.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's college baseball and the WNBA.Earlier covered UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore indigenous along with additional encounter at the Dallas Morning Updates, Seat Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elderly Person Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Prospectus collection.Previously an expert with the Indiana Pacers.Built WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide competitors will definitely meet again on Friday, as the United States women's baseball group faces the Australian Opals with an area in the 2024 Paris Games' gold award suit on the line.Team United States, which is using a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic wins, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing a dismayed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung all together three upright triumphes, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA ladies have been the gold specification for baseball across the globe, winning 7 consecutive Olympic gold medals and also 9 overall, Australia has been actually a famous goliath alongside all of them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of recent seven Summer Games, taking home 3 silvers and also 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the first time they've developed past the quarterfinals because the 2012 London Gamings.2012 additionally was the last opportunity the legendary Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic stage for the environment-friendly and also gold-- previously. While Group USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Gamings as well as first in 12 years. Jackson has consistently medaled in the competition, as well as though she has actually seen limited action so far in France, she has a chance to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six energetic WNBA players-- has plenty of energy, however the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity versus the U.S. senior national group, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competitors. In the course of the 5 Games through which they medaled, Australia shed to the united state either in the semifinals or the gold medal contest. The teams final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break several of the pressing inquiries heading right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Group U.S.A.'s 14-point sway Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team USA switched over up its beginning 5 against Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the relocation fix its issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Young instead of Taurasi-- who had final come off the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the correct action. With 15 aspects against Nigeria, Young appears to be taking a task as Staff United States's third scorer behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Youthful is the simply various other USA gamer averaging dual figures at 10.3 factors per game.) Youthful, some of three Sin city Aces players in the starting five, displayed her 3-point capturing earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her ability to obtain downhill as well as reach from midrange that attracted attention, along with her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took up until the middle of the 2nd quarter for the USA to actually put its foot on the gasoline against Nigeria, however Youthful's aggression and also power on each ends must remain to pay dividends. And also Taurasi appeared to perform well off the bench, where she boosted as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I will really love to find beginning point player Chelsea Gray be a risk to rating. She overlooked all 3 of her try tries in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 thus far during the Olympics. Incredibly, the united state outscored Nigeria through only 2 points in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or much better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the united state ladies may beat one non-scorer in the starting five as long as she is carrying another thing to the table. And Gray is actually along with her playmaking, having today totaled 22 aids versus only three turnovers. So, I don't believe instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to create further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat complications perform the Australians posture, and what might create all of them a difficult matchup?Top stories of the week coming from Receive unique access to lots of superior articles a year from top article writers. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB student class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP battle, various other awards "u2022 25 most important players in CFP nationality" Even more ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA fans will certainly be well accustomed to this Opals squad, which includes the Seat Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus Nyc Liberty trainer Sandy Brondello responsible. Not merely do the Opals have the ability to compete versus Staff USA. They possess momentum and also fix following their unsatisfying begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been felt free to along with her group's poise and grit over the past week, 2 high qualities an enemy requires when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault flaunts five gamers balancing at the very least 8.0 PPG, can injure adversaries inside along with Magbegor and Johnson yet likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the best in the Olympic field as well as considerably higher than Group USA's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the group with 8 as well as seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is deeper and also extra gifted than any crew in the field except for the united state girls. Our company may dispute the most ideal worldwide gamer at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as solid applicants. But no group has a set of gamers just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, both of whom would certainly possess performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not named to the group this season even with comparable manufacturing.) As well as no group outside the U.S. has virtually as a lot WNBA knowledge throughout its roster.Given everything talent, it was actually stunning when Australia dropped its own opening game to Nigeria after that rarely beat winless Canada. In their past two activities, we've found the Opals our company counted on, as they defeat bested France to advance to the knockout stage and led Serbia by as lots of as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for 3. LeBron authorizes. United States System and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May any person cease Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anyone is actually going to include all of them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's blog post players position 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every video game and also possess the mobility to speak up for Stewart and Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is especially experienced versus each opponents, having actually dealt with Stewart virtual for 3 years as Hurricane allies as well as paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant challenge for Magbegor as well as Smith is actually nasty problem. Magbegor got three first-half fouls against Canada, and Johnson had pair of in the initial quarter versus France, restricting their moments. Data backup George is a challenging, skillful gamer (she racked up 18 points in 24 mins against Serbia) but no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up an authentic issue. However offered the experience Stewart and also Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is actually opting for her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Smith are appearing in their 1st Gamings-- I 'd anticipate the Group U.S.A. super duo to create the winning plays necessary in such a stressful situation to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would certainly be a more durable opponent for Group USA?Pelton: I'm selecting Belgium, which gave the USA females their hardest Olympic test but. The Americans prevailed through 13 factors, although the frame was actually only seven getting into the fourth quarter of a team stage game played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, with Julie Vanloo specifically having a hard time from downtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring 13 factors with seven supports (albeit with nine turn overs) as Belgium travelled previous Spain, the only various other crew besides the united state that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation along with the crowd on its own side and a lot of satisfaction vulnerable, a hard defensive staff in France wouldn't be a piece of cake, either, particularly if Marine Johannes can easily go off like she performed versus Germany along with 24 points off the bench and also along with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on both ends.Has Crew U.S.A. played its greatest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, particularly on offense, may still be actually an issue. There are times when the absence of participating in opportunity with each other or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is actually still evident. It goes without saying, there's a reason Sue Bird recently said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is the best unpleasant baseball she has ever before played. After a little a slow-moving beginning, the U.S. ultimately led by 30 in the third one-fourth versus Nigeria, yet Reeve could not have loved just how her team permitted the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point activity prior to the final buzzer. Via four activities, the Americans' absence of 3-point capturing have not really been corrected, which could be an issue if enemies get hot coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can not forget any one of the remaining teams in the business, yet with a defensive identification as well as aggressive prowess led through Stewart and Wilson, it has revealed it can easily put video games away when it requires to, one thing that should transfer over right into the final two games.Pelton: On the flip side, I think the capturing is actually additionally reason to feel there's an additional gear for the united state girls. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the lineup have actually combined to fire 33% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this season. That won't gain a "Sprinkle Sis" label at any time very soon, yet it's additionally much better than Crew U.S.A. has dealt with from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are overdue to heat up from lengthy selection. Watch out if they ultimately perform.