.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's college basketball and also the WNBA.Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad as well as Baltimore native with additional take in at the Dallas Morning Updates, Seat Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Program series.In the past a consultant along with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP ranking and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global rivals will reunite on Friday, as the United States women's baseball team takes on the Australian Opals along with an area in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal suit on the line.Team USA, which is riding a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic wins, advanced to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing a distressed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung together 3 upright victories, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state women have actually been the gold criterion for baseball around the planet, gaining seven consecutive Olympic gold medals and nine general, Australia has actually been a historical powerhouse alongside all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of recent 7 Summer seasons Video games, taking home three silvers and 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris marks the very first time they have actually advanced past the quarterfinals because the 2012 London Games.2012 likewise was actually the final time the epic Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly as well as gold-- previously. While Group U.S.A. possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Gamings and to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has actually consistently medaled in the competitors, and though she has seen restricted action thus far in France, she has a chance to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which includes six active WNBA players-- possesses plenty of energy, but the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the U.S. elderly nationwide staff, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. Throughout the 5 Gamings in which they medaled, Australia dropped to the U.S. either in the semifinals or even the gold medal contest. The squads final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break down a few of the pressing questions heading right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Young for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Staff U.S.A.'s 14-point sway Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched up its own beginning 5 against Nigeria, with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the step fix its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful in place of Taurasi-- who possessed last go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the correct step. With 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Youthful seems taking a part as Team U.S.A.'s third marker responsible for A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Young is actually the simply other united state player balancing double designs at 10.3 points per video game.) Young, one of 3 Sin city Aces gamers in the beginning 5, showed off her 3-point shooting earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless coming from deeper on Wednesday, it was her capacity to acquire downhill and strike coming from midrange that attracted attention, along with her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took until the center of the 2nd quarter for the U.S. to truly place its own foot on the gas versus Nigeria, but Young's aggression as well as energy on both ends must remain to pay dividends. And also Taurasi seemed to carry out well off the seat, where she boosted as a company along with four assists.Pelton: I will like to view beginning point player Chelsea Gray be a risk to credit rating. She missed out on all three of her try attempts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 until now during the Olympics. Amazingly, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by just 2 aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other beginners possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or far better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our last roundtable, the united state ladies can get over one non-scorer in the starting five as long as she is actually taking something else to the desk. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having today completed 22 helps against merely three turnovers. Thus, I don't think trainer Cheryl Reeve requires to make further changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat problems perform the Australians present, as well as what can make them a hard matchup?Top tales of the week coming from Get unique accessibility to countless costs articles a year coming from best writers. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB sophomore class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP battle, other awards "u2022 25 most important gamers in CFP race" More ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts are going to be actually well knowledgeable about this Opals team, which features the Seattle Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and also Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New York Freedom instructor Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not merely perform the Opals have the skill to compete versus Group USA. They possess drive as well as fix following their unsatisfactory beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been satisfied along with her crew's poise and guts over recent full week, pair of qualities an opponent needs to have when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced strike includes 5 players averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, may injure opponents inside with Magbegor as well as Smith yet likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the very best in the Olympic area and also considerably higher than Group USA's tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the crew with 8 and 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is actually much deeper and more gifted than any crew in the business save for the U.S. ladies. Our company may debate the best international gamer at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as tough candidates. However no group possesses a set of players like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Smith, both of whom would have gotten on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not called to the staff this period regardless of comparable development.) And also no team outside the united state has almost as much WNBA knowledge throughout its roster.Given everything talent, it was actually astonishing when Australia lost its own position game to Nigeria at that point scarcely trump winless Canada. In their previous pair of video games, our company've seen the Opals we anticipated, as they trump exceeded France to advance to the knockout stage and also led Serbia by as a lot of as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja dishes to Stewie for three. LeBron approves. U.S.A. Network and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anybody cease Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if anybody is going to include all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's blog post gamers position 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every video game and also possess the range of motion to stand up for Stewart and Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is specifically experienced against both opponents, having actually experienced Stewart virtual for 3 years as Hurricane colleagues as well as matched up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest challenge for Magbegor and Johnson is actually repulsive difficulty. Magbegor grabbed 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and Johnson possessed two in the very first fourth versus France, confining their mins. Backup George is actually a hard, proficient player (she scored 18 points in 24 mins versus Serbia) yet no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a valid problem. But provided the encounter Stewart and Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is choosing her third Olympic gold as well as Wilson her second, while Magbegor as well as Smith are actually seeming in their first Games-- I will count on the Group USA very duo to help make the winning participates in essential in such a high-pressure condition to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium will be a harder enemy for Group USA?Pelton: I'm opting for Belgium, which provided the U.S. girls their hardest Olympic exam yet. The Americans prevailed through thirteen points, although the scope was actually simply seven getting in the 4th quarter of a team stage activity played in Lille, France, near the borderline with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, with Julie Vanloo specifically struggling from midtown while skipping 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring thirteen aspects along with seven assists (albeit along with 9 turnovers) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the only various other staff besides the U.S. that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation with the group on its side and lots of pride vulnerable, a complicated defensive staff in France would not be a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes may go off like she performed against Germany along with 24 points off the seat and along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Crew USA played its own greatest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, particularly on outburst, can easily still be actually an issue. There are times when the shortage of participating in opportunity with each other or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still noticeable. Nevertheless, there's a reason that Sue Bird just recently claimed on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Baseball is one of the most unpleasant baseball she has ever before played. After a little bit of a sluggish beginning, the U.S. eventually led through 30 in the third fourth against Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have actually loved just how her crew permitted the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game before the final buzzer. By means of 4 games, the Americans' lack of 3-point firing hasn't actually been treated, which may be a concern if challengers get hot from deep.Team USA can not ignore any of the staying groups in the field, yet along with a protective identity and offensive expertise led by Stewart as well as Wilson, it has actually shown it can put games away when it needs to have to, something that must transmit over right into the ultimate 2 games.Pelton: On the other hand, I think the shooting is likewise explanation to think there is actually yet another gear for the USA ladies. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the lineup have actually blended to shoot 33% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this season. That won't earn a "Dash Sisters" label at any time very soon, however it is actually additionally far better than Group United States has managed 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 warm from long range. Watch out if they eventually do.