.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's university basketball as well as the WNBA.Previously covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore indigenous with additional encounter at the Dallas Early Morning Information, Seat Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Author Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus set.In the past a specialist with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international opponents will definitely reunite on Friday, as the USA girls's basketball staff confronts the Australian Opals along with a location in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold award match on the line.Team U.S.A., which is actually riding a streak of 59 successive Olympic success, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to a dismayed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together three upright success, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA females have actually been the gold criterion for basketball throughout the planet, succeeding seven successive Olympic gold awards as well as 9 general, Australia has been actually a historic goliath together with them. The Opals have medaled in five of recent 7 Summertimes Gamings, taking home 3 silvers and also pair of bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the first time they have actually advanced past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 Greater london Games.2012 additionally was the final time the fabulous Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the green as well as gold-- previously. While Crew USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Games as well as to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has actually regularly medaled in the competitors, and also though she has observed minimal activity until now in France, she possesses an opportunity to continue that streak this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 energetic WNBA gamers-- has loads of drive, however the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity versus the U.S. senior national staff, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. Throughout the five Gamings in which they medaled, Australia shed to the USA either in the semifinals or even the gold medal contest. The squads final complied with in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break a few of the pressing questions heading right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit ratings Jackie Young for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Staff United States's 14-point draw Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched up its starting 5 against Nigeria, with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the action correct its own concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful in place of Taurasi-- who had final go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the right relocation. With 15 factors against Nigeria, Young appears to be carving out a task as Crew U.S.A.'s third marker behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Youthful is the merely other USA player balancing double figures at 10.3 points per video game.) Young, some of 3 Sin city Aces gamers in the beginning 5, exhibited her 3-point shooting earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her capacity to obtain downhill and also hit from midrange that stood out, in addition to her trademark protection in the backcourt. It took up until the middle of the 2nd one-fourth for the USA to truly place its feet on the gasoline against Nigeria, yet Youthful's aggression as well as energy on each ends ought to continue to pay dividends. And Taurasi seemed to carry out effectively off the seat, where she stepped up as a company with 4 assists.Pelton: I would certainly adore to observe beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to credit rating. She overlooked all 3 of her shot efforts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 thus far during the course of the Olympics. Amazingly, the united state outscored Nigeria through just pair of factors in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or even far better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our last roundtable, the USA women can easily beat one non-scorer in the beginning five such a long time as she is carrying something else to the table. And Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually right now completed 22 assists against merely three turnovers. Therefore, I don't think coach Cheryl Reeve requires to make further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat complications carry out the Australians present, and also what might create them a hard matchup?Top stories of the full week from Receive exclusive accessibility to countless premium write-ups a year coming from leading article writers. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB sophomore class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP fight, other honors "u2022 25 essential gamers in CFP ethnicity" More ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA fans are going to be well knowledgeable about this Opals squad, which includes the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Freedom instructor Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not simply carry out the Opals have the talent to contend versus Team U.S.A.. They have energy and also willpower following their frustrating start to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually satisfied along with her team's poise and grit over the past week, two top qualities a rival needs when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike includes 5 gamers averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can easily injure foes inside along with Magbegor and Smith but also from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the best in the Olympic area as well as a lot more than Staff United States's puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the crew along with eight and also seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is actually deeper and more talented than any type of staff in the business save for the USA women. Our company may question the greatest international player at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful applicants. Yet no crew possesses a set of players just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Smith, each of whom will possess been on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not called to the team this time regardless of comparable production.) And also no team outside the USA possesses almost as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its roster.Given the only thing that talent, it was surprising when Australia shed its opening game to Nigeria then rarely trump winless Canada. In their previous pair of games, our company have actually viewed the Opals our experts expected, as they defeat exceeded France to develop to the knockout phase as well as led Serbia by as several as 28 in an askew quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron authorizes. U.S.A. System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May any individual quit Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anyone is actually going to contain all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's blog post players rank 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every video game and also have the wheelchair to defend Stewart as well as Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is especially experienced against both opponents, having actually encountered Stewart in practice for three years as Tornado colleagues and compared with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest barrier for Magbegor and also Johnson is actually nasty trouble. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls versus Canada, as well as Smith possessed two in the very first one-fourth versus France, restricting their moments. Backup George is actually a hard, proficient player (she scored 18 points in 24 minutes versus Serbia) yet no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a valid worry. But given the take in Stewart and Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is actually selecting her 3rd Olympic gold and also Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Johnson are appearing in their very first Games-- I will anticipate the Crew USA very duo to make the winning plays necessary in such a stressful situation to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would certainly be actually a more durable opponent for Team USA?Pelton: I'm selecting Belgium, which gave the united state girls their toughest Olympic exam but. The Americans prevailed by 13 aspects, although the frame was simply seven entering the 4th one-fourth of a group stage video game played in Lille, France, near the perimeter along with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo especially struggling coming from downtown while skipping 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring 13 aspects with 7 helps (albeit along with 9 turn overs) as Belgium navigated past Spain, the simply other crew besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation along with the group on its side and plenty of pride vulnerable, a complicated defensive crew in France definitely would not be a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes may go off like she carried out against Germany with 24 factors off the seat and also along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Team United States played its own absolute best baseball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, particularly on offense, may still be an issue. There are actually times when the shortage of playing time with each other or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still noticeable. It goes without saying, there's a main reason why Sue Bird recently claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Basketball is the absolute most uneasy basketball she has ever participated in. After a bit of a slow-moving beginning, the united state at some point led through 30 in the 3rd quarter versus Nigeria, but Reeve couldn't have liked just how her staff allowed the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game just before the last buzzer. Through four video games, the Americans' absence of 3-point firing hasn't really been actually remedied, which might be a problem if enemies get hot coming from deep.Team United States can't ignore any of the staying staffs in the business, but with a defensive identification and also aggressive prowess led by Stewart and Wilson, it has shown it can put video games away when it needs to, something that needs to transfer over into the last two games.Pelton: On the other side, I think the shooting is additionally factor to strongly believe there's one more gear for the united state girls. Together, the 12 players on the roster have actually incorporated to fire 33% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this season. That will not gain a "Splash Sisters" label any time soon, yet it's likewise far better than Staff USA has dealt with coming from the 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 lengthy variation. Look out if they finally perform.