.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's university basketball as well as the WNBA.Earlier dealt with UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore indigenous with additional encounter at the Dallas Early Morning Updates, Seattle Times and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Article Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus collection.Formerly an expert along with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP score and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global rivals will definitely reunite on Friday, as the United States women's basketball team faces the Australian Opals with a place in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold medal suit on the line.Team U.S.A., which is actually riding a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic wins, advanced to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung with each other 3 upright triumphes, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA girls have been the gold specification for basketball throughout the world, succeeding seven successive Olympic gold medals and 9 general, Australia has actually been a famous powerhouse together with all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of recent 7 Summertimes Video games, taking home 3 silvers and also 2 bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris denotes the very first time they've developed past the quarterfinals since the 2012 London Gamings.2012 likewise was the final time the fabulous Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic stage for the eco-friendly and gold-- previously. While Staff USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Video games and also first in 12 years. Jackson has always medaled in the competitors, and though she has observed restricted action up until now in France, she has a chance to proceed that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six active WNBA gamers-- possesses lots of energy, but the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the USA elderly nationwide staff, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competitors. In the course of the five Gamings through which they medaled, Australia shed to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold award contest. The squads last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break a number of journalism inquiries moving right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Crew USA's 14-point win over Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. shifted up its beginning five against Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the move repair its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young in place of Taurasi-- who possessed final go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal step. Along with 15 factors versus Nigeria, Young appears to be carving out a duty as Team U.S.A.'s third scorer behind A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Young is the merely other U.S. gamer balancing dual designs at 10.3 points every activity.) Young, among three Las Vegas Aces gamers in the starting 5, exhibited her 3-point capturing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her capability to obtain downhill and also reach from midrange that stood apart, together with her trademark self defense in the backcourt. It took until the center of the 2nd one-fourth for the united state to actually place its feet on the gas versus Nigeria, but Youthful's aggressiveness as well as power on both ends ought to remain to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi seemed to do well off the seat, where she improved as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I will really love to view starting point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to rating. She overlooked all 3 of her go attempts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 until now during the course of the Olympics. Amazingly, the USA outscored Nigeria by just two points in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or far better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our final roundtable, the U.S. ladies can conquer one non-scorer in the starting 5 so long as she is delivering something else to the desk. And Gray is actually along with her playmaking, having right now amounted to 22 assists versus just 3 turnovers. Therefore, I do not presume trainer Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create more changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat troubles perform the Australians posture, as well as what could create all of them a difficult matchup?Top accounts of the week from Get special access to lots of premium posts a year from leading writers. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB student training class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP war, various other awards "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP ethnicity" Additional ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA followers will definitely be well acquainted with this Opals squad, which includes the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and also Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Right train Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not merely perform the Opals have the skill to contend against Crew U.S.A.. They possess energy and resolve following their unsatisfying begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually felt free to with her team's grace and also guts over the past week, pair of qualities a challenger needs to have when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike boasts five players balancing at least 8.0 PPG, can easily hurt foes inside with Magbegor and Smith however additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the best in the Olympic field and also a lot higher than Team United States's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the group along with eight as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is much deeper and also a lot more gifted than any crew in the business save for the USA ladies. We may question the most ideal worldwide gamer at the Paris Video Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy prospects. But no staff possesses a set of gamers just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Smith, each of whom would certainly have been on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not named to the group this period in spite of similar creation.) As well as no staff outside the united state possesses virtually as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given all that skill, it was actually surprising when Australia shed its position game to Nigeria then barely beat winless Canada. In their previous pair of activities, our experts have actually viewed the Opals we counted on, as they beat bested France to advance to the knockout phase and led Serbia by as lots of as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for three. LeBron approves. United States Network and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anybody cease Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if any individual is actually going to include all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor and Johnson. Australia's blog post players rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game as well as have the movement to defend Stewart and also Wilson on the border. Magbegor is actually specifically experienced versus each enemies, having actually encountered Stewart in practice for 3 years as Storm allies and compared along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant obstacle for Magbegor as well as Johnson is nasty problem. Magbegor grabbed three first-half fouls versus Canada, and Smith possessed 2 in the very first one-fourth versus France, confining their moments. Back-up George is actually a challenging, competent gamer (she racked up 18 factors in 24 minutes versus Serbia) however no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises an authentic problem. Yet offered the experience Stewart as well as Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is going with her 3rd Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Smith are actually looking in their initial Gamings-- I 'd count on the Group U.S.A. extremely duo to produce the winning plays needed in such a high-pressure scenario to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium will be a more durable challenger for Crew USA?Pelton: I'm choosing Belgium, which gave the U.S. ladies their hardest Olympic test however. The Americans dominated by thirteen points, although the margin was only 7 getting into the fourth one-fourth of a team stage activity played in Lille, France, near the perimeter along with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo especially battling from downtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring 13 factors along with seven helps (albeit along with nine turnovers) as Belgium navigated previous Spain, the only other crew besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the host country with the crowd on its own edge as well as a lot of pride vulnerable, a complicated protective team in France wouldn't be actually a piece of cake, either, especially if Marine Johannes can blow up like she performed versus Germany along with 24 factors off the bench and along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Group U.S.A. played its greatest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, particularly on offense, can easily still be actually an issue. There are actually opportunities when the shortage of participating in time together or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still evident. It goes without saying, there is actually a reason that Sue Bird lately said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is the best annoying basketball she has actually ever participated in. After a little bit of a slow start, the USA inevitably led by 30 in the 3rd quarter against Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have enjoyed exactly how her team permitted the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game just before the ultimate buzzer. Through 4 video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point capturing have not definitely been corrected, which might be a concern if rivals get hot coming from deep.Team USA can not disregard some of the continuing to be teams in the business, however along with a protective identity as well as offensive expertise led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has shown it may put video games away when it requires to, something that should transmit over in to the final pair of games.Pelton: On the flip side, I presume the capturing is also main reason to believe there's one more gear for the united state ladies. Jointly, the 12 players on the roster have actually integrated to fire thirty three% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this season. That won't gain a "Sprinkle Sis" nickname at any time soon, but it is actually likewise much better than Staff United States has actually dealt with coming from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to heat from long array. Keep an eye out if they ultimately carry out.