.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's college basketball as well as the WNBA.Recently dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore native with additional encounter at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus collection.In the past a professional with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP rating as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international rivals are going to reunite on Friday, as the United States women's basketball crew goes up against the Australian Opals along with an area in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold medal match on the line.Team United States, which is actually riding a streak of 59 successive Olympic triumphes, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Following a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together three straight success, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. females have been the gold specification for basketball all over the globe, winning 7 successive Olympic gold awards and also nine overall, Australia has actually been actually a historic goliath alongside all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past seven Summer seasons Games, take away 3 silvers and 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the very first time they have actually advanced past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 London Gamings.2012 additionally was actually the last opportunity the famous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly and gold-- previously. While Team U.S.A. possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, appearing in her fifth Games and also initially in 12 years. Jackson has regularly medaled in the competitors, and also though she has found minimal action so far in France, she possesses an odds to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 active WNBA players-- has a lot of drive, however the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the united state senior nationwide staff, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the 5 Games through which they medaled, Australia dropped to the U.S. either in the semifinals or even the gold medal contest. The teams last complied with in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break down a number of the pressing inquiries moving in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Crew United States's 14-point draw Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team United States switched up its own starting 5 against Nigeria, with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the technique fix its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young in place of Taurasi-- who had last come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the best action. Along with 15 points against Nigeria, Youthful seems taking a function as Staff United States's third scorer behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Youthful is actually the just other united state gamer averaging double designs at 10.3 points every video game.) Young, one of three Sin city Aces gamers in the starting five, displayed her 3-point firing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her capability to get downhill as well as reach coming from midrange that stood apart, alongside her trademark protection in the backcourt. It took until the center of the 2nd fourth for the U.S. to definitely place its own feet on the gasoline versus Nigeria, but Youthful's aggression and also power on each ends must continue to return. And Taurasi seemed to do effectively off the bench, where she stepped up as a facilitator along with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd really love to view starting point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a hazard to credit rating. She overlooked all 3 of her chance efforts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 thus far during the course of the Olympics. Incredibly, the united state outscored Nigeria by merely two points in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even far better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our final roundtable, the USA girls can easily overcome one non-scorer in the beginning five such a long time as she is actually carrying something else to the table. And also Gray is actually along with her playmaking, having today totted 22 assists against only 3 turnovers. Therefore, I don't presume trainer Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create more changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat complications do the Australians posture, as well as what can make them a hard matchup?Top accounts of the full week from Receive unique access to thousands of premium write-ups a year coming from top authors. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP battle, other awards "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP race" Even more ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA supporters will definitely be effectively acquainted with this Opals team, which features the Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Freedom train Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not simply do the Opals possess the ability to complete against Group USA. They possess momentum and willpower following their frustrating start to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually felt free to with her crew's poise and also guts over recent week, two top qualities a challenger needs when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced attack boasts five gamers averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, may hurt foes inside with Magbegor and also Johnson yet additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the greatest in the Olympic field as well as much greater than Team U.S.A.'s modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff with eight and also seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually deeper as well as much more gifted than any sort of staff in the business save for the united state women. Our experts can easily dispute the very best worldwide gamer at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough prospects. But no crew possesses a pair of gamers like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson, both of whom will have performed my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not named to the group this season in spite of comparable development.) And no crew outside the USA has virtually as much WNBA adventure throughout its roster.Given all that ability, it was surprising when Australia dropped its own opening game to Nigeria then barely defeat winless Canada. In their past pair of video games, we have actually observed the Opals our experts expected, as they defeat surpassed France to develop to the knockout stage and led Serbia by as lots of as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for 3. LeBron accepts. U.S.A. System and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily anyone quit Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any individual is going to have all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's article players rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game and possess the flexibility to defend Stewart and Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is especially experienced against both enemies, having actually faced Stewart in practice for three years as Hurricane teammates as well as compared with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest barrier for Magbegor and also Smith is actually nasty problem. Magbegor grabbed 3 first-half fouls against Canada, as well as Johnson had two in the initial one-fourth versus France, confining their mins. Backup George is a hard, experienced player (she racked up 18 factors in 24 minutes against Serbia) however nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid problem. However offered the encounter Stewart as well as Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is going with her third Olympic gold as well as Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Johnson are looking in their very first Games-- I would certainly anticipate the Team United States super duo to create the winning participates in necessary in such a high-pressure circumstance to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium would certainly be actually a tougher opponent for Group USA?Pelton: I'm selecting Belgium, which offered the U.S. females their hardest Olympic examination but. The Americans prevailed by 13 aspects, although the scope was only 7 entering into the 4th one-fourth of a team phase game played in Lille, France, near the borderline with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, with Julie Vanloo specifically having a hard time coming from downtown while missing 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring thirteen factors along with seven supports (albeit with 9 turnovers) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the simply various other group besides the united state that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch country along with the crowd on its edge and loads of satisfaction vulnerable, a hard defensive crew in France would not be a pushover, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can easily blow up like she did versus Germany with 24 factors off the bench as well as along with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on both ends.Has Staff USA played its own greatest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, specifically on offense, may still be actually a concern. There are actually times when the lack of participating in time with each other or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still noticeable. After all, there is actually a reason that Sue Bird just recently said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is actually the best uneasy basketball she has actually ever participated in. After a little a sluggish beginning, the U.S. eventually led by 30 in the 3rd quarter versus Nigeria, however Reeve could not have liked exactly how her team permitted the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point activity just before the final buzzer. With four activities, the Americans' shortage of 3-point capturing hasn't actually been treated, which can be a problem if challengers fume from deep.Team U.S.A. can't neglect any one of the staying crews in the business, yet with a defensive identity as well as aggressive prowess led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has shown it may place video games away when it requires to, something that must move over in to the last two games.Pelton: On the flip side, I presume the firing is likewise reason to believe there is actually another gear for the USA females. Collectively, the 12 players on the roster have actually integrated to fire 33% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this time. That will not make a "Splash Siblings" label whenever quickly, yet it's additionally better than Group U.S.A. has managed from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are outstanding to warm up from lengthy selection. Keep an eye out if they lastly perform.