.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's university baseball and the WNBA.Recently covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate as well as Baltimore native along with further experience at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seattle Moments as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus collection.In the past a professional along with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP ranking and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international rivals will meet again on Friday, as the USA females's baseball staff confronts the Australian Opals along with a spot in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold award match on the line.Team United States, which is actually riding a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic success, advanced to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung all together three upright victories, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA females have been the gold criterion for baseball all over the world, winning 7 successive Olympic gold awards and 9 general, Australia has been actually a historical powerhouse along with them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past seven Summer seasons Gamings, taking home 3 silvers and two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 London Games.2012 also was the last opportunity the famous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the green and gold-- until now. While Group USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, appearing in her fifth Games and first in 12 years. Jackson has actually consistently medaled in the competition, and though she has found limited action so far in France, she possesses a chance to carry on that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six energetic WNBA players-- possesses a lot of energy, however the Opals are 0-20 all time versus the USA elderly nationwide team, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the five Video games in which they medaled, Australia lost to the U.S. either in the semifinals or even the gold award competition. The teams final met in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton malfunction some of journalism inquiries heading in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Young for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Group USA's 14-point sway Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team United States shifted up its own beginning five against Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the step correct its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young in place of Taurasi-- that had final go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the ideal technique. Along with 15 factors versus Nigeria, Young seems carving out a job as Crew United States's third marker responsible for A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Young is actually the merely various other USA player balancing double figures at 10.3 factors every activity.) Young, some of three Sin city Aces gamers in the starting 5, exhibited her 3-point firing previously versus Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her capacity to acquire downhill and also reach coming from midrange that stood out, along with her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the 2nd fourth for the USA to really put its own feet on the fuel against Nigeria, but Youthful's aggression and also energy on both ends must remain to return. And Taurasi seemed to be to perform effectively off the bench, where she boosted as a company with four assists.Pelton: I 'd love to view beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to credit rating. She missed all 3 of her chance attempts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 until now in the course of the Olympics. Incredibly, the USA outscored Nigeria through just pair of factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the USA girls can overcome one non-scorer in the starting five so long as she is actually taking something else to the table. As well as Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually today totted 22 helps versus merely 3 turnovers. Thus, I don't presume instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create more changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat issues do the Australians present, and also what can create them a tough matchup?Top stories of the week from Acquire exclusive accessibility to countless superior articles a year from best article writers. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore training class "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP battle, various other honors "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP ethnicity" More ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts will be actually properly knowledgeable about this Opals team, which includes the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New York Freedom trainer Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not simply perform the Opals have the skill to compete against Staff U.S.A.. They possess drive and willpower observing their frustrating start to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been pleased with her group's poise and grit over the past full week, two top qualities an opponent needs when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike includes five gamers averaging at the very least 8.0 PPG, can easily harm adversaries inside along with Magbegor and also Johnson however likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the very best in the Olympic field as well as considerably higher than Staff U.S.A.'s paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff with eight and seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is deeper as well as much more proficient than any type of team in the field save for the united state ladies. We can easily discuss the best global player at the Paris Video Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough applicants. Yet no staff has a set of gamers like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Smith, both of whom would certainly have gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not called to the team this time in spite of comparable manufacturing.) And also no staff outside the USA has nearly as much WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given all that skill, it was actually stunning when Australia dropped its opening video game to Nigeria after that hardly beat winless Canada. In their past 2 activities, our team have actually observed the Opals our company expected, as they beat surpassed France to develop to the knockout stage and also led Serbia through as numerous as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for three. LeBron authorizes. USA Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can any person cease Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any person is heading to contain them, it's the duo of Magbegor and Smith. Australia's article gamers position 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per activity and possess the wheelchair to defend Stewart and Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is specifically experienced versus both challengers, having actually experienced Stewart virtual for three years as Tornado colleagues and also compared along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant difficulty for Magbegor and also Smith is nasty issue. Magbegor got 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and also Smith possessed 2 in the very first one-fourth versus France, restricting their mins. Back-up George is actually a tough, trained gamer (she racked up 18 points in 24 minutes versus Serbia) however no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid problem. Yet offered the experience Stewart as well as Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is actually selecting her third Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor and also Johnson are actually appearing in their very first Video games-- I will anticipate the Team U.S.A. incredibly duo to create the winning participates in important in such a stressful condition to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium will be a tougher challenger for Team USA?Pelton: I am actually going with Belgium, which gave the USA ladies their hardest Olympic examination however. The Americans prevailed through 13 factors, although the margin was just 7 getting in the 4th quarter of a team stage game played in Lille, France, near the borderline with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo particularly battling from midtown while missing 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring thirteen points with seven helps (albeit along with nine turn overs) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the only other team besides the USA that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the multitude nation with the crowd on its own side as well as lots of satisfaction on the line, a hard protective staff in France wouldn't be a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can easily go off like she performed against Germany with 24 factors off the bench as well as along with Gabby Williams leading the way on each ends.Has Crew U.S.A. played its own finest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, particularly on outburst, can still be an issue. There are times when the shortage of participating in opportunity all together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still noticeable. Besides, there is actually a reason why Sue Bird recently claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is actually the most uneasy baseball she has actually ever before played. After a little bit of a slow-moving start, the USA at some point led by 30 in the third quarter versus Nigeria, however Reeve could not have enjoyed just how her group made it possible for the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point game just before the last buzzer. With four video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point shooting hasn't really been actually treated, which might be an issue if opponents get hot from deep.Team USA can not ignore any one of the remaining groups in the field, yet along with a protective identity and also offensive adeptness led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has shown it may place video games away when it needs to have to, something that should transfer over right into the ultimate 2 games.Pelton: On the flip side, I think the firing is additionally cause to think there's another gear for the USA women. Collectively, the 12 players on the lineup have actually combined to shoot 33% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this period. That will not get a "Dash Sisters" nickname whenever very soon, but it's additionally much better than Group U.S.A. has taken care of from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are overdue to warm up coming from lengthy selection. Look out if they lastly do.