.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's college basketball and also the WNBA.Formerly covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and Baltimore indigenous with more take in at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seat Times and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Article Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus collection.Formerly an expert along with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP rating as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide rivals will reunite on Friday, as the USA girls's basketball team confronts the Australian Opals along with an area in the 2024 Paris Games' gold medal match on the line.Team United States, which is actually using a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic triumphes, developed to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Following a dismayed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together three straight triumphes, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. females have been actually the gold specification for basketball throughout the planet, winning seven successive Olympic gold medals and 9 overall, Australia has been actually a famous giant together with all of them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of recent 7 Summer seasons Video games, taking home 3 silvers as well as two bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris denotes the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals since the 2012 Greater london Gamings.2012 additionally was actually the final time the legendary Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the green 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 Gamings and also to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has actually always medaled in the competitors, and also though she has actually seen minimal activity so far in France, she has a chance to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 active WNBA gamers-- possesses a lot of energy, yet the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the united state elderly national staff, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. In the course of the five Games in which they medaled, Australia shed to the U.S. either in the semifinals or even the gold award competition. The squads last satisfied in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break down a number of journalism inquiries moving in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit ratings Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart talks along with Brian Windhorst after Crew U.S.A.'s 14-point draw Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team USA switched over up its own starting five against Nigeria, along with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the step fix its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young in place of Taurasi-- who had final come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the best relocation. Along with 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Youthful seems carving out a duty as Crew USA's third scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Young is the just various other united state player averaging double figures at 10.3 aspects every game.) Young, one of 3 Las Vegas Aces gamers in the starting five, flaunted her 3-point capturing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deeper on Wednesday, it was her potential to get downhill as well as strike coming from midrange that attracted attention, alongside her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took until the center of the 2nd fourth for the USA to actually place its foot on the gasoline against Nigeria, yet Youthful's hostility as well as energy on each ends must continue to return. And also Taurasi seemed to perform properly off the seat, where she stepped up as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I will enjoy to observe starting point player Chelsea Gray be actually a risk to credit rating. She missed all three of her go efforts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 so far in the course of the Olympics. Incredibly, the U.S. outscored Nigeria through just 2 points in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or much better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our final roundtable, the USA ladies can overcome one non-scorer in the starting five so long as she is carrying another thing to the desk. And also Gray is actually with her playmaking, having now totted 22 supports versus simply three turn overs. So, I do not believe trainer Cheryl Reeve needs to have to make more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat concerns carry out the Australians pose, and what might make them a difficult matchup?Top tales of the week coming from Acquire special accessibility to countless superior articles a year coming from top authors. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore lesson "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP war, other awards "u2022 25 essential gamers in CFP race" Even more ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA fans will definitely be actually properly aware of this Opals squad, which includes the Seattle Tornado's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Right trainer Sandy Brondello responsible. Not just perform the Opals possess the talent to compete versus Team USA. They have energy as well as resolve observing their unsatisfactory start to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually pleased along with her staff's grace as well as guts over the past full week, 2 premiums a challenger requires when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike flaunts 5 players averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can harm enemies inside along with Magbegor and Smith however likewise coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the best in the Olympic area as well as much higher than Team U.S.A.'s paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the team along with 8 as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is deeper as well as much more proficient than any sort of staff in the business except for the united state ladies. We can discuss the greatest worldwide player at the Paris Gamings, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong prospects. However no group has a set of gamers comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, each of whom would certainly have been on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not named to the staff this season in spite of similar development.) And also no staff outside the united state possesses virtually as much WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given the only thing that skill, it was actually surprising when Australia shed its own position activity to Nigeria after that rarely defeat winless Canada. In their past pair of video games, our team've observed the Opals our company anticipated, as they beat outdoed France to develop to the knockout stage and also led Serbia through as numerous as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron accepts. United States Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily any individual stop Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if anybody is going to include all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's blog post gamers rank 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity and possess the movement to speak up for Stewart and also Wilson on the border. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced versus each rivals, having actually experienced Stewart in practice for three years as Hurricane teammates and matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest barrier for Magbegor and also Smith is actually nasty difficulty. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls against Canada, and also Johnson had 2 in the very first one-fourth versus France, confining their minutes. Backup George is actually a challenging, skillful gamer (she racked up 18 factors in 24 mins versus Serbia) but no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid worry. Yet provided the experience Stewart and also Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is opting for her 3rd Olympic gold and also Wilson her second, while Magbegor and also Johnson are appearing in their 1st Video games-- I would certainly anticipate the Staff USA incredibly duo to make the winning participates in essential in such a high-pressure condition to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would be a tougher enemy for Team USA?Pelton: I am actually selecting Belgium, which offered the USA females their toughest Olympic exam yet. The Americans dominated through 13 aspects, although the frame was actually just seven getting in the 4th one-fourth of a group stage game played in Lille, France, near the border along with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, along with Julie Vanloo particularly having a hard time from midtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up 13 aspects with 7 aids (albeit with 9 turnovers) as Belgium travelled past Spain, the simply various other group besides the U.S. that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the multitude country along with the crowd on its own side and also loads of honor vulnerable, a challenging defensive crew in France would not be a pushover, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can go off like she carried out against Germany along with 24 factors off the bench and with Gabby Williams leading the way on both ends.Has Crew U.S.A. played its own absolute best baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, particularly on outburst, can easily still be actually a problem. There are opportunities when the lack of participating in opportunity all together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still evident. It goes without saying, there is actually a main reason why Sue Bird lately pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is actually the absolute most annoying baseball she has ever participated in. After a bit of a slow-moving start, the U.S. inevitably led through 30 in the third one-fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve could not have actually loved just how her staff enabled the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point activity before the final buzzer. Via four video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point firing hasn't really been fixed, which can be a problem if rivals get hot coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can not ignore some of the continuing to be groups in the business, yet with a defensive identification as well as aggressive adeptness led through Stewart and Wilson, it has presented it can easily place activities away when it requires to, something that needs to transfer over right into the last pair of games.Pelton: On the flip side, I presume the capturing is likewise cause to believe there is actually an additional gear for the USA females. Collectively, the 12 players on the lineup have actually mixed to fire 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this season. That won't earn a "Dash Sisters" nickname whenever quickly, but it's likewise far better than Group United States has actually dealt with from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually past due to warm from lengthy assortment. Watch out if they lastly perform.