.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's college baseball and also the WNBA.Earlier covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore indigenous with more encounter at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seattle Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Program set.Previously an expert along with the Indiana Pacers.Developed WARP score and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global opponents will meet again on Friday, as the United States women's baseball staff faces the Australian Opals with a spot in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal suit on the line.Team USA, which is riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic success, developed to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to a distressed loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung all together 3 upright triumphes, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state females have actually been actually the gold standard for baseball throughout the planet, winning 7 successive Olympic gold medals as well as nine general, Australia has been a famous goliath along with all of them. The Opals have medaled in five of the past seven Summers months Video games, taking home 3 silvers as well as 2 bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the very first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals since the 2012 London Games.2012 likewise was the last opportunity the epic Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic stage for the eco-friendly and also gold-- previously. While Group U.S.A. possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, appearing in her fifth Video games and initially in 12 years. Jackson has regularly medaled in the competitors, as well as though she has actually viewed limited action thus far in France, she possesses a chance to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 active WNBA players-- possesses a lot of momentum, but the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity versus the united state senior nationwide group, including 0-8 in Olympic competitors. Throughout the 5 Games in which they medaled, Australia dropped to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold medal contest. The teams last met in 2020, when the Americans prevailed 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break a number of the pressing questions moving into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Crew USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Crew United States's 14-point gain Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. changed up its beginning five versus Nigeria, with Jackie Young in place of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the action repair its own issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful instead of Taurasi-- who possessed last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the best action. Along with 15 points against Nigeria, Young appears to be taking a job as Staff USA's 3rd scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Youthful is actually the simply various other U.S. gamer averaging dual figures at 10.3 factors every activity.) Young, among 3 Sin city Aces gamers in the beginning 5, exhibited her 3-point shooting earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her capacity to acquire downhill and hit coming from midrange that attracted attention, in addition to her trademark defense in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the second fourth for the U.S. to definitely place its own feet on the gasoline against Nigeria, but Youthful's hostility and power on both ends must remain to pay dividends. And also Taurasi seemed to accomplish properly off the bench, where she stepped up as a company with 4 assists.Pelton: I 'd really love to find beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to score. She missed all three of her try efforts in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 up until now in the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by only 2 points 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 discussed in our last roundtable, the U.S. girls can beat one non-scorer in the starting five such a long time as she is actually carrying something else to the table. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually now amounted to 22 assists against merely 3 turn overs. So, I don't assume trainer Cheryl Reeve requires to create further changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat complications perform the Australians present, and also what could make them a hard matchup?Top stories of the full week from Acquire unique access to countless superior short articles a year coming from top authors. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB student course "u2022 MLB: Epic AL MVP battle, other honors "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP race" Additional ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts will be well knowledgeable about this Opals team, which includes the Seat Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Triggers' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and also Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Liberty coach Sandy Brondello responsible. Certainly not simply perform the Opals have the skill to complete against Group U.S.A.. They have momentum as well as willpower observing their frustrating begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually satisfied with her staff's grace as well as grit over recent week, two high qualities an opponent needs to have when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault boasts five gamers averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can easily hurt enemies inside with Magbegor and also Johnson however likewise from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the greatest in the Olympic industry as well as considerably greater than Group USA's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and also Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the group along with 8 and 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: On paper, Australia is actually deeper and more accomplished than any type of crew in the field barring the U.S. females. Our team may debate the most ideal international player at the Paris Video Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy applicants. Yet no group possesses a pair of players as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson, each of whom would certainly possess been on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not named to the staff this time even with similar creation.) As well as no group outside the U.S. possesses virtually as much WNBA adventure throughout its own roster.Given the only thing that ability, it was stunning when Australia shed its opening activity to Nigeria then rarely defeat winless Canada. In their previous two games, our company've viewed the Opals our team anticipated, as they beat exceeded France to develop to the knockout phase and led Serbia through as a lot of as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for three. LeBron authorizes. USA System as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can easily any individual quit Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if any individual is heading to contain them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and Smith. Australia's post players place second (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game as well as possess the flexibility to defend Stewart and Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is particularly experienced versus both challengers, having actually dealt with Stewart in practice for three years as Hurricane colleagues and paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest barrier for Magbegor and also Johnson is repulsive difficulty. Magbegor picked up 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and also Smith possessed two in the 1st fourth versus France, limiting their minutes. Backup George is a tough, skillful player (she scored 18 factors in 24 minutes against Serbia) however no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a legitimate concern. Yet offered the take in Stewart as well as Wilson contend this stage-- Stewart is opting for her 3rd Olympic gold and Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Johnson are actually looking in their first Games-- I 'd expect the Crew USA tremendously duo to make the winning participates in needed in such a high-pressure condition to innovation to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium will be actually a harder opponent for Crew USA?Pelton: I am actually choosing Belgium, which provided the USA females their toughest Olympic examination but. The Americans dominated by thirteen factors, although the scope was simply seven getting in the 4th one-fourth of a group phase video game played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, with Julie Vanloo especially battling coming from downtown while overlooking 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring 13 factors along with seven aids (albeit along with 9 turn overs) as Belgium navigated past Spain, the simply other team besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the lot nation along with the group on its own side and loads of take pride in vulnerable, a complicated protective team in France would not be actually a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes may go off like she did versus Germany along with 24 aspects off the seat as well as along with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on each ends.Has Group United States played its finest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, especially on offense, may still be a problem. There are actually times when the absence of playing time with each other or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still apparent. Besides, there's a reason why Sue Bird lately stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Basketball is actually the best annoying basketball she has ever played. After a little a sluggish begin, the USA ultimately led by 30 in the third one-fourth against Nigeria, but Reeve couldn't have actually really loved exactly how her team permitted the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game before the final buzzer. Via four video games, the Americans' shortage of 3-point capturing have not truly been corrected, which could be a concern if opponents get hot from deep.Team United States can not overlook any one of the continuing to be staffs in the business, but along with a protective identification and also offensive adeptness led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually presented it can easily put games away when it requires to, something that should transmit over right into the last pair of games.Pelton: On the other side, I think the shooting is actually also factor to believe there's one more equipment for the U.S. ladies. Collectively, the 12 players on the roster have actually combined to shoot thirty three% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this period. That won't gain a "Dash Sisters" nickname at any time soon, but it is actually also better than Crew United States has handled coming from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually past due to heat up from lengthy variety. Keep an eye out if they ultimately carry out.