.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's university baseball as well as the WNBA.Recently dealt with UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore indigenous with additional encounter at the Dallas Early Morning News, Seattle Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Prospectus series.In the past a consultant with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP score as well as SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo global rivals will certainly meet again on Friday, as the USA ladies's baseball team goes up against the Australian Opals with an area in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold medal suit on the line.Team United States, which is actually riding a touch of 59 successive Olympic triumphes, developed to the semifinals along with an 88-74 triumph over Nigeria on Wednesday. Observing an upset loss to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung together 3 straight victories, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA ladies have been the gold specification for baseball across the globe, succeeding seven consecutive Olympic gold medals as well as nine overall, Australia has been actually a famous goliath together with them. The Opals have medaled in five of recent seven Summers months Gamings, take away three silvers and pair of bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris denotes the first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals because the 2012 London Games.2012 also was the last opportunity the legendary Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic stage for the green as well as gold-- until now. While Staff U.S.A. has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Games and first in 12 years. Jackson has actually consistently medaled in the competitors, and though she has seen limited action up until now in France, she has an odds to proceed that touch this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six energetic WNBA gamers-- has lots of energy, yet the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the U.S. senior national group, featuring 0-8 in Olympic competitors. In the course of the 5 Video games through which they medaled, Australia lost to the U.S. either in the semifinals or the gold award competition. The squads final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton break some of journalism inquiries heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Young for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart speaks with Brian Windhorst after Group USA's 14-point get Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team United States switched over up its own beginning five against Nigeria, along with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Carried out the move fix its issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Youthful in place of Taurasi-- that had final go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the appropriate step. Along with 15 points against Nigeria, Young appears to be taking a job as Crew USA's 3rd scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Young is actually the just various other USA player balancing dual designs at 10.3 points every activity.) Young, among 3 Sin city Aces gamers in the starting 5, showed off her 3-point firing previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her ability to receive downhill and hit from midrange that stood apart, in addition to her trademark self defense in the backcourt. It took until the middle of the 2nd one-fourth for the united state to actually place its foot on the fuel against Nigeria, yet Youthful's aggressiveness and electricity on both ends should remain to pay dividends. And Taurasi seemed to be to do effectively off the seat, where she boosted as a facilitator along with four assists.Pelton: I will really love to see beginning point player Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to rating. She overlooked all 3 of her shot attempts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 thus far throughout the Olympics. Extremely, the USA outscored Nigeria through merely 2 aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or far better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our last roundtable, the USA ladies can eliminate one non-scorer in the beginning five so long as she is actually taking something else to the table. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually now totted 22 supports versus simply three turn overs. Therefore, I don't presume coach Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat issues do the Australians posture, and also what could create all of them a difficult matchup?Top stories of the full week coming from Obtain special access to countless fee posts a year coming from best article writers. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB student training class "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP struggle, various other awards "u2022 25 essential players in CFP race" Even more ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA fans are going to be actually well accustomed to this Opals team, which features the Seattle Tornado's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Liberty trainer Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not only perform the Opals possess the talent to compete against Staff USA. They have momentum and also fix following their frustrating beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has been satisfied with her group's poise as well as grit over recent week, two top qualities an enemy requires when dealing with the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault flaunts 5 gamers balancing at the very least 8.0 PPG, can injure opponents inside with Magbegor and also Johnson but also from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the best in the Olympic industry and much higher than Staff U.S.A.'s puny 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff along with 8 as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is much deeper and much more talented than any type of team in the business except for the USA ladies. Our experts can easily debate the most ideal international player at the Paris Gamings, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as solid prospects. Yet no crew possesses a pair of players as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, both of whom will have performed my WNBA Dream team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not named to the group this period regardless of comparable creation.) And no team outside the united state has almost as a lot WNBA experience throughout its roster.Given the only thing that talent, it was actually stunning when Australia lost its own position game to Nigeria after that scarcely trump winless Canada. In their past two video games, we have actually viewed the Opals we anticipated, as they defeat exceeded France to develop to the knockout stage and led Serbia through as lots of as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes 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 anyone quit Breanna Stewart as well as A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if anyone is actually going to have them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's message players rate second (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per game as well as possess the movement to stand up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the border. Magbegor is specifically experienced against each enemies, having encountered Stewart in practice for 3 years as Hurricane allies and also matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant obstacle for Magbegor and Smith is foul issue. Magbegor grabbed 3 first-half fouls against Canada, and Smith had 2 in the first quarter versus France, limiting their mins. Back-up George is actually a challenging, skilled gamer (she racked up 18 factors in 24 mins against Serbia) but no place near as sports on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a valid problem. But provided the experience Stewart as well as Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is selecting her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor as well as Johnson are actually looking in their initial Games-- I would certainly expect the Crew USA tremendously duo to help make the winning plays required in such a high-pressure circumstance to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France as well as Belgium will be a more durable rival for Group USA?Pelton: I am actually selecting Belgium, which offered the U.S. women their most difficult Olympic test however. The Americans dominated by thirteen points, although the margin was actually just seven going into the fourth one-fourth of a team stage activity played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going just 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, with Julie Vanloo particularly struggling from midtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 coming from 3, racking up thirteen points with 7 assists (albeit with 9 turnovers) as Belgium navigated previous Spain, the simply other crew besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the lot nation along with the group on its edge and also loads of pleasure on the line, a challenging protective group in France would not be actually a pushover, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can easily blow up like she carried out against Germany with 24 points off the seat as well as with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on both ends.Has Staff USA played its own greatest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, particularly on outburst, can still be actually a concern. There are times when the lack of participating in opportunity with each other or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still noticeable. It goes without saying, there is actually a reason why Sue Bird recently pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Basketball is the absolute most unpleasant baseball she has actually ever participated in. After a little a slow start, the united state eventually led through 30 in the 3rd quarter versus Nigeria, but Reeve could not have adored just how her group made it possible for the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game prior to the ultimate buzzer. With four video games, the Americans' lack of 3-point capturing have not definitely been remedied, which could be a concern if challengers get hot from deep.Team U.S.A. can't overlook any of the continuing to be teams in the business, however along with a protective identity and offensive adeptness led through Stewart as well as Wilson, it has actually presented it can put games away when it requires to, one thing that must move over right into the last 2 games.Pelton: On the other side, I assume the shooting is additionally explanation to believe there is actually one more gear for the united state girls. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the roster have mixed to shoot 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this season. That won't earn a "Dash Sis" label whenever very soon, but it's also better than Group United States has dealt with from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are past due to warm up coming from long variety. Keep an eye out if they eventually do.