.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's university basketball and the WNBA.Earlier dealt with UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore native with further encounter at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seattle Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Program collection.Formerly a consultant with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP score and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global competitors will definitely meet again on Friday, as the United States ladies's basketball team faces the Australian Opals with a spot in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal match on the line.Team U.S.A., which is using a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic wins, advanced to the semifinals with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing an upset loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung with each other 3 straight victories, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state women have actually been the gold requirement for baseball all over the world, succeeding 7 consecutive Olympic gold awards and 9 overall, Australia has actually been actually a historic giant together with all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of the past 7 Summers months Video games, taking home 3 silvers as well as pair of bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris marks the very first time they have actually improved past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 Greater london Games.2012 also was the final opportunity the fabulous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the environment-friendly and also gold-- until now. While Group U.S.A. has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, appearing in her fifth Gamings and to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has constantly medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has seen minimal action up until now in France, she has a chance to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts 6 active WNBA gamers-- has lots of drive, however the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the united state senior nationwide staff, including 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the course of the 5 Games through which they medaled, Australia shed to the united state either in the semifinals or the gold award contest. The squads final complied with in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton break a number of the pressing inquiries moving into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Young for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart chats with Brian Windhorst after Staff U.S.A.'s 14-point draw Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team United States changed up its own beginning five against Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the move repair its problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful in place of Taurasi-- that possessed final go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal action. Along with 15 factors versus Nigeria, Young appears to be taking a task as Group United States's third marker responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Young is the simply other U.S. gamer averaging dual figures at 10.3 factors per game.) Young, one of 3 Sin city Aces gamers in the beginning 5, showed off her 3-point shooting earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her potential to get downhill and also hit coming from midrange that stood apart, together with her trademark protection in the backcourt. It took until the center of the second quarter for the united state to really place its own foot on the gasoline versus Nigeria, but Young's aggression and also energy on each ends must continue to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi seemed to accomplish effectively off the bench, where she boosted as a company with four assists.Pelton: I would certainly like to observe beginning point player Chelsea Gray be a hazard to rating. She missed out on all three of her try attempts in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 thus far in the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by simply pair of factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or even far better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our final roundtable, the united state girls may conquer one non-scorer in the starting five so long as she is actually taking another thing to the desk. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having right now totted 22 supports against only 3 turn overs. Thus, I don't believe coach Cheryl Reeve needs to make additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat issues carry out the Australians position, as well as what could possibly make them a hard matchup?Top accounts of the week from Receive special access to 1000s of superior write-ups a year coming from top authors. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore course "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP war, various other awards "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP race" Even more ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA supporters will definitely be effectively aware of this Opals team, which features the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Liberty train Sandy Brondello responsible. Not only do the Opals have the ability to compete against Staff United States. They possess energy as well as willpower following their unsatisfying beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually satisfied with her staff's grace and also grit over recent full week, 2 top qualities a rival needs when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike includes 5 gamers averaging at least 8.0 PPG, can hurt adversaries inside with Magbegor and also Johnson but likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most ideal in the Olympic area as well as considerably higher than Staff United States's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the group along with eight as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is deeper and more talented than any sort of team in the business except for the U.S. ladies. Our experts may discuss the very best worldwide gamer at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough applicants. Yet no team has a set of players as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Smith, both of whom would possess been on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not named to the crew this season in spite of similar creation.) And no staff outside the U.S. has nearly as much WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given all that skill, it was astonishing when Australia shed its position video game to Nigeria then hardly defeat winless Canada. In their previous two activities, we have actually viewed the Opals our team anticipated, as they beat topped France to develop to the knockout stage as well as led Serbia by as a lot of as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for 3. LeBron permits. United States System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily anyone stop Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anyone is going to include them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's post players place second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game and also have the movement to defend Stewart and Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is particularly experienced versus both rivals, having actually encountered Stewart in practice for 3 years as Storm teammates and also matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest challenge for Magbegor as well as Johnson is actually repulsive issue. Magbegor grabbed three first-half fouls versus Canada, and also Johnson had pair of in the first one-fourth versus France, restricting their mins. Back-up George is a challenging, skilled player (she racked up 18 factors in 24 minutes against Serbia) however nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate issue. But offered the experience Stewart and Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is opting for her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and Johnson are showing up in their first Gamings-- I would certainly anticipate the Team U.S.A. incredibly duo to help make the winning participates in needed in such a high-pressure scenario to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would be actually a harder opponent for Team USA?Pelton: I am actually picking Belgium, which provided the united state girls their toughest Olympic exam however. The Americans prevailed through 13 points, although the scope was actually simply seven getting into the fourth one-fourth of a group stage video game played in Lille, France, near the borderline with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo particularly straining coming from downtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring thirteen points along with 7 aids (albeit along with 9 turn overs) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the just various other group besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the lot country with the crowd on its edge and also loads of honor on the line, a challenging protective staff in France definitely would not be actually a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes may blow up like she did versus Germany along with 24 aspects off the bench as well as with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Staff USA played its ideal baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, specifically on outburst, can easily still be actually a concern. There are actually opportunities when the shortage of participating in opportunity with each other or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still obvious. Besides, there is actually a reason why Sue Bird lately mentioned on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Basketball is one of the most uneasy baseball she has actually ever participated in. After a bit of a slow-moving begin, the united state inevitably led through 30 in the 3rd one-fourth versus Nigeria, yet Reeve couldn't have actually enjoyed just how her staff permitted the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game prior to the last buzzer. By means of four activities, the Americans' absence of 3-point firing have not really been remedied, which may be a concern if enemies get hot coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can not forget any of the staying teams in the field, however along with a defensive identification as well as aggressive expertise led through Stewart as well as Wilson, it has presented it may place activities away when it needs to have to, one thing that must move over in to the final 2 games.Pelton: On the other hand, I assume the firing is also explanation to feel there is actually an additional equipment for the USA women. Jointly, the 12 players on the roster have actually blended to shoot 33% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this season. That won't make a "Dash Siblings" nickname whenever quickly, yet it is actually likewise better than Staff 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 past due to warm from long selection. Watch out if they eventually perform.