.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers girls's college baseball and also the WNBA.Earlier covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunlight for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad as well as Baltimore indigenous with more take in at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Moments and Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Senior Citizen Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Prospectus collection.Formerly a consultant along with the Indiana Pacers.Established WARP ranking and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo international competitors are going to meet again on Friday, as the United States girls's baseball group faces the Australian Opals along with an area in the 2024 Paris Games' gold medal match on the line.Team United States, which is actually using a touch of 59 successive Olympic triumphes, 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 all together 3 straight triumphes, consisting of Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA females have been the gold requirement for basketball all over the world, gaining 7 consecutive Olympic gold awards and also nine total, Australia has been actually a historical goliath alongside all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in 5 of recent 7 Summertimes Video games, taking home 3 silvers as well as pair of bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris notes the very first time they've advanced past the quarterfinals given that the 2012 London Video games.2012 also was actually the last time the fabulous Lauren Jackson dressed on the Olympic phase for the eco-friendly as well as gold-- previously. While Team USA possesses 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, appearing in her fifth Video games and also to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has consistently medaled in the competition, as well as though she has observed minimal activity until now in France, she has an odds to proceed that streak this weekend.Australia-- which boasts six active WNBA players-- has plenty of energy, but the Opals are 0-20 perpetuity versus the U.S. senior nationwide crew, including 0-8 in Olympic competition. Throughout the 5 Games through which they medaled, Australia dropped to the USA either in the semifinals or even the gold award competition. The squads final satisfied in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break down a number of journalism inquiries heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit scores Jackie Youthful for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Staff United States's 14-point get Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.Team United States changed up its own starting five against Nigeria, along with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the technique repair its issues in the backcourt?Philippou: Beginning Young instead of Taurasi-- who had last come off the bench at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the best technique. Along with 15 factors against Nigeria, Youthful looks carving out a task as Group USA's 3rd scorer behind A'ja Wilson as well as Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Young is the simply various other united state player averaging dual figures at 10.3 factors per activity.) Youthful, among three Sin city Aces players in the starting 5, 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 capacity to receive downhill and also reach from midrange that stood out, in addition to her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took till the middle of the 2nd quarter for the USA to truly place its own foot on the gas versus Nigeria, yet Young's aggressiveness and power on each ends need to continue to return. As well as Taurasi appeared to perform properly off the seat, where she stepped up as a company along with four assists.Pelton: I 'd really love to find beginning point player Chelsea Gray be a risk to score. She overlooked all 3 of her try efforts in the quarterfinals, delivering Gray to 1-of-13 thus far throughout the Olympics. Extremely, the united state outscored Nigeria by only two points in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or even far better while on the court.Still, as I pointed out in our final roundtable, the U.S. women can get over one non-scorer in the beginning five such a long time as she is actually taking something else to the table. And also Gray is actually along with her playmaking, having actually right now totaled 22 aids versus merely 3 turn overs. So, I do not think instructor Cheryl Reeve needs to have to create additional changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat concerns perform the Australians position, as well as what might make them a hard matchup?Top stories of the week coming from Obtain special access to countless premium articles a year from leading authors. u2022 Solak: Appealing NFL QB sophomore lesson "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP fight, various other awards "u2022 25 most important gamers in CFP race" More ESPN+ information ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts will certainly be well familiar with this Opals team, which features the Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus New York Right trainer Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not simply carry out the Opals possess the skill to compete versus Crew USA. They possess drive and also fix observing their frustrating start to the Olympics. Brondello has actually been actually satisfied along with her crew's grace and guts over recent full week, two qualities an opponent needs when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced attack flaunts five players balancing at least 8.0 PPG, can harm foes inside along with Magbegor as well as Smith but additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is actually the very best in the Olympic area and considerably more than Group USA's modest 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champ while along with the Sin City Aces, lead the staff with eight as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is deeper and more skilled than any type of group in the field save for the united state girls. Our company can easily dispute the very best international gamer at the Paris Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy prospects. Yet no staff possesses a set of players just as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson, both of whom would certainly have gotten on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually not called to the crew this time in spite of similar production.) As well as no team outside the USA possesses virtually as much WNBA expertise throughout its roster.Given the only thing that skill, it was surprising when Australia shed its opening game to Nigeria after that rarely trump winless Canada. In their past two games, we have actually found the Opals we anticipated, as they defeat bested France to advance to the knockout phase and also led Serbia by as many as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron accepts. United States System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 May anyone cease Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. However if anybody is visiting include them, it is actually the duo of Magbegor and Smith. Australia's message players position second (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity as well as have the mobility to stand up for Stewart and Wilson on the border. Magbegor is actually especially experienced against each enemies, having faced Stewart virtual for 3 years as Tornado teammates and paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The greatest hurdle for Magbegor and also Smith is nasty issue. Magbegor picked up 3 first-half fouls versus Canada, and Smith had pair of in the very first quarter versus France, restricting their moments. Backup George is a hard, knowledgeable gamer (she racked up 18 points in 24 minutes against Serbia) yet no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid concern. Yet offered the encounter Stewart and Wilson have at this phase-- Stewart is choosing her third Olympic gold as well as Wilson her second, while Magbegor and Smith are actually appearing in their very first Gamings-- I will expect the Crew U.S.A. incredibly duo to produce the winning participates in necessary in such a stressful situation to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would be a harder rival for Crew USA?Pelton: I'm opting for Belgium, which provided the USA females their hardest Olympic examination but. The Americans prevailed by thirteen points, although the frame was actually merely seven getting into the fourth quarter of a team phase game played in Lille, France, near the border with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, with Julie Vanloo especially straining coming from downtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring 13 points with seven aids (albeit with nine turn overs) as Belgium navigated previous Spain, the merely other team besides the U.S. that was actually unbeaten in swimming pool play.Philippou: As the lot nation along with the crowd on its edge and also loads of satisfaction vulnerable, a complicated protective group in France would not be actually a pushover, either, especially if Marine Johannes can easily go off like she carried out versus Germany along with 24 factors off the seat as well as with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Group U.S.A. played its ideal baseball yet?Philippou: In-game consistency, particularly on outburst, can easily still be actually an issue. There are actually times when the lack of participating in opportunity all together or Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is actually still evident. Besides, there is actually a reason why Sue Bird just recently pointed out on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that United States Baseball is the best uneasy baseball she has actually ever before played. After a little bit of a slow-moving start, the USA inevitably led through 30 in the third quarter against Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have enjoyed just how her group enabled the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point activity just before the last buzzer. Via 4 activities, the Americans' shortage of 3-point capturing hasn't really been corrected, which may be an issue if rivals fume from deep.Team United States can not ignore some of the remaining staffs in the business, yet with a protective identification and aggressive adeptness led by Stewart and Wilson, it has revealed it can easily place video games away when it requires to, one thing that should transfer over right into the last pair of games.Pelton: On the other hand, I presume the firing is also cause to strongly believe there's an additional equipment for the united state females. Jointly, the 12 players on the lineup have incorporated to shoot thirty three% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this time. That won't make a "Sprinkle Sis" label whenever soon, however it's likewise much better than Team United States has handled from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) as well as Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to heat from long variation. Watch out if they lastly carry out.