.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's university basketball as well as the WNBA.Recently dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore indigenous with further encounter at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seattle Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Program collection.In the past a specialist along with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP score and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international opponents are going to reunite on Friday, as the USA females's basketball team goes up against the Australian Opals along with a spot in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal suit on the line.Team U.S.A., which is actually using a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic victories, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung with each other three upright triumphes, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. ladies have actually been the gold standard for basketball all over the globe, gaining seven successive Olympic gold medals and also nine general, Australia has actually been actually a historic giant along with all of them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of the past seven Summers months Video games, take away 3 silvers as well as pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the very first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 London Gamings.2012 also was actually the last opportunity the fabulous Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly as well as gold-- previously. While Group USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, appearing in her fifth Video games and initially in 12 years. Jackson has actually regularly medaled in the competition, and though she has actually found limited action thus far in France, she possesses a chance to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six active WNBA gamers-- has lots of drive, yet the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the united state elderly nationwide team, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. Throughout the 5 Gamings through which they medaled, Australia shed to the united state either in the semifinals or even the gold award contest. The teams last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton malfunction a few of the pressing inquiries moving right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credits Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Crew U.S.A.'s 14-point win over Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched over up its own beginning five against Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the action repair its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful instead of Taurasi-- who had final go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the right step. Along with 15 factors against Nigeria, Youthful appears to be carving out a duty as Team United States's 3rd marker behind A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Young is the just various other USA gamer balancing dual designs at 10.3 factors per video game.) Young, one of three Las Vegas Aces gamers in the starting five, showed off her 3-point shooting earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless coming from deep on Wednesday, it was her potential to receive downhill and also attack from midrange that stood apart, alongside her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took till the middle of the second one-fourth for the USA to really place its feet on the fuel against Nigeria, however Youthful's aggressiveness and electricity on both ends must continue to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi appeared to accomplish properly off the seat, where she improved as a company along with 4 assists.Pelton: I will enjoy to view beginning point player Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to credit rating. She missed out on all three of her try efforts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 thus far throughout the Olympics. Remarkably, the U.S. 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 mentioned in our last roundtable, the USA girls can get rid of one non-scorer in the starting 5 such a long time as she is actually delivering something else to the desk. And also Gray is actually with her playmaking, having right now amounted to 22 aids versus only 3 turnovers. Thus, I do not believe coach Cheryl Reeve requires to create further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat troubles carry out the Australians position, and what could make all of them a hard matchup?Top accounts of the week from Get special accessibility to thousands of fee posts a year coming from top authors. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB sophomore training class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP war, various other awards "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP nationality" Additional ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA followers will be actually properly familiar with this Opals team, which includes the Seattle Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Right trainer Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not simply do the Opals possess the talent to contend versus Group USA. They have energy as well as willpower following their unsatisfactory begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually satisfied with her staff's grace as well as guts over recent week, two qualities an enemy needs when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack boasts five gamers balancing at least 8.0 PPG, can easily hurt opponents inside along with Magbegor as well as Johnson however additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the very best in the Olympic industry and also a lot more than Crew U.S.A.'s modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the team with 8 as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is deeper as well as extra gifted than any kind of staff in the business barring the united state ladies. Our experts may dispute the most effective worldwide player at the Paris Video Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful applicants. But no staff possesses a pair of players like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson, both of whom would certainly possess gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not named to the crew this season regardless of identical production.) And no staff outside the USA has virtually as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its roster.Given everything talent, it was actually surprising when Australia dropped its own position activity to Nigeria then barely defeat winless Canada. In their previous 2 activities, our team've seen the Opals we expected, as they beat surpassed France to develop to the knockout phase and also led Serbia through as several as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for three. LeBron permits. USA Network and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can anybody stop Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anyone is going to contain them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's message gamers position second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game and also have the wheelchair to stand up for Stewart and Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced against each opponents, having actually experienced Stewart in practice for 3 years as Hurricane teammates and also paired up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant difficulty for Magbegor as well as Johnson is actually foul issue. Magbegor got three first-half fouls versus Canada, as well as Johnson possessed 2 in the very first one-fourth versus France, restricting their moments. Data backup George is a challenging, trained player (she racked up 18 factors in 24 moments against Serbia) but no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate problem. But offered the encounter Stewart and Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is actually choosing her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and also Smith are actually appearing in their initial Video games-- I 'd expect the Staff USA incredibly duo to make the winning plays needed in such a stressful condition to breakthrough to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would certainly be actually a harder rival for Staff USA?Pelton: I'm opting for Belgium, which provided the united state females their toughest Olympic exam but. The Americans prevailed through 13 aspects, although the margin was actually merely seven entering into the fourth one-fourth of a group stage video game played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo specifically battling coming from downtown while skipping 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring 13 factors along with 7 helps (albeit along with nine turnovers) as Belgium travelled past Spain, the merely various other staff besides the united state that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the host nation along with the group on its edge and also a lot of pleasure on the line, a tough protective staff in France definitely would not be actually a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes can go off like she performed versus Germany with 24 aspects off the bench and also along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Crew United States played its greatest basketball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, particularly on offense, can still be a problem. There are times when the shortage of participating in opportunity all together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still obvious. Besides, there's a reason Sue Bird recently stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is actually the most awkward basketball 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 one-fourth versus Nigeria, but Reeve could not have adored exactly how her crew allowed the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game before the final buzzer. With four video games, the Americans' absence of 3-point firing have not definitely been treated, which could be a concern if opponents get hot coming from deep.Team USA can't overlook any one of the remaining crews in the business, but with a protective identity and also offensive expertise led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually presented it can put activities away when it needs to, something that needs to transfer over right into the final 2 games.Pelton: On the flip side, I believe the shooting is additionally explanation to feel there's an additional equipment for the USA women. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the lineup have combined to fire 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this time. That will not earn a "Dash Sis" nickname at any time very soon, however it's also better than Group United States has actually taken care of coming from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are past due to heat coming from long selection. Watch out if they finally carry out.