.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's university baseball and also the WNBA.Earlier covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore indigenous with additional experience at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seattle Times as well as Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Author Co-author, Pro Basketball Program series.Previously a professional along with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP rating as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide competitors will reunite on Friday, as the United States women's baseball group takes on the Australian Opals along with a place in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award match on the line.Team U.S.A., which is riding a touch of 59 consecutive Olympic triumphes, advanced to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Following a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung with each other 3 upright triumphes, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA women have been actually the gold criterion for baseball throughout the world, gaining seven consecutive Olympic gold awards and also 9 overall, Australia has been actually a historical goliath alongside all of them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of recent 7 Summertimes Gamings, take away 3 silvers and two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the very first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals since the 2012 London Games.2012 additionally was actually the last time the fabulous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic stage for the environment-friendly and gold-- until now. While Team United States possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, appearing in her fifth Gamings and first in 12 years. Jackson has actually regularly medaled in the competitors, and though she has seen minimal activity thus far in France, she possesses an opportunity to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 energetic WNBA players-- has a lot of energy, but the Opals are 0-20 all time versus the united state senior national team, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. Throughout the five Games through which they medaled, Australia lost to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The teams final fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break down a number of journalism questions moving right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart speaks along with Brian Windhorst after Team USA's 14-point get Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team United States switched over up its beginning five versus Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the step fix its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young in place of Taurasi-- who had last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the right technique. With 15 factors versus Nigeria, Young looks taking a job as Group USA's 3rd marker behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Youthful is actually the merely various other U.S. player balancing dual figures at 10.3 aspects per game.) Youthful, some of three Las Vegas Aces players in the beginning five, exhibited her 3-point capturing earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her capability to acquire downhill and hit from midrange that attracted attention, together with her trademark self defense in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the second quarter for the USA to actually put its own feet on the gas against Nigeria, yet Youthful's aggressiveness and power on each ends must continue to return. As well as Taurasi seemed to perform effectively off the bench, where she boosted as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd really love to observe starting point player Chelsea Gray be actually a danger to rating. She missed all three of her go attempts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 thus far in the course of the Olympics. Incredibly, the USA outscored Nigeria by merely pair of factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or far better while on the court.Still, as I discussed in our final roundtable, the USA girls can easily get over one non-scorer in the beginning five so long as she is bringing another thing to the desk. And Gray is actually with her playmaking, having now totaled 22 assists against merely 3 turnovers. Thus, I don't think coach Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat concerns carry out the Australians position, and what could possibly make them a tough matchup?Top stories of the week coming from Obtain special accessibility to hundreds of costs posts a year coming from leading authors. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB sophomore lesson "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP fight, other honors "u2022 25 most important players in CFP race" More ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts are going to be actually well knowledgeable about this Opals team, which includes the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne as well as Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Freedom instructor Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not simply carry out the Opals have the skill to compete against Group U.S.A.. They have drive as well as fix observing their unsatisfying start to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually pleased along with her group's poise and also guts over recent week, two premiums an enemy needs to have when facing the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced assault boasts five gamers balancing at least 8.0 PPG, may injure adversaries inside with Magbegor and Smith however also coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most effective in the Olympic field as well as a lot higher than Staff USA's paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff along with 8 as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is actually deeper and extra skilled than any kind of group in the field except for the USA girls. Our team may debate the best global player at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as strong prospects. However no crew possesses a pair of players comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Johnson, both of whom would have been on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not named to the staff this period even with identical creation.) And no crew outside the U.S. possesses nearly as a lot WNBA knowledge throughout its roster.Given the only thing that talent, it was surprising when Australia lost its own opening video game to Nigeria after that barely defeat winless Canada. In their previous pair of games, our team have actually observed the Opals our company counted on, as they trump exceeded France to develop to the knockout phase and led Serbia by as several as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for 3. LeBron authorizes. United States System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anyone cease Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if any individual is mosting likely to have all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor and also Johnson. Australia's message gamers rank 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every video game and have the wheelchair to stand up for Stewart and Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is especially experienced versus each challengers, having actually encountered Stewart virtual for three years as Hurricane teammates and also compared with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest hurdle for Magbegor and Smith is filthy problem. Magbegor picked up 3 first-half fouls against Canada, as well as Smith possessed two in the initial fourth versus France, limiting their mins. Backup George is a challenging, trained player (she racked up 18 points in 24 mins versus Serbia) but no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up an authentic issue. But offered the experience Stewart and also Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is choosing her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Johnson are actually appearing in their initial Video games-- I 'd anticipate the Group USA super duo to create the winning plays important in such a high-pressure circumstance to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would certainly be a harder challenger for Group USA?Pelton: I'm going with Belgium, which gave the U.S. females their most difficult Olympic exam but. The Americans dominated by thirteen factors, although the margin was just seven getting in the fourth one-fourth of a group stage activity played in Lille, France, near the border with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo specifically straining coming from midtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring 13 points along with seven assists (albeit along with 9 turnovers) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the merely other staff besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation with the group on its own edge and loads of honor on the line, a complicated protective staff in France definitely would not be actually a piece of cake, either, especially if Marine Johannes can go off like she carried out versus Germany along with 24 aspects off the seat and also along with Gabby Williams leading the way on each ends.Has Team USA played its absolute best baseball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, particularly on outburst, may still be actually a concern. There are opportunities when the absence of playing time all together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still apparent. Nevertheless, there's a reason Sue Bird recently pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Baseball is actually the most uneasy basketball she has ever before participated in. After a little bit of a slow begin, the USA at some point led by 30 in the third one-fourth against Nigeria, yet Reeve could not have actually adored how her team permitted the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game just before the last buzzer. Through 4 video games, the Americans' absence of 3-point firing have not really been actually corrected, which could be a problem if rivals fume coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can not disregard some of the remaining groups in the business, yet along with a defensive identity and aggressive expertise led through Stewart and Wilson, it has revealed it may put video games away when it needs to, something that needs to transmit over right into the ultimate two games.Pelton: On the other side, I assume the firing is actually likewise cause to think there is actually one more equipment for the united state ladies. Jointly, the 12 gamers on the lineup have actually combined to shoot thirty three% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this season. That won't gain a "Dash Sis" nickname at any time very soon, but it is actually additionally better than Group USA has actually dealt with coming from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are outstanding to warm up from long assortment. Look out if they lastly do.