.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's university basketball and the WNBA.Recently dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore indigenous along with further experience at the Dallas Morning Information, Seattle Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus set.Previously a professional along with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide opponents will meet again on Friday, as the USA females's basketball staff goes up against the Australian Opals along with an area in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal suit on the line.Team United States, which is using a touch of 59 successive Olympic victories, developed to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung all together three straight success, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state females have actually been the gold criterion for basketball throughout the planet, gaining seven successive Olympic gold awards as well as 9 total, Australia has actually been a famous goliath together with all of them. The Opals have medaled in five of the past seven Summer seasons Gamings, take away 3 silvers and 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris marks the first time they've developed past the quarterfinals due to the fact that the 2012 Greater london Games.2012 likewise was the last time the famous Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic stage for the eco-friendly and gold-- until now. While Crew United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, appearing in her fifth Games and also first in 12 years. Jackson has actually consistently medaled in the competition, as well as though she has actually viewed restricted action up until now in France, she possesses a chance to carry on that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 active WNBA players-- has loads of drive, yet the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity versus the U.S. elderly nationwide crew, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the course of the 5 Video games in which they medaled, Australia shed to the U.S. either in the semifinals or even the gold medal contest. The squads final fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton malfunction some of the pressing questions heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Staff U.S.A.'s 14-point sway Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team United States switched up its starting five versus Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the move fix its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful instead of Taurasi-- that possessed final go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the best move. Along with 15 aspects against Nigeria, Youthful appears to be taking a duty as Team USA's third marker behind A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Youthful is the merely other united state player balancing dual designs at 10.3 factors every activity.) Young, one of three Sin city Aces players in the beginning 5, showed off her 3-point firing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her capacity to acquire downhill and also attack from midrange that stood out, alongside her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took until the center of the second fourth for the USA to really place its own feet on the fuel against Nigeria, but Youthful's hostility as well as electricity on both ends must remain to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi seemed to be to carry out effectively off the seat, where she stepped up as a company along with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd enjoy to observe beginning point player Chelsea Gray be actually a danger to rating. She skipped all three of her try tries in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 up until now during the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by only two factors in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the united state ladies can eliminate one non-scorer in the beginning five such a long time as she is taking another thing to the desk. As well as Gray is actually with her playmaking, having actually today totaled 22 supports against merely three turn overs. Therefore, I do not believe coach Cheryl Reeve needs to make further changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat issues carry out the Australians posture, and what can create all of them a difficult matchup?Top accounts of the full week coming from Get special accessibility to countless premium short articles a year from best authors. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB student lesson "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP war, various other awards "u2022 25 most important gamers in CFP nationality" Even more ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA supporters will be effectively aware of this Opals team, which features the Seat Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Right instructor Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not only do the Opals possess the skill to complete against Team U.S.A.. They have energy as well as fix following their unsatisfactory start to the Olympics. Brondello has been felt free to with her team's grace and grit over recent week, two qualities an opponent needs to have when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced assault includes five gamers averaging at the very least 8.0 PPG, can easily hurt opponents inside with Magbegor and Johnson however likewise coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the very best in the Olympic industry and considerably greater than Group USA's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff along with 8 and seven treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is actually much deeper as well as extra proficient than any staff in the field barring the united state women. Our company can easily question the very best global gamer at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough applicants. But no group possesses a pair of gamers just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Smith, each of whom would certainly have been on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not named to the crew this time even with comparable creation.) As well as no group outside the united state possesses virtually as much WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given all that skill, it was actually astonishing when Australia shed its own position activity to Nigeria then barely trump winless Canada. In their past pair of video games, we've viewed the Opals we anticipated, as they defeat topped France to advance to the knockout stage and led Serbia by as a lot of as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for three. LeBron authorizes. U.S.A. Network and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can any person cease Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any individual is actually heading to contain them, it's the duo of Magbegor and also Smith. Australia's blog post gamers position 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per video game and also possess the mobility to stand up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is especially experienced against both enemies, having faced Stewart in practice for three years as Hurricane teammates and compared along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant barrier for Magbegor and also Smith is actually filthy trouble. Magbegor got three first-half fouls against Canada, as well as Smith had two in the 1st one-fourth versus France, confining their minutes. Data backup George is a hard, knowledgeable gamer (she racked up 18 aspects in 24 mins against Serbia) but no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid problem. However offered the experience Stewart and also Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is selecting her third Olympic gold and Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Smith are actually showing up in their first Video games-- I will count on the Crew United States extremely duo to produce the winning plays essential in such a high-pressure condition to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium will be a tougher opponent for Crew USA?Pelton: I'm going with Belgium, which provided the USA women their most difficult Olympic examination yet. The Americans prevailed by thirteen points, although the scope was actually simply 7 going into the 4th one-fourth of a group phase video game played in Lille, France, near the edge along with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo specifically struggling coming from downtown while missing 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring thirteen factors with seven helps (albeit with nine turnovers) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the merely other staff besides the U.S. that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the lot nation with the group on its own edge and also loads of satisfaction on the line, a tough defensive crew in France would not be a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes may go off like she carried out against Germany along with 24 points off the seat as well as along with Gabby Williams leading the way on both ends.Has Team USA played its own greatest basketball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, particularly on outburst, can easily still be a problem. There are actually times when the shortage of participating in time with each other or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still obvious. Nevertheless, there's a reason that Sue Bird just recently pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Baseball is the most uncomfortable basketball she has ever played. After a little a slow-moving begin, the united state eventually led through 30 in the 3rd quarter versus Nigeria, but Reeve couldn't have really loved just how her staff allowed the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point video game prior to the last buzzer. With 4 games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point shooting have not truly been fixed, which can be a concern if opponents fume from deep.Team U.S.A. can't forget some of the continuing to be teams in the field, but with a defensive identity as well as aggressive adeptness led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has presented it can easily put activities away when it needs to, something that ought to transfer over into the final 2 games.Pelton: On the other hand, I presume the firing is actually also explanation to feel there's another gear for the united state women. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the roster have actually integrated to shoot thirty three% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this period. That won't earn a "Burst Siblings" nickname any time soon, but it is actually likewise better than Staff U.S.A. has managed coming 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 from lengthy selection. Keep an eye out if they eventually perform.