.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's college basketball as well as the WNBA.Recently dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore indigenous with more experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Article Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Program collection.In the past an expert along with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP rating as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide opponents will definitely meet again on Friday, as the USA females's baseball staff confronts the Australian Opals along with a location in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award suit on the line.Team USA, which is actually riding a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic triumphes, developed to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing an upset loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung all together three upright triumphes, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state women have actually been the gold requirement for basketball throughout the planet, gaining 7 consecutive Olympic gold awards and also nine overall, Australia has been actually a historic goliath together with them. The Opals have medaled in five of the past seven Summer seasons Gamings, taking home 3 silvers and also pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the first time they've improved past the quarterfinals since the 2012 London Gamings.2012 also was actually the final time the fabulous Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic phase for the environment-friendly as well as gold-- previously. While Group USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Gamings and also first in 12 years. Jackson has actually consistently medaled in the competition, and though she has actually viewed minimal action until now in France, she has an odds to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts 6 energetic WNBA players-- has plenty of drive, yet the Opals are 0-20 all time versus the USA senior national group, including 0-8 in Olympic competitors. Throughout the five Gamings through which they medaled, Australia lost to the united state either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The squads final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break a few of the pressing concerns heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Young for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart speaks along with Brian Windhorst after Crew United States's 14-point gain Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team USA shifted up its beginning 5 versus Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the technique correct its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful in place of Taurasi-- who possessed final come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal relocation. Along with 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Youthful looks taking a duty as Staff USA's 3rd scorer behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Young is actually the simply other united state player balancing dual figures at 10.3 factors per game.) Young, some of three Sin city Aces players in the starting five, displayed her 3-point firing earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless coming from deeper on Wednesday, it was her ability to get downhill and hit coming from midrange that stood apart, alongside her hallmark defense in the backcourt. It took till the middle of the second fourth for the U.S. to truly place its foot on the gas against Nigeria, however Young's aggression and power on each ends must remain to return. As well as Taurasi appeared to carry out effectively off the bench, where she improved as a facilitator with four assists.Pelton: I would certainly adore to see starting point guard Chelsea Gray be a threat to credit rating. She missed out on all three of her go tries in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 thus far during the course of the Olympics. Incredibly, the USA outscored Nigeria through merely pair of factors in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our last roundtable, the USA girls may overcome one non-scorer in the beginning five so long as she is actually delivering another thing to the desk. And also Gray is with her playmaking, having right now amounted to 22 helps against only 3 turnovers. Thus, I don't believe trainer Cheryl Reeve requires to make further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat concerns perform the Australians pose, and what could possibly create all of them a challenging matchup?Top accounts of the week from Get special accessibility to 1000s of superior articles a year coming from top writers. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore training class "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP fight, various other awards "u2022 25 essential players in CFP ethnicity" Additional ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts are going to be properly aware of this Opals team, which features the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and also Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Freedom coach Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not simply do the Opals have the talent to contend versus Staff USA. They have drive and resolve following their unsatisfying beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has been felt free to along with her team's poise and grit over the past full week, 2 top qualities a challenger needs when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike boasts five players averaging at least 8.0 PPG, can hurt adversaries inside along with Magbegor and also Johnson however additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the best in the Olympic industry and also considerably more than Team United States's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the crew along with eight as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is much deeper as well as much more talented than any kind of crew in the business except for the USA females. We can debate the most ideal international player at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough prospects. But no crew possesses a pair of players comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Johnson, each of whom will possess gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not called to the group this time even with comparable development.) As well as no staff outside the USA has nearly as much WNBA experience throughout its roster.Given everything talent, it was stunning when Australia shed its opening game to Nigeria after that barely trump winless Canada. In their past pair of activities, our team have actually viewed the Opals our experts anticipated, as they beat bested France to develop to the knockout stage and led Serbia by as numerous as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for 3. LeBron permits. U.S.A. Network and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily any person stop Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any individual is actually mosting likely to include them, it's the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's blog post players position 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every video game as well as possess the flexibility to speak up for Stewart and also Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is particularly experienced against both opponents, having faced Stewart virtual for 3 years as Storm colleagues as well as compared along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest difficulty for Magbegor as well as Johnson is foul problem. Magbegor grabbed 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and also Johnson possessed 2 in the first quarter versus France, restricting their mins. Back-up George is actually a challenging, skilled gamer (she racked up 18 factors in 24 moments against Serbia) however no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises an authentic worry. But provided the experience Stewart and Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is actually going with her 3rd Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and Smith are actually seeming in their first Gamings-- I 'd anticipate the Staff USA incredibly duo to create the winning participates in required in such a high-pressure situation to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium will be actually a more durable rival for Staff USA?Pelton: I'm opting for Belgium, which offered the USA girls their hardest Olympic exam yet. The Americans dominated through thirteen factors, although the margin was merely 7 entering the 4th quarter of a team stage video game played in Lille, France, near the edge with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo especially battling from midtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring 13 aspects with 7 supports (albeit with nine turn overs) as Belgium travelled previous Spain, the simply other crew besides the united state that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the bunch country along with the crowd on its side and also a lot of pleasure on the line, a hard protective staff in France wouldn't be actually a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can easily go off like she performed against Germany along with 24 points off the seat as well as along with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on each ends.Has Team U.S.A. played its absolute best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, specifically on outburst, can still be actually a problem. There are actually opportunities when the absence of participating in time with each other or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still noticeable. Nevertheless, there's a reason why Sue Bird lately mentioned on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Baseball is actually the best uneasy basketball she has ever played. After a little a sluggish begin, the U.S. ultimately led by 30 in the 3rd fourth versus Nigeria, yet Reeve couldn't have adored exactly how her group made it possible for the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game before the ultimate buzzer. Through 4 games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point capturing have not actually been solved, which could be a concern if enemies get hot from deep.Team United States can not forget some of the staying staffs in the business, but with a defensive identity and aggressive prowess led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has revealed it can easily put activities away when it requires to, something that must move over into the final two games.Pelton: On the flip side, I think the capturing is additionally reason to think there is actually yet another equipment for the USA ladies. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the roster have actually combined to shoot thirty three% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this time. That will not gain a "Splash Sis" label any time soon, but it is actually also far better than Group USA has actually dealt with from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are past due to heat up coming from long variety. Keep an eye out if they finally carry out.