.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's college baseball as well as the WNBA.Previously covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and also Baltimore indigenous along with additional encounter at the Dallas Early Morning Information, Seat Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Author Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus series.In the past a consultant with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP ranking and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international rivals will meet again on Friday, as the United States women's baseball team faces the Australian Opals with a spot in the 2024 Paris Games' gold award suit on the line.Team USA, which is actually riding a streak of 59 successive Olympic triumphes, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Following a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together three upright success, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. women have been the gold standard for basketball around the world, winning seven consecutive Olympic gold medals and nine overall, Australia has actually been actually a historical goliath together with all of them. The Opals have medaled in five of the past 7 Summer Games, take away 3 silvers as well as 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the very first time they've improved past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 London Games.2012 also was the last opportunity the legendary Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic stage for the eco-friendly as well as gold-- previously. While Crew USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Gamings and to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has consistently medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has seen restricted activity so far in France, she possesses a possibility to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts 6 energetic WNBA players-- possesses plenty of drive, however the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity against the USA senior national team, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competitors. In the course of the 5 Video games through which they medaled, Australia shed to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The squads last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton malfunction a number of journalism questions moving in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Crew United States's 14-point win over Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team United States switched over up its beginning five against Nigeria, with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the relocation fix its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young instead of Taurasi-- that had last go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the right step. With 15 factors against Nigeria, Young appears to be carving out a duty as Staff United States's 3rd scorer behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Youthful is the just other U.S. player averaging dual figures at 10.3 points every game.) Youthful, among 3 Las Vegas Aces players in the beginning 5, showed off her 3-point capturing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless coming from deep on Wednesday, it was her potential to obtain downhill as well as hit coming from midrange that attracted attention, alongside her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took till the middle of the second fourth for the USA to definitely put its own feet on the fuel versus Nigeria, but Youthful's aggressiveness and electricity on both ends should continue to return. And Taurasi seemed to perform effectively off the seat, where she stepped up as a company along with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd like to see beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be a threat to credit rating. She missed all 3 of her go tries in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 thus far in the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the USA outscored Nigeria through just pair of points in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or much better while on the court.Still, as I discussed in our final roundtable, the united state ladies may conquer one non-scorer in the beginning five so long as she is carrying something else to the table. And also Gray is actually with her playmaking, having today totted 22 supports against simply 3 turnovers. So, I don't assume instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to create additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat troubles perform the Australians posture, and what could possibly create them a difficult matchup?Top accounts of the week from Get exclusive accessibility to 1000s of premium posts a year coming from top authors. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore lesson "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP struggle, other awards "u2022 25 essential gamers in CFP nationality" More ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA followers will certainly be well aware of this Opals squad, which features the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New York Freedom trainer Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not only carry out the Opals possess the talent to contend versus Team U.S.A.. They have drive as well as fix observing their unsatisfying start to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been pleased with her crew's poise and also grit over recent full week, pair of top qualities a challenger requires when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced attack flaunts 5 gamers averaging at least 8.0 PPG, may injure enemies inside along with Magbegor as well as Johnson but also from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most ideal in the Olympic area as well as considerably higher than Crew USA's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the group along with 8 and also 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is much deeper and even more proficient than any type of crew in the field save for the united state ladies. We may discuss the very best international gamer at the Paris Gamings, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough applicants. But no group possesses a set of players just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, both of whom would certainly possess performed my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not called to the staff this time regardless of identical creation.) And no team outside the united state has nearly as a lot WNBA adventure throughout its roster.Given the only thing that skill, it was actually astonishing when Australia lost its position game to Nigeria after that rarely beat winless Canada. In their previous 2 games, our experts've observed the Opals our team expected, as they trump outdoed France to develop to the knockout phase and also led Serbia through as many as 28 in an askew quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for 3. LeBron authorizes. United States Network and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can anyone quit Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any individual is mosting likely to contain all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and Johnson. Australia's blog post gamers rank second (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity and also possess the wheelchair to stand up for Stewart and also Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is particularly experienced versus each challengers, having actually faced Stewart virtual for 3 years as Tornado colleagues as well as compared with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant barrier for Magbegor and also Smith is filthy issue. Magbegor got three first-half fouls versus Canada, and also Johnson possessed pair of in the 1st fourth versus France, confining their moments. Back-up George is actually a hard, trained gamer (she scored 18 factors in 24 mins against Serbia) however nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up an authentic worry. However provided the experience Stewart and also Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is opting for her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and also Smith are actually appearing in their initial Video games-- I would certainly anticipate the Staff U.S.A. very duo to make the winning plays necessary in such a high-pressure situation to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium will be actually a tougher rival for Crew USA?Pelton: I am actually going with Belgium, which provided the USA ladies their most difficult Olympic exam yet. The Americans dominated by thirteen factors, although the frame was actually only 7 going into the 4th one-fourth of a team phase activity played in Lille, France, near the border along with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo specifically having a hard time 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 thirteen aspects along with 7 assists (albeit with 9 turnovers) as Belgium travelled past Spain, the just other crew besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch country along with the group on its own side and also a lot of honor vulnerable, a difficult defensive staff in France would not be actually a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes may go off like she carried out versus Germany with 24 points off the seat and with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on each ends.Has Team USA played its own greatest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, particularly on outburst, may still be actually a concern. There are opportunities when the shortage of playing opportunity all together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still obvious. Besides, there's a main reason why Sue Bird lately claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Baseball is actually the absolute most uneasy basketball she has ever before played. After a bit of a slow-moving start, the united state inevitably led through 30 in the 3rd fourth versus Nigeria, yet Reeve couldn't have actually enjoyed how her crew permitted the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point video game just before the final buzzer. With four video games, the Americans' absence of 3-point firing have not actually been actually solved, which may be an issue if rivals fume from deep.Team USA can not neglect any one of the remaining groups in the field, yet along with a protective identity and aggressive adeptness led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has revealed it can put video games away when it needs to have to, one thing that should transfer over in to the final 2 games.Pelton: On the other hand, I presume the shooting is also cause to feel there is actually yet another gear for the U.S. women. Jointly, the 12 players on the roster have combined to shoot thirty three% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this season. That will not earn a "Sprinkle Siblings" nickname whenever very soon, however it is actually additionally better than Crew United States has actually taken care of from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to warm up coming from long range. Keep an eye out if they lastly do.