.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's college basketball and also the WNBA.Previously covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further encounter at the Dallas Morning Headlines, Seattle Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Author Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus series.Formerly a professional with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP rating as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide rivals are going to meet again on Friday, as the USA girls's basketball group confronts the Australian Opals with an area in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold award suit on the line.Team U.S.A., which is using a streak of 59 successive Olympic victories, improved to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Following a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung all together three upright triumphes, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state women have actually been actually the gold requirement for basketball across the planet, succeeding 7 successive Olympic gold awards and nine total, Australia has been actually a famous giant together with them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of recent 7 Summer seasons Gamings, taking home three silvers and also pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 London Video games.2012 likewise was the last time the fabulous Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic phase for the environment-friendly and also gold-- until now. While Team USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Games as well as to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has consistently medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has observed restricted activity up until now in France, she has an opportunity to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 energetic WNBA gamers-- possesses lots of energy, however the Opals are 0-20 all time against the U.S. senior national crew, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the course of the 5 Gamings in which they medaled, Australia dropped to the USA 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 Kevin Pelton malfunction several of the pressing concerns moving in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Young for jump-starting Staff USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Group USA's 14-point win over Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team United States shifted up its own beginning 5 against Nigeria, along with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the step correct its own concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young in place of Taurasi-- that possessed last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the correct step. With 15 factors versus Nigeria, Youthful appears to be carving out a part as Team U.S.A.'s 3rd scorer behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Indeed, Youthful is actually the merely other U.S. gamer balancing dual designs at 10.3 points per video game.) Young, one of three Las Vegas Aces players in the starting five, flaunted her 3-point capturing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her capacity to obtain downhill and also reach coming from midrange that attracted attention, together with her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the second quarter for the USA to truly put its foot on the gas against Nigeria, yet Young's hostility and also energy on both ends must continue to pay dividends. And Taurasi seemed to be to carry out effectively off the bench, where she improved as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd really love to see starting point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a hazard to credit rating. She skipped all three of her go tries in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 until now during the Olympics. Extremely, the united state outscored Nigeria by merely pair of factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our last roundtable, the united state females can get over one non-scorer in the starting five such a long time as she is carrying another thing to the table. And also Gray is with her playmaking, having now totaled 22 assists versus simply 3 turn overs. Therefore, I don't believe coach Cheryl Reeve requires to make further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat troubles carry out the Australians pose, and also what could create them a tough matchup?Top tales of the full week from Receive exclusive access to 1000s of superior write-ups a year coming from top authors. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP war, various other honors "u2022 25 crucial players in CFP ethnicity" More ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts are going to be actually properly accustomed to this Opals squad, which includes the Seattle Hurricane'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 Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Freedom train Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not simply perform the Opals have the talent to compete versus Crew United States. They possess drive and also fix following their frustrating begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been felt free to along with her staff's grace as well as grit over the past week, 2 qualities an opponent requires when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike includes 5 gamers averaging at least 8.0 PPG, can hurt foes inside along with Magbegor as well as Johnson however also coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most effective in the Olympic area and also much more than Crew U.S.A.'s paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the group with 8 and 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is actually deeper as well as much more talented than any type of crew in the field barring the U.S. women. Our experts may dispute the very best global player at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as solid applicants. Yet no team possesses a pair of players as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson, both of whom would possess gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not called to the team this season despite similar production.) And also no crew outside the USA possesses virtually as much WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given all that talent, it was shocking when Australia dropped its own position video game to Nigeria after that rarely defeat winless Canada. In their past 2 activities, our experts have actually found the Opals we counted on, as they defeat topped France to develop to the knockout phase and also led Serbia through as numerous as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for 3. LeBron authorizes. United States System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May any person quit Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if anybody is actually heading to contain them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's post gamers rank 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every game and also have the range of motion to speak up for Stewart and Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is actually especially experienced versus each challengers, having encountered Stewart virtual for 3 years as Storm teammates as well as compared with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest obstacle for Magbegor as well as Smith is filthy difficulty. Magbegor got three first-half fouls versus Canada, and Johnson possessed two in the initial quarter versus France, limiting their minutes. Data backup George is actually a challenging, competent player (she scored 18 aspects in 24 moments against Serbia) however nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises an authentic concern. Yet given the encounter Stewart as well as Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is actually choosing her 3rd Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Smith are appearing in their 1st Games-- I would certainly count on the Group United States very duo to make the winning participates in necessary in such a stressful circumstance to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium would be actually a harder rival for Team USA?Pelton: I am actually picking Belgium, which offered the united state females their hardest Olympic exam however. The Americans dominated by 13 factors, although the margin was only seven entering into the 4th one-fourth of a group stage video game played in Lille, France, near the edge along with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, with Julie Vanloo especially having a hard time from midtown 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 aspects along with seven aids (albeit with 9 turnovers) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the merely other crew besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the multitude nation along with the group on its own side and loads of pride on the line, a challenging protective crew in France definitely would not be actually a piece of cake, either, particularly if Marine Johannes can blow up like she performed versus Germany along with 24 points off the bench and with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on both ends.Has Staff United States played its absolute best basketball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, specifically on outburst, can still be a problem. There are times when the absence of participating in time with each other or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still apparent. It goes without saying, there's a reason Sue Bird lately pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Basketball is one of the most uneasy baseball she has ever played. After a little a sluggish start, the united state at some point led through 30 in the 3rd fourth against Nigeria, but Reeve couldn't have actually really loved just how her staff enabled the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point activity prior to the ultimate buzzer. With four activities, the Americans' absence of 3-point firing hasn't truly been fixed, which might be a concern if rivals fume from deep.Team U.S.A. can not overlook some of the remaining crews in the field, but along with a protective identity as well as offensive prowess led through Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually revealed it can easily put games away when it needs to, something that ought to transfer over in to the last 2 games.Pelton: On the other side, I assume the shooting is additionally factor to feel there's another gear for the U.S. ladies. Jointly, the 12 players on the lineup have actually combined to shoot thirty three% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this season. That won't earn a "Burst Sisters" nickname whenever soon, but it's also better than Team USA has taken care of from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to warm from long variety. Keep an eye out if they lastly carry out.