United States's 3rd scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Young is the just various other U.S. gamer balancing dual designs at 10.3 aspects every video game.) Young, one of three Las Vegas Aces gamers in the beginning five, showed off her 3-point shooting previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her potential to obtain downhill and strike coming from midrange that attracted attention, together with her trademark protection in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the 2nd one-fourth for the U.S. to truly put its own feet on the gas against Nigeria, however Young's aggressiveness and power on both ends should continue to pay dividends. And Taurasi seemed to be to accomplish properly off the seat, where she improved as a facilitator with four assists.Pelton: I 'd adore to find beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to score. She overlooked all 3 of her chance tries in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 up until now during the Olympics. Amazingly, the U.S. outscored Nigeria through just pair of factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our last roundtable, the USA women may get over one non-scorer in the starting five so long as she is carrying another thing to the desk. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having right now amounted to 22 supports against just 3 turnovers. So, I do not believe trainer Cheryl Reeve requires to create additional changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat problems perform the Australians position, and also what might make all of them a challenging matchup?Top accounts of the full week coming from Acquire unique accessibility to 1000s of premium articles a year coming from top article writers. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB student lesson "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP war, various other honors "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP ethnicity" Additional ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA fans will certainly be properly aware of this Opals team, which includes the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Liberty train Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not merely carry out the Opals possess the ability to complete against Crew USA. They have drive and resolve following their unsatisfying start to the Olympics. Brondello has been satisfied with her crew's grace and guts over the past full week, pair of top qualities an opponent requires when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced attack boasts 5 players averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can injure adversaries inside along with Magbegor and Smith but likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most effective in the Olympic industry and also much higher than Staff United States's puny 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Sin City Aces, lead the group along with 8 as well as seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually much deeper and a lot more accomplished than any type of staff in the business except for the USA females. Our experts can discuss the very best global gamer at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough prospects. But no crew has a set of players as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, each of whom would possess performed my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not called to the staff this season despite comparable manufacturing.) As well as no crew outside the USA possesses almost as much WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given all that ability, it was actually astonishing when Australia dropped its opening activity to Nigeria at that point rarely beat winless Canada. In their past 2 activities, we've found the Opals our experts anticipated, as they defeat outdoed France to advance to the knockout phase and also led Serbia by as several as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for three. LeBron approves. USA System as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can anybody cease Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anybody is heading to include them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's message gamers place second (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every video game as well as possess the movement to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is actually especially experienced against both challengers, having actually faced Stewart virtual for 3 years as Storm allies and also paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest barrier for Magbegor and also Johnson is foul problem. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls against Canada, and Johnson possessed two in the initial one-fourth versus France, restricting their minutes. Backup George is actually a hard, skillful gamer (she scored 18 points in 24 minutes versus Serbia) but nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate issue. But provided the take in Stewart and also Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is actually opting for her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and also Smith are actually showing up in their first Video games-- I 'd anticipate the Group United States very duo to help make the winning participates in required in such a high-pressure scenario to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would certainly be a more durable enemy for Group USA?Pelton: I'm selecting Belgium, which offered the USA women their most difficult Olympic examination yet. The Americans dominated by thirteen points, although the frame was only 7 going into the fourth one-fourth of a team stage video game played in Lille, France, near the border along with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, with Julie Vanloo specifically straining coming from midtown while missing 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring 13 aspects along with 7 aids (albeit with nine turn overs) as Belgium navigated past Spain, the just various other crew besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the lot country with the crowd on its own edge as well as lots of honor vulnerable, a hard defensive group in France definitely would not be a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes may blow up like she carried out versus Germany along with 24 points off the bench as well as along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Staff U.S.A. played its own ideal baseball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, especially on offense, can still be an issue. There are actually times when the shortage of participating in time together or even Reeve's tweaking 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 Baseball is actually the best unpleasant baseball she has ever played. After a little a slow-moving start, the united state ultimately led by 30 in the 3rd quarter against Nigeria, but Reeve could not have enjoyed exactly how her group made it possible for the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point video game prior to the last buzzer. Through 4 activities, the Americans' lack of 3-point firing have not truly been remedied, which may be a problem if rivals fume from deep.Team United States can't disregard some of the staying staffs in the business, yet with a defensive identity and also aggressive adeptness led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has presented it can easily place games away when it requires to, one thing that must transfer over into the last 2 games.Pelton: On the other side, I presume the firing is actually likewise cause to believe there is actually an additional equipment for the united state girls. Collectively, the 12 players on the roster have blended to fire thirty three% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this time. That will not make a "Sprinkle Sisters" label at any time soon, however it is actually likewise better than Staff U.S.A. has actually dealt with from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually past due to heat up coming from long selection. Look out if they finally carry out.