.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's college basketball and the WNBA.Formerly dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore native along with further encounter at the Dallas Morning Information, Seattle Times and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Program collection.Previously a specialist with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP ranking and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international rivals will reunite on Friday, as the USA ladies's basketball staff takes on the Australian Opals with an area in the 2024 Paris Games' gold medal suit on the line.Team U.S.A., which is riding a streak of 59 successive Olympic success, developed to the semifinals with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing a dismayed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung with each other three upright victories, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state girls have actually been the gold specification for basketball throughout the planet, gaining 7 consecutive Olympic gold awards as well as nine overall, Australia has actually been a historical powerhouse along with all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of recent 7 Summer seasons Games, taking home three silvers and also 2 bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals because the 2012 Greater london Games.2012 likewise was actually the last time the epic Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic phase for the green and also gold-- until now. While Group USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her fifth Games as well as initially in 12 years. Jackson has always medaled in the competitors, and also though she has viewed limited action up until now in France, she possesses a chance to continue that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six active WNBA gamers-- has lots of momentum, but the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the U.S. elderly national team, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the course of the five Games through which they medaled, Australia lost to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold award contest. The teams last fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break several of journalism inquiries heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart talks along with Brian Windhorst after Crew United States's 14-point draw Nigeria to progress to the semifinals.Team United States switched over up its own beginning five versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Performed the move fix its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful in place of Taurasi-- that possessed last come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the best relocation. Along with 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Youthful appears to be carving out a part as Team U.S.A.'s 3rd marker behind A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Young is the simply various other USA player balancing dual designs at 10.3 factors per video game.) Youthful, some of three Las Vegas Aces gamers in the beginning 5, showed off her 3-point capturing previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deep on Wednesday, it was her ability to acquire downhill and also reach coming from midrange that stood out, together with her hallmark defense in the backcourt. It took up until the middle of the 2nd fourth for the U.S. to really place its own feet on the gas versus Nigeria, yet Young's hostility and electricity on each ends should continue to return. And Taurasi seemed to perform properly off the bench, where she boosted as a company along with 4 assists.Pelton: I will really love to find beginning point player Chelsea Gray be a risk to credit rating. She missed all 3 of her try tries in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 until now in the course of the Olympics. Amazingly, the USA outscored Nigeria through only 2 aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our final roundtable, the USA women may get rid of one non-scorer in the beginning 5 so long as she is actually taking another thing to the desk. And Gray is actually with her playmaking, having right now completed 22 helps versus simply 3 turnovers. Thus, I do not presume instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat problems perform the Australians posture, and also what could make all of them a hard matchup?Top accounts of the week coming from Acquire special accessibility to lots of fee write-ups a year from best writers. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore training class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP battle, other honors "u2022 25 most important gamers in CFP ethnicity" Additional ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA fans will definitely be actually effectively aware of this Opals squad, which includes the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Right instructor Sandy Brondello responsible. Not merely do the Opals possess the ability to compete versus Staff United States. They have energy as well as resolve following their disappointing start to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually pleased along with her group's poise and also grit over the past week, pair of qualities an enemy needs to have when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike flaunts five players balancing at the very least 8.0 PPG, can easily injure enemies inside with Magbegor as well as Smith yet additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the greatest in the Olympic field and also considerably higher than Crew USA's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the group with 8 as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is much deeper as well as extra accomplished than any sort of crew in the business barring the united state ladies. We can question the most ideal global gamer at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful applicants. Yet no crew has a pair of players like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Smith, both of whom will have gotten on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not named to the crew this time even with similar development.) As well as no group outside the united state has nearly as much WNBA expertise throughout its roster.Given all that skill, it was shocking when Australia dropped its own opening game to Nigeria after that hardly defeat winless Canada. In their past two activities, our team have actually viewed the Opals our company expected, as they defeat outdoed France to advance to the knockout phase and led Serbia by as several as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. 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 and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if anybody is mosting likely to include all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's message players rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every video game and also have the wheelchair to stand up for Stewart and Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is actually especially experienced versus both rivals, having encountered Stewart virtual for three years as Storm allies and compared with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest difficulty for Magbegor as well as Smith is foul issue. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and Smith possessed pair of in the 1st fourth versus France, limiting their mins. Backup George is a difficult, knowledgeable player (she scored 18 factors in 24 minutes versus Serbia) but nowhere near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate concern. But given the encounter Stewart and also Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is actually going for her 3rd Olympic gold and also Wilson her second, while Magbegor and also Smith are actually seeming in their 1st Gamings-- I will expect the Crew USA incredibly duo to help make the winning participates in essential in such a high-pressure condition to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium will be a harder enemy for Team USA?Pelton: I am actually opting for Belgium, which offered the united state girls their toughest Olympic test but. The Americans prevailed through thirteen points, although the frame was actually only 7 entering into the 4th one-fourth of a group phase video game played in Lille, France, near the border along with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, with Julie Vanloo especially straining coming from downtown while missing 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up thirteen aspects with 7 helps (albeit with 9 turn overs) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the merely other team besides the united state that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the host country along with the crowd on its own edge and also lots of honor vulnerable, a complicated defensive team in France definitely would not be actually a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes can blow up like she carried out against Germany with 24 aspects off the bench and also along with Gabby Williams leading the way on both ends.Has Staff United States played its own best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, specifically on outburst, can still be a problem. There are actually opportunities when the shortage of participating in time all together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still apparent. After all, there is actually a main reason why Sue Bird just recently stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Basketball is the most uncomfortable baseball she has ever participated in. After a little bit of a slow-moving begin, the USA eventually led through 30 in the 3rd quarter versus Nigeria, but Reeve could not have actually liked exactly how her staff allowed the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game prior to the final buzzer. With 4 activities, the Americans' lack of 3-point firing have not really been treated, which may be a problem if challengers get hot coming from deep.Team United States can not disregard any of the staying teams in the field, yet along with a defensive identification and offensive expertise led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually presented it can easily place activities away when it requires to, one thing that should transmit over right into the last two games.Pelton: On the flip side, I believe the capturing is actually also cause to think there's yet another equipment for the united state women. Together, the 12 players on the lineup have integrated to shoot thirty three% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this time. That will not earn a "Dash Sis" nickname at any time very soon, yet it is actually also far better than Group U.S.A. has handled coming from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are outstanding to heat coming from long selection. Keep an eye out if they ultimately perform.