.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's college baseball as well as the WNBA.Earlier covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore native with more experience at the Dallas Morning Headlines, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Article Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus set.In the past a specialist along with the Indiana Pacers.Established WARP ranking as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide rivals are going to reunite on Friday, as the USA women's baseball crew goes up against the Australian Opals along with an area in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold medal match on the line.Team USA, which is using a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic victories, advanced to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung all together three straight triumphes, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. women have been the gold specification for baseball all over the planet, succeeding seven consecutive Olympic gold medals and 9 general, Australia has been a historic goliath together with them. The Opals have medaled in five of the past seven Summer seasons Video games, take away three silvers and 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the very first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 Greater london Video games.2012 likewise was the last opportunity the epic Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic stage for the eco-friendly as well as gold-- until now. While Group United States possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her fifth Gamings as well as initially in 12 years. Jackson has actually regularly medaled in the competitors, and also though she has viewed limited action so far in France, she has an opportunity to proceed that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six energetic WNBA gamers-- possesses loads of energy, but the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity versus the USA elderly national group, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the course of the five Video games in which they medaled, Australia dropped to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The squads last met in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton malfunction several of journalism concerns heading right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Staff U.S.A.'s 14-point gain Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team United States shifted up its beginning 5 against Nigeria, with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the move fix its own problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young instead of Taurasi-- that possessed final come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the correct action. Along with 15 aspects against Nigeria, Youthful looks taking a task as Staff USA's 3rd scorer behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Youthful is the only various other U.S. gamer balancing dual designs at 10.3 aspects per activity.) Youthful, among three Las Vegas Aces gamers in the starting five, exhibited her 3-point firing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her potential to obtain downhill and strike coming from midrange that stuck out, together with her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took until the center of the 2nd quarter for the USA to truly place its own foot on the gas versus Nigeria, yet Young's aggressiveness as well as power on each ends must continue to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi appeared to carry out effectively off the bench, where she boosted as a facilitator with four assists.Pelton: I would certainly enjoy to see starting point player Chelsea Gray be actually a risk to credit rating. She skipped all three of her shot tries in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 until now throughout the Olympics. Amazingly, the united state outscored Nigeria through just two aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even much better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the USA girls may conquer one non-scorer in the starting 5 as long as she is carrying something else to the desk. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually today totaled 22 aids versus just three turnovers. Thus, I do not presume coach Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat problems perform the Australians position, as well as what might create them a challenging matchup?Top stories of the full week from Receive exclusive accessibility to lots of premium short articles a year from top article writers. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB student course "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP battle, various other honors "u2022 25 most important players in CFP ethnicity" Additional ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA fans will certainly be well aware of this Opals squad, which features the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Freedom instructor Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not only carry out the Opals have the talent to complete versus Team USA. They have drive as well as resolve following their disappointing begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been felt free to with her crew's grace as well as guts over the past week, pair of qualities a rival needs when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced attack boasts 5 players averaging at the very least 8.0 PPG, can hurt adversaries inside along with Magbegor and also Smith however likewise coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most ideal in the Olympic field as well as much greater than Group United States's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the crew with 8 and also seven treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is much deeper as well as extra talented than any kind of crew in the field except for the U.S. females. Our company can discuss the best international player at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong prospects. But no staff has a pair of players as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, both of whom would certainly possess performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not called to the crew this time despite comparable manufacturing.) As well as no crew outside the united state possesses almost as much WNBA knowledge throughout its roster.Given everything talent, it was actually astonishing when Australia shed its own position activity to Nigeria after that rarely defeat winless Canada. In their previous pair of games, our company have actually seen the Opals our company expected, as they beat bested France to advance to the knockout stage as well as led Serbia by as a lot of as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for 3. LeBron approves. United States Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May any individual cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anybody is actually heading to include them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and Smith. Australia's post gamers rate second (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per activity and possess the mobility to defend Stewart and Wilson on the border. Magbegor is actually specifically experienced against each rivals, having actually encountered Stewart in practice for 3 years as Storm teammates and matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest hurdle for Magbegor as well as Smith is actually repulsive trouble. Magbegor grabbed three first-half fouls against Canada, as well as Smith possessed pair of in the very first quarter versus France, limiting their mins. Backup George is actually a tough, proficient gamer (she scored 18 points in 24 minutes against Serbia) however no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate issue. But given the experience Stewart and also Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is going with her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and Smith are actually showing up in their initial Gamings-- I will anticipate the Crew USA incredibly duo to help make the winning participates in important in such a stressful circumstance to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium will be a more durable enemy for Crew USA?Pelton: I'm opting for Belgium, which offered the USA women their toughest Olympic examination but. The Americans prevailed by thirteen points, although the scope was simply seven entering the 4th quarter of a group phase game played in Lille, France, near the edge with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo particularly battling from downtown while missing 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring 13 factors with seven helps (albeit with nine turnovers) as Belgium travelled previous Spain, the merely other staff besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation along with the crowd on its own edge and a lot of satisfaction on the line, a challenging protective group in France definitely would not be a piece of cake, either, particularly if Marine Johannes may blow up like she carried out against Germany with 24 points off the seat and with Gabby Williams leading the way on both ends.Has Team USA played its absolute best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, especially on offense, can still be a problem. There are actually opportunities when the lack of participating in opportunity with each other or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still obvious. It goes without saying, there is actually a reason that Sue Bird just recently stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Baseball is actually the absolute most awkward baseball she has actually ever before played. After a little bit of a slow-moving start, the USA ultimately led by 30 in the 3rd quarter versus Nigeria, yet Reeve couldn't have actually adored how her crew enabled the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game before the ultimate buzzer. Through four games, the Americans' lack of 3-point firing hasn't really been corrected, which could be a problem if opponents fume coming from deep.Team United States can not disregard any one of the remaining crews in the field, however along with a protective identification and offensive prowess led by Stewart and Wilson, it has actually shown it can put activities away when it needs to, one thing that needs to move over in to the ultimate 2 games.Pelton: On the other hand, I believe the firing is additionally explanation to believe there is actually another equipment for the USA women. Jointly, the 12 players on the roster have combined to shoot 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this period. That won't get a "Splash Sis" nickname whenever quickly, yet it is actually likewise better than Crew U.S.A. has actually dealt with from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are outstanding to warm up coming from long selection. Watch out if they eventually do.