.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's university baseball and also the WNBA.Earlier dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and Baltimore indigenous along with additional take in at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seattle Times and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus set.Formerly a professional along with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP rating as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide competitors will reunite on Friday, as the USA females's baseball team goes up against the Australian Opals with a location in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold medal match on the line.Team United States, which is using a touch of 59 successive Olympic success, developed to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to a distressed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung with each other three upright victories, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA ladies have actually been the gold criterion for baseball all over the planet, succeeding 7 consecutive Olympic gold medals as well as 9 total, Australia has actually been actually a famous giant together with them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past seven Summers months Video games, take away three silvers as well as two bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris denotes the first time they've improved past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 Greater london Video games.2012 additionally was actually the final opportunity the legendary Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the environment-friendly as well as gold-- previously. While Staff USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, appearing in her 5th Video games and initially in 12 years. Jackson has actually constantly medaled in the competitors, and also though she has found restricted action up until now in France, she has an opportunity to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 active WNBA players-- has loads of drive, but the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity against the USA senior national group, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. Throughout the five Video games through which they medaled, Australia shed to the U.S. either in the semifinals or even the gold medal competition. The squads last met in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton break some of journalism inquiries heading right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Group U.S.A.'s 14-point win over Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team USA changed up its own beginning 5 against Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the relocation fix its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young instead of Taurasi-- who possessed last come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the appropriate step. Along with 15 points against Nigeria, Youthful appears to be taking a duty as Staff U.S.A.'s 3rd marker behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Youthful is the merely other united state gamer averaging double figures at 10.3 points every game.) Youthful, among three Sin city Aces gamers in the starting 5, exhibited her 3-point capturing previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless coming from deep on Wednesday, it was her capacity to obtain downhill and also strike from midrange that stuck out, along with her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the 2nd quarter for the USA to really place its own feet on the fuel versus Nigeria, however Youthful's aggressiveness and power on both ends should continue to return. As well as Taurasi seemed to be to accomplish properly off the seat, where she improved as a facilitator with four assists.Pelton: I 'd really love to find starting point player Chelsea Gray be a risk to credit rating. She skipped all 3 of her chance attempts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 until now during the Olympics. Amazingly, the united state outscored Nigeria through just 2 aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all four other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or even far better while on the court.Still, as I discussed in our last roundtable, the U.S. females can easily get rid of one non-scorer in the starting five so long as she is actually carrying another thing to the table. As well as Gray is with her playmaking, having right now totaled 22 helps versus just 3 turnovers. Therefore, I do not assume trainer Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat problems carry out the Australians position, and what could possibly create all of them a difficult matchup?Top tales of the full week coming from Receive unique accessibility to hundreds of premium posts a year coming from best writers. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB student training class "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP war, various other awards "u2022 25 essential players in CFP nationality" Even more ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts are going to be effectively acquainted with this Opals team, which includes the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New York Right coach Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not merely perform the Opals have the ability to complete versus Group United States. They possess drive and also resolve following their disappointing beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been satisfied with her crew's grace as well as guts over recent full week, 2 high qualities a challenger needs when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced attack includes five players balancing at least 8.0 PPG, may harm opponents inside with Magbegor as well as Johnson but additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the very best in the Olympic field and considerably greater than Group United States's puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the team with 8 as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is deeper and a lot more gifted than any type of crew in the field barring the united state girls. Our experts can easily question the greatest international gamer at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong candidates. However no staff has a pair of gamers comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Johnson, both of whom will have gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not named to the team this period regardless of comparable creation.) And no staff outside the USA possesses virtually as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its roster.Given all that ability, it was actually astonishing when Australia dropped its opening game to Nigeria then barely trump winless Canada. In their previous 2 games, our company have actually observed the Opals our experts anticipated, as they trump topped France to develop to the knockout phase and also led Serbia by as lots of as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for 3. LeBron permits. United States System as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can any individual cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if any person is visiting have all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson. Australia's article gamers place 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per activity as well as possess the range of motion to defend Stewart and Wilson on the border. Magbegor is particularly experienced against each opponents, having actually faced Stewart in practice for 3 years as Storm allies as well as paired up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest barrier for Magbegor and Johnson is nasty trouble. Magbegor picked up 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and also Smith possessed pair of in the 1st fourth versus France, limiting their moments. Back-up George is a challenging, proficient player (she racked up 18 points in 24 mins against Serbia) but nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid problem. But offered the encounter Stewart as well as Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is choosing her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her second, while Magbegor and also Johnson are actually appearing in their first Video games-- I will count on the Group U.S.A. tremendously duo to make the winning participates in important in such a high-pressure scenario to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium would certainly be a harder challenger for Crew USA?Pelton: I'm selecting Belgium, which offered the USA ladies their hardest Olympic exam but. The Americans dominated by thirteen aspects, although the scope was only 7 entering the fourth one-fourth of a group stage game played in Lille, France, near the borderline with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo especially struggling from downtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up thirteen points along with seven supports (albeit along with 9 turn overs) as Belgium navigated previous Spain, the only various other group besides the U.S. that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the lot nation along with the group on its side and also loads of pleasure on the line, a difficult protective group in France wouldn't be actually a piece of cake, either, particularly if Marine Johannes may go off like she performed versus Germany along with 24 points off the seat as well as along with Gabby Williams leading the way on both ends.Has Group USA played its own greatest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, particularly on offense, can still be actually a problem. There are times when the absence of playing time with each other or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still obvious. After all, there's a reason Sue Bird lately stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Basketball is the best uncomfortable basketball she has actually ever played. After a bit of a slow start, the united state at some point led by 30 in the third fourth against Nigeria, but Reeve could not have loved how her crew made it possible for the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game prior to the last buzzer. Through 4 games, the Americans' absence of 3-point capturing have not definitely been actually solved, which can be a concern if opponents fume from deep.Team United States can't overlook any one of the remaining teams in the field, however along with a defensive identity as well as offensive adeptness led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually presented it can put activities away when it requires to, one thing that must transmit over right into the ultimate pair of games.Pelton: On the flip side, I believe the firing is likewise main reason to believe there's an additional equipment for the USA women. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the lineup have mixed to shoot 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this period. That will not make a "Burst Sis" nickname any time soon, however it's likewise much better than Crew USA has actually managed coming from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are past due to warm coming from lengthy variation. Watch out if they ultimately carry out.