.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's college baseball and the WNBA.Previously dealt with UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad as well as Baltimore indigenous with additional experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Prospectus set.In the past a professional along with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP score and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide competitors are going to reunite on Friday, as the USA ladies's baseball team confronts the Australian Opals with an area in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold award match on the line.Team United States, which is using a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic triumphes, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to a distressed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung with each other 3 upright triumphes, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA girls have been actually the gold requirement for basketball around the planet, winning seven consecutive Olympic gold awards and 9 overall, Australia has actually been a famous powerhouse together with them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of recent 7 Summer Video games, taking home 3 silvers and also 2 bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the first time they have actually improved past the quarterfinals since the 2012 London Video games.2012 also was the final time the epic Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the environment-friendly and gold-- until now. While Staff U.S.A. possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Gamings as well as initially in 12 years. Jackson has actually always medaled in the competition, and also though she has actually found restricted action until now in France, she has an opportunity to proceed that streak this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 energetic WNBA gamers-- has lots of momentum, yet the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity against the U.S. senior national staff, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. In the course of the five Gamings in which they medaled, Australia lost to the united state either in the semifinals or even the gold medal competition. The teams final met in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break down a few of journalism concerns heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Staff USA's 14-point gain Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team USA switched over up its own beginning five versus Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the relocation correct its problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young in place of Taurasi-- that had final come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the correct action. With 15 factors versus Nigeria, Young looks carving out a role as Crew USA's third scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Indeed, Young is actually the just various other united state gamer averaging double figures at 10.3 factors every activity.) Youthful, among three Sin city Aces players in the beginning five, flaunted her 3-point firing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless coming from deep on Wednesday, it was her potential to acquire downhill and also hit coming from midrange that stood out, in addition to her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took till the center of the 2nd fourth for the USA to truly place its feet on the fuel versus Nigeria, but Young's hostility and electricity on each ends ought to continue to return. As well as Taurasi seemed to do properly off the bench, where she improved as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I would certainly love to find beginning point player Chelsea Gray be a hazard to credit rating. She missed all three of her shot tries in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 so far during the Olympics. Extremely, the USA outscored Nigeria by only 2 points in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or much better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our final roundtable, the U.S. females may get over one non-scorer in the starting 5 so long as she is actually bringing something else to the table. And Gray is actually with her playmaking, having actually now completed 22 supports versus merely 3 turnovers. So, I do not believe coach Cheryl Reeve needs to have to make additional changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat issues carry out the Australians posture, and also what might create them a difficult matchup?Top accounts of the full week coming from Obtain special access to thousands of costs articles a year coming from best authors. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore lesson "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP struggle, other honors "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP nationality" Even more ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA supporters are going to be actually properly acquainted with this Opals squad, which features the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Right trainer Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not just do the Opals have the ability to complete against Staff U.S.A.. They have drive and also fix observing their unsatisfactory begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually satisfied along with her group's poise and also guts over the past week, pair of high qualities an opponent needs to have when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault boasts 5 players averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can easily injure foes inside along with Magbegor and Johnson however additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the greatest in the Olympic industry as well as a lot greater than Group United States's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the crew with eight as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is deeper and even more talented than any kind of crew in the business save for the united state females. Our company can debate the most ideal international player at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful applicants. But no team possesses a set of gamers as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson, both of whom would certainly possess gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not called to the group this time in spite of comparable development.) And also no group outside the U.S. possesses virtually as much WNBA experience throughout its own roster.Given everything talent, it was surprising when Australia lost its own position activity to Nigeria then hardly beat winless Canada. In their past 2 games, our company've observed the Opals our team anticipated, as they beat bested France to develop to the knockout stage and also led Serbia by as several as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron accepts. United States System and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily anybody stop Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anyone is actually heading to include all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor and also Smith. Australia's post players place 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every video game and also possess the mobility to stand up for Stewart and Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is particularly experienced against both challengers, having actually experienced Stewart virtual for 3 years as Tornado allies and matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant barrier for Magbegor as well as Johnson is actually nasty difficulty. Magbegor grabbed three first-half fouls against Canada, and Smith possessed pair of in the very first one-fourth versus France, confining their moments. Back-up George is a hard, trained player (she racked up 18 points in 24 minutes versus Serbia) however no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises an authentic problem. Yet offered the take in Stewart and also Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is actually going with her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and also Johnson are looking in their first Games-- I would certainly count on the Team United States tremendously duo to make the winning participates in needed in such a high-pressure circumstance to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium will be a tougher opponent for Crew USA?Pelton: I am actually selecting Belgium, which gave the USA females their hardest Olympic examination yet. The Americans prevailed through 13 aspects, although the frame was only seven entering the fourth one-fourth of a group phase video game played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point firing, with Julie Vanloo specifically straining from downtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up 13 factors along with seven helps (albeit with 9 turn overs) as Belgium travelled previous Spain, the simply various other group besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the lot nation with the crowd on its side and also loads of take pride in on the line, a complicated defensive group in France wouldn't be actually a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can go off like she performed versus Germany along with 24 aspects off the seat and along with Gabby Williams leading the way on both ends.Has Team USA played its best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, particularly on outburst, may still be a problem. There are actually opportunities when the absence of playing time together or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still noticeable. Besides, there is actually a main reason why Sue Bird lately said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Baseball is actually the best annoying baseball she has actually ever played. After a little bit of a slow-moving begin, the USA eventually led by 30 in the third fourth against Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have actually loved exactly how her staff enabled the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point activity just before the last buzzer. With four games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point shooting have not actually been actually solved, which could be a problem if rivals get hot coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can't neglect any of the staying groups in the field, however along with a defensive identity and aggressive adeptness led through Stewart and Wilson, it has revealed it can easily put activities away when it needs to have to, something that ought to move over into the last two games.Pelton: On the other hand, I think the firing is also cause to strongly believe there's yet another gear for the U.S. ladies. Jointly, the 12 gamers on the roster have actually integrated to fire thirty three% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this period. That won't gain a "Sprinkle Sisters" nickname at any time quickly, however it is actually also far better than Staff USA has actually taken care of coming from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to warm up from lengthy range. Keep an eye out if they ultimately do.