.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers females's college baseball as well as the WNBA.Formerly covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and Baltimore indigenous along with more experience at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seat Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Program series.Formerly a professional with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP rating and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide rivals will definitely reunite on Friday, as the United States women's baseball staff takes on the Australian Opals along with a location in the 2024 Paris Games' gold medal suit on the line.Team USA, which is riding a streak of 59 successive Olympic success, developed to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung with each other three straight success, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state ladies have been the gold standard for baseball throughout the world, gaining 7 consecutive Olympic gold medals and also nine general, Australia has been a historic powerhouse alongside them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of recent seven Summer seasons Video games, take away 3 silvers and pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris marks the very first time they have actually advanced past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 London Games.2012 also was actually the last opportunity the fabulous Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the green as well as gold-- until now. While Staff U.S.A. possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Gamings and also initially in 12 years. Jackson has always medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has actually found minimal activity thus far in France, she possesses a possibility to continue that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 energetic WNBA players-- has loads of momentum, however the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the USA senior nationwide staff, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competition. In the course of the 5 Video games through which they medaled, Australia shed to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The teams final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton malfunction some of journalism inquiries moving into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart speaks along with Brian Windhorst after Staff United States's 14-point gain Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. shifted up its own starting 5 versus Nigeria, with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Performed the technique fix its own concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young instead of Taurasi-- that possessed final go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the appropriate relocation. Along with 15 factors against Nigeria, Young appears to be taking a job as Staff United States's third scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Undoubtedly, Young is the merely other united state gamer balancing dual designs at 10.3 points per video game.) Youthful, some of 3 Las Vegas Aces players in the starting 5, displayed her 3-point shooting earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. However while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her potential to obtain downhill as well as strike from midrange that stood out, in addition to her hallmark defense in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the 2nd one-fourth for the USA to really place its own feet on the gasoline against Nigeria, however Youthful's hostility and power on each ends ought to continue to pay dividends. And also Taurasi seemed to do properly off the seat, where she boosted as a facilitator along with four assists.Pelton: I will adore to observe beginning point player Chelsea Gray be a danger to rating. She missed all 3 of her go tries in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 until now in the course of the Olympics. Incredibly, the united state outscored Nigeria by simply two factors in Gray's 17:27, while all four other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even much better while on the court.Still, as I mentioned in our final roundtable, the USA girls may eliminate one non-scorer in the starting 5 such a long time as she is actually delivering another thing to the table. And Gray is actually with her playmaking, having now totted 22 helps against just three turn overs. So, I do not believe trainer Cheryl Reeve needs to make further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE through Getty ImagesWhat troubles do the Australians present, and what could possibly create all of them a hard matchup?Top accounts of the full week from Acquire exclusive accessibility to 1000s of costs short articles a year coming from leading writers. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB sophomore lesson "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP struggle, other honors "u2022 25 most important gamers in CFP race" Even more ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA fans are going to be effectively accustomed to this Opals squad, which features the Seat Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Stimulates' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and also Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Freedom train Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not just carry out the Opals have the ability to contend against Crew USA. They possess energy and also willpower observing their disappointing start to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been satisfied with her team's poise as well as guts over the past week, pair of high qualities a rival needs when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced assault flaunts five players averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can injure opponents inside along with Magbegor and also Johnson yet likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the greatest in the Olympic field as well as considerably more than Group USA's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Sin City Aces, lead the team with 8 as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is much deeper and a lot more accomplished than any crew in the business save for the USA women. We may dispute the most effective international player at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy applicants. But no staff has a pair of players just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson, each of whom would possess gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not named to the team this season regardless of comparable development.) And also no crew outside the united state has almost as a lot WNBA knowledge throughout its own roster.Given all that ability, it was stunning when Australia dropped its opening game to Nigeria then scarcely beat winless Canada. In their previous two activities, our experts've seen the Opals our team counted on, as they beat surpassed France to develop to the knockout phase as well as led Serbia through as several as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for 3. LeBron accepts. U.S.A. Network as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily anybody stop Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any person is actually going to have all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor and Smith. Australia's message gamers position 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and 4th (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per activity and possess the movement to defend Stewart and Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced against both enemies, having dealt with Stewart in practice for three years as Tornado allies and paired up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest difficulty for Magbegor and Smith is filthy issue. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls against Canada, and Smith had 2 in the 1st quarter versus France, restricting their mins. Back-up George is a challenging, proficient gamer (she scored 18 factors in 24 moments versus Serbia) but nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid worry. Yet provided the take in Stewart and Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is actually selecting her 3rd Olympic gold as well as Wilson her second, while Magbegor as well as Johnson are actually seeming in their first Video games-- I will expect the Group United States extremely duo to make the winning participates in important in such a stressful situation to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would certainly be a more durable enemy for Group USA?Pelton: I am actually selecting Belgium, which offered the united state ladies their toughest Olympic test yet. The Americans prevailed through thirteen points, although the margin was actually just 7 entering the 4th quarter of a team phase activity played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, along with Julie Vanloo especially straining coming from midtown while skipping 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up 13 points along with 7 helps (albeit with 9 turnovers) as Belgium travelled past Spain, the merely various other team besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation along with the crowd on its own side and also a lot of satisfaction vulnerable, a complicated protective group in France would not be a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes may blow up like she performed against Germany with 24 aspects off the bench and with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on each ends.Has Group United States played its ideal baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, particularly on outburst, can easily still be a concern. There are times when the shortage of playing opportunity together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still obvious. Besides, there's a reason why Sue Bird lately stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Basketball is actually the best awkward basketball she has actually ever before played. After a bit of a slow start, the united state inevitably led through 30 in the 3rd fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have enjoyed just how her crew allowed the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point activity prior to the final buzzer. Via four activities, the Americans' absence of 3-point shooting have not really been actually fixed, which might be a problem if enemies get hot from deep.Team United States can't forget any of the remaining staffs in the field, however with a defensive identity and aggressive adeptness led by Stewart as well as Wilson, it has actually presented it may put games away when it requires to, something that ought to transfer over in to the last 2 games.Pelton: On the other side, I think the capturing is additionally cause to feel there's another gear for the U.S. females. Jointly, the 12 gamers on the roster have blended to fire thirty three% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this season. That won't make a "Sprinkle Siblings" label at any time soon, yet it's likewise better than Crew U.S.A. has taken care of from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to warm from lengthy array. Keep an eye out if they lastly carry out.