.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers ladies's college baseball and the WNBA.Previously dealt with UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and Baltimore indigenous with further take in at the Dallas Morning Updates, Seattle Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Syllabus series.Previously a specialist with the Indiana Pacers.Established WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international rivals are going to reunite on Friday, as the USA girls's baseball team takes on the Australian Opals along with a spot in the 2024 Paris Games' gold medal suit on the line.Team United States, which is actually riding a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic victories, developed to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Following an upset reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung with each other 3 straight triumphes, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the united state ladies have actually been the gold requirement for baseball all over the planet, winning seven successive Olympic gold medals as well as 9 total, Australia has been a famous goliath together with all of them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of recent 7 Summer Gamings, taking home three silvers and 2 bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals due to the fact that the 2012 London Video games.2012 also was the last time the legendary Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic phase for the green and gold-- previously. While Crew United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, showing up in her fifth Games as well as initially in 12 years. Jackson has regularly medaled in the competitors, and though she has found restricted activity up until now in France, she possesses an odds to proceed that streak this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 active WNBA players-- has lots of momentum, however the Opals are actually 0-20 perpetuity against the U.S. elderly nationwide crew, featuring 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 award competition. The squads last met in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou as well as Kevin Pelton malfunction some of journalism inquiries heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit ratings Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Group United States's 14-point sway Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team USA switched over up its beginning 5 versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Performed the action correct its issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young in place of Taurasi-- that possessed final go over the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the right relocation. Along with 15 points against Nigeria, Youthful seems carving out a part as Crew United States's third marker responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Young is actually the merely various other U.S. gamer averaging dual figures at 10.3 factors per activity.) Young, some of 3 Sin city Aces gamers in the beginning 5, showed off her 3-point capturing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deep on Wednesday, it was her potential to acquire downhill and reach from midrange that stood out, together with her hallmark defense in the backcourt. It took till the center of the second quarter for the U.S. to actually place its foot on the gas against Nigeria, however Youthful's hostility and also electricity on each ends must continue to pay dividends. As well as Taurasi appeared to carry out properly off the seat, where she boosted as a facilitator along with four assists.Pelton: I 'd really love to see beginning point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a danger to rating. She overlooked all three of her shot efforts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 thus far during the Olympics. Remarkably, the U.S. outscored Nigeria through only pair of aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all four other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the U.S. females can beat one non-scorer in the starting five so long as she is actually delivering another thing to the table. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having today amounted to 22 helps versus simply three turnovers. So, I don't believe coach Cheryl Reeve needs to have to make more changes.Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat complications carry out the Australians pose, as well as what can create them a hard matchup?Top stories of the full week from Get unique access to lots of costs articles a year coming from top authors. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP fight, other awards "u2022 25 most important gamers in CFP race" Even more ESPN+ web content ".Philippou: WNBA followers will be properly aware of this Opals team, which features the Seat Hurricane's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Liberty instructor Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not simply perform the Opals have the talent to contend against Staff USA. They have energy as well as fix following their disappointing begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually satisfied with her team's poise and grit over recent full week, 2 qualities an opponent requires when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced strike flaunts five gamers averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, may hurt adversaries inside along with Magbegor and also Smith but additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the most effective in the Olympic field as well as considerably higher than Crew USA's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the staff along with eight and seven treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is actually deeper and also more accomplished than any kind of staff in the field save for the USA ladies. Our team may question the best worldwide player at the Paris Gamings, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as solid applicants. But no group has a pair of gamers as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Johnson, both of whom would possess been on my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not named to the team this time even with comparable production.) And also no staff outside the united state possesses nearly as a lot WNBA adventure throughout its roster.Given everything talent, it was actually shocking when Australia shed its own opening activity to Nigeria after that scarcely beat winless Canada. In their past two games, our company've viewed the Opals our company expected, as they defeat bested France to advance to the knockout phase and led Serbia through as numerous as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron permits. U.S.A. System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can any individual cease Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if anyone is going to have them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and Smith. Australia's article players rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every video game and have the wheelchair to defend Stewart and also Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced against each opponents, having actually encountered Stewart in practice for 3 years as Tornado colleagues as well as paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest barrier for Magbegor and also Smith is nasty trouble. Magbegor got three first-half fouls against Canada, and Johnson possessed 2 in the very first fourth versus France, confining their minutes. Data backup George is a difficult, proficient gamer (she racked up 18 aspects in 24 minutes versus Serbia) yet nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a legitimate worry. However provided the experience Stewart and Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is selecting her 3rd Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and Johnson are actually appearing in their 1st Games-- I would certainly count on the Team USA extremely duo to make the winning participates in needed in such a high-pressure scenario to advancement to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium will be actually a harder enemy for Team USA?Pelton: I am actually selecting Belgium, which offered the USA girls their toughest Olympic examination yet. The Americans prevailed by thirteen points, although the frame was actually simply 7 entering the fourth one-fourth of a team stage video game played in Lille, France, near the border with Belgium. All this in spite of Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, along with Julie Vanloo especially battling coming from downtown while skipping 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up thirteen factors with seven aids (albeit with nine turn overs) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the simply various other group besides the united state that was unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the host country with the crowd on its side as well as loads of satisfaction on the line, a tough defensive team in France would not be actually a piece of cake, either, especially if Marine Johannes can easily blow up like she carried out versus Germany with 24 points off the bench as well as with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Team United States played its own absolute best baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, especially on outburst, can still be an issue. There are opportunities when the lack of participating in time with each other or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still apparent. Besides, there's a reason that Sue Bird recently pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Baseball is actually the best awkward baseball she has ever played. After a bit of a sluggish start, the united state at some point led by 30 in the 3rd fourth against Nigeria, yet Reeve couldn't have actually enjoyed how her team enabled the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point activity before the final buzzer. Via four activities, the Americans' absence of 3-point shooting have not definitely been actually solved, which might be a problem if enemies fume coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can't disregard some of the staying crews in the business, however along with a protective identity and also aggressive expertise led through Stewart and Wilson, it has presented it can easily place video games away when it requires to, one thing that must transfer over in to the ultimate pair of games.Pelton: On the flip side, I assume the shooting is likewise explanation to think there's another gear for the USA women. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the lineup have actually blended to shoot thirty three% on 3-point efforts in the WNBA this time. That won't earn a "Sprinkle Sis" label at any time quickly, however it's likewise much better than Crew United States has taken care of from the briefer 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and also Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually past due to warm coming from long array. Look out if they ultimately do.