.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's college baseball as well as the WNBA.Recently covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad as well as Baltimore native along with more take in at the Dallas Morning News, Seat Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Author Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus series.In the past a consultant with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP ranking as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global competitors will definitely reunite on Friday, as the United States women's baseball crew confronts the Australian Opals with a location in the 2024 Paris Games' gold award suit on the line.Team U.S.A., which is using a streak of 59 successive Olympic triumphes, developed to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung together 3 straight triumphes, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA girls have actually been the gold criterion for basketball around the world, gaining seven consecutive Olympic gold medals and nine total, Australia has been a famous goliath along with all of them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of recent seven Summers months Games, taking home three silvers and two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the very first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 London Games.2012 likewise was actually the last time the epic Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic stage for the eco-friendly and also gold-- previously. While Staff USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Video games as well as initially in 12 years. Jackson has consistently medaled in the competitors, and though she has seen minimal action so far in France, she has a chance to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which includes six energetic WNBA players-- possesses plenty of momentum, yet the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the U.S. senior nationwide crew, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the 5 Games through which they medaled, Australia shed to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold award competition. The teams final met in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break a number of journalism questions heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart debts Jackie Young for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Crew USA's 14-point draw Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team United States changed up its beginning 5 versus Nigeria, with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the technique correct its own concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young in place of Taurasi-- who had last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the best relocation. Along with 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Youthful looks carving out a job as Staff United States's 3rd marker responsible for A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Young is the just various other USA player averaging double designs at 10.3 aspects per activity.) Young, among three Las Vegas Aces players in the starting 5, showed off her 3-point firing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her potential to get downhill as well as hit from midrange that stood apart, along with her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took till the center of the second one-fourth for the USA to actually put its own feet on the gas versus Nigeria, however Youthful's aggression and energy on each ends must remain to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi appeared to carry out effectively off the bench, where she stepped up as a company with four assists.Pelton: I would certainly adore to view starting point player Chelsea Gray be a risk to credit rating. She missed all 3 of her shot efforts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 up until now in the course of the Olympics. Remarkably, the USA outscored Nigeria through only two factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the united state ladies can easily eliminate one non-scorer in the beginning 5 so long as she is bringing another thing to the desk. As well as Gray is with her playmaking, having now amounted to 22 supports versus only three turnovers. Thus, I do not presume instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to have to make more changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat complications perform the Australians pose, and what could create them a difficult matchup?Top stories of the week from Obtain unique accessibility to countless costs write-ups a year coming from top article writers. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB student course "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP struggle, other awards "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP nationality" Additional ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA fans are going to be actually properly acquainted with this Opals team, which includes the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Freedom coach Sandy Brondello responsible. Not just perform the Opals possess the ability to complete versus Team United States. They possess energy and resolve following their unsatisfactory beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually pleased with her crew's grace as well as guts over the past week, pair of high qualities an opponent needs to have when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike flaunts five gamers averaging at least 8.0 PPG, can easily injure opponents inside with Magbegor and also Smith but additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most effective in the Olympic area and a lot higher than Group United States's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the staff with 8 as well as seven treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is deeper as well as extra skilled than any team in the business except for the U.S. ladies. We can easily debate the most ideal global gamer at the Paris Gamings, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful candidates. However no crew possesses a set of gamers like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, both of whom would have performed my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not called to the crew this season despite identical manufacturing.) And no staff outside the U.S. possesses virtually as much WNBA expertise throughout its roster.Given the only thing that talent, it was actually shocking when Australia shed its own opening video game to Nigeria after that rarely trump winless Canada. In their previous 2 video games, our company have actually viewed the Opals we expected, as they defeat surpassed France to advance to the knockout phase and led Serbia by as lots of as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for three. LeBron authorizes. United States Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily anybody cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if any individual is mosting likely to have them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and Smith. Australia's article gamers place second (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game and possess the wheelchair to defend Stewart and also Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is specifically experienced versus each challengers, having actually encountered Stewart virtual for 3 years as Hurricane colleagues and compared with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest obstacle for Magbegor and also Johnson is nasty trouble. Magbegor picked up 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and Smith had two in the first one-fourth versus France, confining their moments. Back-up George is actually a hard, skillful player (she racked up 18 factors in 24 moments versus Serbia) however nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a valid problem. But given the take in Stewart as well as Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is going for her 3rd Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Johnson are appearing in their very first Games-- I will anticipate the Group United States super duo to produce the winning participates in necessary in such a stressful condition to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would certainly be a tougher enemy for Crew USA?Pelton: I'm selecting Belgium, which gave the USA girls their most difficult Olympic exam yet. The Americans dominated through 13 aspects, although the scope was simply seven getting into the 4th one-fourth of a group phase activity played in Lille, France, near the border along with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo specifically struggling from downtown while skipping 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up thirteen aspects along with seven helps (albeit with 9 turnovers) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the only various other crew besides the U.S. that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation with the crowd on its side as well as a lot of take pride in on the line, a challenging defensive crew in France definitely would not be a pushover, either, specifically if Marine Johannes may blow up like she carried out versus Germany with 24 factors off the bench and with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Group United States played its own ideal baseball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, particularly on outburst, can easily still be actually a problem. There are actually opportunities when the shortage of playing opportunity all together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still evident. Nevertheless, there's a reason that Sue Bird recently mentioned on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Baseball is the absolute most annoying baseball she has actually ever before participated in. After a little bit of a slow begin, the U.S. inevitably led by 30 in the third fourth against Nigeria, however Reeve could not have actually really loved just how her team allowed the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point activity prior to the last buzzer. With four activities, the Americans' shortage of 3-point firing hasn't truly been corrected, which might be a problem if challengers fume coming from deep.Team USA can't disregard any one of the remaining crews in the field, yet along with a protective identity as well as aggressive expertise led through Stewart and Wilson, it has actually revealed it can place games away when it needs to, something that ought to transfer over into the final 2 games.Pelton: On the other hand, I assume the capturing is additionally reason to think there's another equipment for the united state females. Collectively, the 12 players on the roster have actually incorporated to fire 33% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this period. That won't earn a "Burst Sisters" label any time very soon, but it's also much better than Team USA has dealt with from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to heat up coming from lengthy array. Look out if they lastly carry out.