.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's college basketball and also the WNBA.Earlier dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore native along with further experience at the Dallas Morning Headlines, Seat Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus series.Formerly a professional along with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP score as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide competitors will definitely meet again on Friday, as the USA females's basketball staff confronts the Australian Opals with a place in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award match on the line.Team United States, which is riding a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic success, advanced to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung all together three upright triumphes, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. ladies have actually been actually the gold criterion for basketball throughout the world, gaining 7 consecutive Olympic gold awards and also nine overall, Australia has actually been actually a historic powerhouse alongside all of them. The Opals have medaled in five of recent seven Summertimes Gamings, take away 3 silvers and also two bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris denotes the very first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals due to the fact that the 2012 London Gamings.2012 additionally was actually the last time the legendary Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic stage for the eco-friendly and also gold-- previously. While Staff U.S.A. has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, appearing in her 5th Video games and also initially in 12 years. Jackson has regularly medaled in the competition, and though she has actually viewed restricted action until now in France, she possesses an odds to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 active WNBA players-- has a lot of drive, yet the Opals are actually 0-20 all time against the USA senior national staff, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. In the course of the 5 Gamings in which they medaled, Australia dropped to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The squads last satisfied in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton break some of journalism questions heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Young for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Group USA's 14-point get Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched up its own beginning five versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the move correct its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young in place of Taurasi-- who possessed last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the correct step. Along with 15 points versus Nigeria, Youthful looks carving out a job as Crew United States's third scorer behind A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Young is actually the simply various other U.S. player averaging dual designs at 10.3 factors every video game.) Youthful, one of three Sin city Aces gamers in the starting five, showed off her 3-point shooting previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her ability to acquire downhill as well as attack coming from midrange that attracted attention, alongside her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took up until the middle of the second quarter for the united state to really put its own feet on the gasoline against Nigeria, yet Young's hostility and electricity on both ends must remain to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi appeared to do effectively off the bench, where she improved as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I will adore to view starting point player Chelsea Gray be a hazard to rating. She overlooked all 3 of her try efforts in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 until now throughout the Olympics. Amazingly, the united state outscored Nigeria through only two factors in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other beginners 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 females can easily beat one non-scorer in the beginning 5 as long as she is carrying something else to the table. And also Gray is actually with her playmaking, having actually today amounted to 22 supports against simply three turnovers. Thus, I don't presume coach Cheryl Reeve requires to create more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat concerns perform the Australians posture, and also what can create them a difficult matchup?Top accounts of the week from Acquire unique accessibility to lots of costs short articles a year coming from top writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore course "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP battle, other awards "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP race" Even more ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA fans will be actually well aware of this Opals squad, which includes the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Right trainer Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not only perform the Opals have the skill to complete versus Group USA. They possess energy and also willpower observing their unsatisfactory start to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been pleased with her crew's grace as well as grit over the past full week, 2 top qualities an opponent requires when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault boasts 5 players averaging at the very least 8.0 PPG, can hurt enemies inside along with Magbegor as well as Johnson but additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the greatest in the Olympic field and also a lot higher than Crew United States's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the team along with 8 as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is deeper as well as much more proficient than any type of team in the business barring the USA females. Our team can debate the very best international player at the Paris Video Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as solid candidates. But no staff has a pair of gamers comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Smith, each 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 season in spite of similar production.) And also no crew outside the USA possesses nearly as a lot WNBA knowledge throughout its roster.Given the only thing that ability, it was astonishing when Australia shed its own position activity to Nigeria after that hardly beat winless Canada. In their previous pair of activities, our experts have actually viewed the Opals our experts counted on, as they trump surpassed France to develop to the knockout phase and also led Serbia by as a lot of as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for three. LeBron approves. U.S.A. System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May any individual cease Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if anybody is actually mosting likely to contain them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's post players position 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game and also possess the mobility to stand up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced versus each opponents, having actually encountered Stewart in practice for three years as Tornado allies and paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant obstacle for Magbegor and also Johnson is actually nasty difficulty. Magbegor got three first-half fouls against Canada, and also Johnson possessed 2 in the very first one-fourth versus France, restricting their mins. Back-up George is a difficult, skillful player (she racked up 18 factors in 24 moments against Serbia) but nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises an authentic issue. But provided the encounter Stewart as well as Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is actually selecting her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Smith are actually showing up in their very first Gamings-- I would certainly count on the Group U.S.A. incredibly duo to create the winning participates in necessary in such a high-pressure condition to breakthrough to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium will be a more durable enemy for Group USA?Pelton: I'm picking Belgium, which provided the USA ladies their hardest Olympic test yet. The Americans prevailed by 13 aspects, although the margin was actually simply seven getting in the 4th one-fourth of a group phase video game played in Lille, France, near the edge along with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo especially straining from downtown while skipping 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up 13 aspects along with 7 assists (albeit with 9 turnovers) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the merely other staff besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the host country with the group on its own side as well as lots of pride on the line, a complicated protective group in France definitely would not be a pushover, either, particularly if Marine Johannes can blow up like she performed against Germany with 24 points off the bench and with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Crew U.S.A. played its own ideal basketball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, particularly on outburst, can easily still be actually a concern. There are actually times when the lack of playing opportunity together or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still noticeable. Nevertheless, there's a main reason why Sue Bird lately pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Baseball is the most uncomfortable basketball she has ever played. After a little bit of a slow start, the united state eventually led by 30 in the third quarter against Nigeria, but Reeve could not have loved exactly how her team permitted the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game just before the last buzzer. By means of 4 video games, the Americans' lack of 3-point shooting hasn't actually been actually remedied, which could be a problem if opponents get hot from deep.Team U.S.A. can't forget any one of the remaining groups in the field, but along with a protective identification and also offensive adeptness led through Stewart and Wilson, it has presented it can place games away when it requires to, one thing that ought to transfer over in to the last 2 games.Pelton: On the other side, I presume the capturing is likewise factor to strongly believe there is actually an additional equipment for the USA girls. Together, the 12 gamers on the lineup have actually integrated to shoot thirty three% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this time. That will not gain a "Sprinkle Sis" nickname any time very soon, but it is actually also better than Crew U.S.A. has actually handled coming from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are outstanding to warm up from long variation. Look out if they ultimately do.