.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's university basketball and also the WNBA.Formerly dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and also Baltimore indigenous with more take in at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seattle Times and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Program collection.Previously a professional with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP ranking and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international opponents will definitely meet again on Friday, as the USA ladies's basketball crew takes on the Australian Opals along with a location in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold award suit on the line.Team United States, which is riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic victories, advanced to the semifinals with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with an upset reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung all together three straight victories, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA females have been the gold standard for baseball across the globe, succeeding seven successive Olympic gold awards and 9 general, Australia has been actually a historic powerhouse together with them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past seven Summer Video games, taking home three silvers as well as two bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris denotes the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals since the 2012 Greater london Games.2012 also was the final time the epic Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic stage for the environment-friendly and gold-- until now. While Team USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her 5th Video games and also first in 12 years. Jackson has actually consistently medaled in the competition, and also though she has actually found minimal activity until now in France, she has an odds to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts 6 energetic WNBA players-- has lots of momentum, however the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the united state elderly national group, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the course of the five Video games through which they medaled, Australia dropped to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The teams final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton malfunction a number of the pressing concerns heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit histories Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Crew U.S.A.'s 14-point draw Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched over up its beginning five against Nigeria, with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the step fix its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young instead of Taurasi-- that possessed last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal technique. Along with 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Young appears to be taking a part as Group United States's 3rd scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Youthful is the simply other united state gamer averaging double figures at 10.3 aspects every game.) Youthful, one of 3 Las Vegas Aces gamers in the beginning 5, displayed her 3-point firing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless coming from deeper on Wednesday, it was her capacity to obtain downhill as well as strike coming from midrange that stood apart, alongside her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took till the center of the 2nd fourth for the united state to truly put its foot on the gas versus Nigeria, however Youthful's aggression and electricity on each ends need to remain to pay dividends. And Taurasi seemed to accomplish well off the seat, where she improved as a facilitator along with four assists.Pelton: I would certainly really love to find beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a danger to credit rating. She missed all 3 of her go efforts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 until now during the Olympics. Amazingly, the USA outscored Nigeria by only two factors in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 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 united state ladies can easily conquer one non-scorer in the beginning 5 such a long time as she is actually delivering something else to the table. As well as Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually today amounted to 22 helps against just three turn overs. So, I don't believe train Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create more changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat concerns carry out the Australians present, and what might create them a hard matchup?Top stories of the full week coming from Receive unique access to countless fee posts a year from best authors. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB sophomore class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP war, various other awards "u2022 25 essential gamers in CFP ethnicity" More ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA supporters will certainly be effectively aware of this Opals squad, which features the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Right train Sandy Brondello responsible. Not simply carry out the Opals possess the skill to compete against Group USA. They possess momentum and also resolve observing their disappointing beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has been felt free to along with her group's grace and grit over recent week, pair of top qualities an enemy requires when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault flaunts 5 gamers averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can easily injure adversaries inside with Magbegor and also Johnson yet also from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most ideal in the Olympic area and also much greater than Crew USA's paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Sin City Aces, lead the crew along with 8 and 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is deeper as well as more skilled than any type of group in the field barring the united state females. Our company can discuss the best worldwide gamer at the Paris Video Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy candidates. But no group possesses a set of gamers just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Smith, each of whom would possess been on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not named to the staff this season regardless of similar production.) As well as no team outside the U.S. possesses virtually as a lot WNBA experience throughout its own roster.Given all that talent, it was stunning when Australia dropped its position activity to Nigeria after that hardly trump winless Canada. In their past two video games, we've found the Opals our experts anticipated, as they beat topped France to develop to the knockout stage and also led Serbia by as several as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for 3. LeBron authorizes. United States System as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can anyone cease Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if any individual is going to contain all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson. Australia's blog post players rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game and possess the mobility to speak up for Stewart and also Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced versus both opponents, having actually experienced Stewart in practice for three years as Hurricane teammates and also matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest hurdle for Magbegor as well as Johnson is repulsive issue. Magbegor picked up 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and also Smith possessed 2 in the initial one-fourth versus France, confining their mins. Back-up George is actually a difficult, knowledgeable gamer (she scored 18 factors in 24 mins versus Serbia) yet nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises an authentic issue. However given the experience Stewart and also Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is going for her third Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Smith are actually appearing in their very first Games-- I would certainly anticipate the Team USA super duo to help make the winning plays necessary in such a high-pressure scenario to breakthrough to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would certainly be a harder enemy for Staff USA?Pelton: I am actually going with Belgium, which provided the USA females their hardest Olympic test yet. The Americans dominated by thirteen factors, although the frame was actually simply seven getting into the fourth one-fourth of a team phase game played in Lille, France, near the edge with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, with Julie Vanloo specifically struggling coming from downtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up 13 factors with 7 supports (albeit along with 9 turn overs) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the simply various other group besides the united state that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation with the group on its own edge and also plenty of honor vulnerable, a tough defensive team in France wouldn't be a piece of cake, either, particularly if Marine Johannes can blow up like she did against Germany along with 24 aspects off the seat and along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Group United States played its ideal basketball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, especially on offense, can still be a concern. There are actually times when the shortage of participating in opportunity together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still evident. Nevertheless, there's a main reason why Sue Bird just recently mentioned on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Baseball is actually the most uneasy baseball she has actually ever played. After a little bit of a sluggish beginning, the USA ultimately led by 30 in the 3rd quarter versus Nigeria, but Reeve couldn't have liked exactly how her team enabled the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game just before the final buzzer. With four games, the Americans' absence of 3-point firing hasn't really been actually treated, which can be a problem if rivals fume from deep.Team United States can not overlook some of the staying groups in the business, but with a protective identification and offensive prowess led by Stewart as well as Wilson, it has revealed it may place activities away when it needs to have to, one thing that should transmit over right into the final pair of games.Pelton: On the other hand, I presume the shooting is likewise cause to think there is actually another equipment for the united state women. Collectively, the 12 players on the roster have integrated to fire 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this season. That will not get a "Burst Sis" label any time very soon, yet it is actually additionally much better than Crew United States has actually dealt with coming from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to heat up from long assortment. Watch out if they lastly perform.