.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's university baseball and also the WNBA.Recently covered UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore native along with more take in at the Dallas Morning Updates, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Article Writer Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus collection.Previously an expert with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP rating and SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international rivals will certainly meet again on Friday, as the USA women's baseball staff goes up against the Australian Opals with a place in the 2024 Paris Gamings' gold award match on the line.Team USA, which is using a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic wins, 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 actually strung with each other three upright triumphes, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. girls have actually been the gold standard for baseball around the planet, gaining 7 consecutive Olympic gold awards and nine general, Australia has been actually a historical giant along with all of them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of recent seven Summer seasons Games, taking home 3 silvers and two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris marks the first time they have actually advanced past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 Greater london Gamings.2012 likewise was the final time the epic Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic stage for the environment-friendly as well as gold-- previously. While Group United States has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her 5th Video games as well as initially in 12 years. Jackson has actually always medaled in the competition, and though she has actually found limited activity so far in France, she possesses an opportunity to continue that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts 6 energetic WNBA players-- possesses a lot of momentum, but the Opals are actually 0-20 all time against the U.S. senior nationwide staff, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the five Games through which they medaled, Australia dropped to the USA either in the semifinals or even the gold medal competition. The squads last satisfied in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton malfunction a few of journalism concerns moving in to the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit histories Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Team USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Staff U.S.A.'s 14-point gain Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. switched over up its starting 5 against Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful in place of Diana Taurasi. Did the action correct its own concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful in place of Taurasi-- that possessed last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was the ideal move. With 15 points against Nigeria, Youthful appears to be taking a role as Team USA's 3rd scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Youthful is actually the simply other united state gamer balancing double designs at 10.3 factors per video game.) Young, one of three Las Vegas Aces players in the starting five, showed off her 3-point shooting previously against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deep-seated on Wednesday, it was her capability to obtain downhill as well as attack coming from midrange that attracted attention, in addition to her hallmark self defense in the backcourt. It took until the center of the 2nd fourth for the U.S. to definitely place its foot on the gas versus Nigeria, but Youthful's aggressiveness and also power on each ends need to continue to pay dividends. And also Taurasi seemed to be to perform properly off the bench, where she stepped up as a facilitator with 4 assists.Pelton: I would certainly love to observe starting point guard Chelsea Gray be actually a threat to score. She skipped all 3 of her go attempts in the quarterfinals, bringing Gray to 1-of-13 so far throughout the Olympics. Remarkably, the U.S. outscored Nigeria through simply 2 aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 various other starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or even far better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our final roundtable, the USA females can easily overcome one non-scorer in the starting five such a long time as she is actually taking something else to the desk. And Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually today totaled 22 helps versus only 3 turn overs. Therefore, I don't assume instructor Cheryl Reeve requires to create further changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE using Getty ImagesWhat issues do the Australians pose, as well as what could possibly make all of them a hard matchup?Top tales of the week from Get unique access to thousands of costs write-ups a year coming from top authors. u2022 Solak: Interesting NFL QB sophomore training class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP struggle, various other honors "u2022 25 most important players in CFP ethnicity" Even more ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA supporters will be properly aware of this Opals team, which includes the Seat Storm's Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Liberty train Sandy Brondello at the helm. Certainly not merely do the Opals have the talent to compete versus Team U.S.A.. They possess energy and fix observing their unsatisfactory begin to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually satisfied with her crew's grace and grit over recent full week, 2 top qualities an enemy requires when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced assault boasts five players averaging at the very least 8.0 PPG, may harm opponents inside along with Magbegor and also Smith however also coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the very best in the Olympic area as well as considerably greater than Team USA's puny 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while with the Sin City Aces, lead the group with eight and also 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is deeper and also more accomplished than any kind of staff in the field barring the USA girls. Our experts can discuss the most ideal global player at the Paris Video Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as solid applicants. However no staff possesses a pair of players comparable to the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and also Smith, each of whom would certainly have performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not called to the group this period regardless of comparable production.) And also no staff outside the united state has almost as a lot WNBA expertise throughout its own roster.Given everything talent, it was actually astonishing when Australia lost its position game to Nigeria then barely trump winless Canada. In their past 2 activities, we've seen the Opals our company expected, as they beat surpassed France to develop to the knockout phase and also led Serbia through as lots of as 28 in an unbalanced quarterfinal victory.A' Ja foods to Stewie for 3. LeBron permits. U.S.A. Network and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anyone stop Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any person is actually going to include all of them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Smith. Australia's article gamers rank second (Magbegor, 2.4) and also fourth (Johnson, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity and have the wheelchair to speak up for Stewart and Wilson on the boundary. Magbegor is actually specifically experienced against both opponents, having actually dealt with Stewart in practice for three years as Tornado teammates and also matched up along with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The biggest difficulty for Magbegor and Johnson is filthy difficulty. Magbegor picked up 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and Smith had pair of in the initial one-fourth versus France, restricting their mins. Backup George is actually a challenging, competent player (she racked up 18 points in 24 minutes versus Serbia) but nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton brings up a valid issue. However provided the experience Stewart as well as Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is going for her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and also Smith are seeming in their very first Games-- I will anticipate the Team United States extremely duo to create the winning plays required in such a high-pressure scenario to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would certainly be a harder challenger for Staff USA?Pelton: I'm picking Belgium, which provided the U.S. girls their hardest Olympic exam but. The Americans prevailed by 13 factors, although the scope was actually simply 7 getting into the fourth quarter of a team stage video game played in Lille, France, near the edge along with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going merely 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, with Julie Vanloo specifically having a hard time coming from downtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 efforts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 from 3, racking up thirteen factors along with seven assists (albeit along with 9 turn overs) as Belgium travelled previous Spain, the just various other crew besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the host country along with the group on its own edge and loads of take pride in on the line, a hard defensive staff in France definitely would not be actually a pushover, either, specifically if Marine Johannes may blow up like she performed versus Germany along with 24 aspects off the bench as well as along with Gabby Williams leading the way on each ends.Has Crew USA played its own greatest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, specifically on outburst, can easily still be a concern. There are actually times when the lack of participating in opportunity all together or Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still evident. It goes without saying, there is actually a main reason why Sue Bird recently mentioned on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Basketball is the best awkward baseball she has ever participated in. After a little bit of a slow beginning, the U.S. eventually led through 30 in the 3rd fourth against Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have loved exactly how her staff enabled the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point video game prior to the ultimate buzzer. Via four activities, the Americans' absence of 3-point firing hasn't really been fixed, which could be a concern if rivals get hot from deep.Team USA can't disregard some of the staying groups in the business, yet with a defensive identification and aggressive adeptness led by Stewart and Wilson, it has presented it can easily put activities away when it needs to, something that should transfer over in to the last two games.Pelton: On the flip side, I presume the shooting is actually likewise explanation to believe there's another equipment for the USA girls. Collectively, the 12 players on the lineup have integrated to shoot 33% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this period. That will not make a "Burst Sis" nickname at any time very soon, yet it is actually also much better than Staff USA has actually dealt with from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually overdue to warm coming from long selection. Watch out if they eventually do.