.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's university baseball as well as the WNBA.Formerly dealt with UConn as well as the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and Baltimore indigenous with additional experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seat Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Author Co-author, Pro Baseball Syllabus collection.In the past a consultant along with the Indiana Pacers.Created WARP score and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide rivals are going to reunite on Friday, as the USA girls's baseball crew takes on the Australian Opals with a location in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold award match on the line.Team USA, which is actually using a touch of 59 successive Olympic triumphes, advanced to the semifinals along with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Adhering to a distressed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have actually strung all together 3 upright triumphes, featuring Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal selection over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the USA ladies have been the gold requirement for baseball across the world, gaining 7 consecutive Olympic gold medals as well as 9 overall, Australia has been actually a historic goliath together with all of them. The Opals have medaled in five of the past seven Summers months Video games, taking home three silvers and two bronze, although their semifinal run in Paris denotes the very first time they have actually improved past the quarterfinals considering that the 2012 London Video games.2012 likewise was the last opportunity the epic Lauren Jackson wore on the Olympic stage for the eco-friendly and also gold-- until now. While Group USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals possess Jackson, 43, seeming in her fifth Games and also to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has actually always medaled in the competitors, and also though she has seen restricted action so far in France, she possesses an opportunity to proceed that streak this weekend.Australia-- which flaunts 6 active WNBA players-- possesses lots of energy, but the Opals are actually 0-20 all time versus the united state elderly nationwide staff, including 0-8 in Olympic competitors. During the five Gamings in which they medaled, Australia lost to the united state either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The squads final fulfilled in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton malfunction a few of journalism concerns heading right into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit reports Jackie Young for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart chats along with Brian Windhorst after Crew United States's 14-point draw Nigeria to evolve to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. changed up its own beginning five against Nigeria, with Jackie Young instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the move repair its concerns in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful in place of Taurasi-- that had final go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was actually the right step. Along with 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Young seems taking a function as Staff USA's third marker responsible for A'ja Wilson and also Breanna Stewart. (Definitely, Young is the simply various other USA gamer balancing dual designs at 10.3 points per game.) Youthful, among 3 Sin city Aces gamers in the starting five, exhibited her 3-point shooting earlier against Germany, going 5-of-8. Yet while she went scoreless coming from deep on Wednesday, it was her capacity to obtain downhill and also strike from midrange that stuck out, along with her hallmark protection in the backcourt. It took until the center of the 2nd one-fourth for the U.S. to truly place its own foot on the gas against Nigeria, but Young's aggressiveness as well as energy on both ends should remain to return. And also Taurasi seemed to be to accomplish effectively off the bench, where she improved as a facilitator along with four assists.Pelton: I would certainly like to observe beginning point player Chelsea Gray be actually a risk to credit rating. She missed all three of her shot attempts in the quarterfinals, carrying Gray to 1-of-13 until now throughout the Olympics. Incredibly, the USA outscored Nigeria through simply two aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all 4 other starters possessed a plus-minus of plus-17 or better while on the court.Still, as I stated in our final roundtable, the U.S. women can get over one non-scorer in the starting five as long as she is bringing something else to the desk. As well as Gray is along with her playmaking, having actually now totted 22 assists versus only 3 turnovers. Therefore, I don't believe train Cheryl Reeve requires to create more changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty ImagesWhat troubles do the Australians present, and also what could possibly create them a tough matchup?Top tales of the full week coming from Obtain special accessibility to countless costs write-ups a year from best authors. u2022 Solak: Fascinating NFL QB sophomore training class "u2022 MLB: Impressive AL MVP fight, other honors "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP ethnicity" Even more ESPN+ material ".Philippou: WNBA followers are going to be actually well knowledgeable about this Opals team, which includes the Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor and also Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Johnson, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Baggage Melbourne and also Indiana High temperature's Kristy Wallace, plus New york city Right coach Sandy Brondello responsible. Not merely perform the Opals possess the ability to compete versus Group USA. They possess energy and also fix observing their disappointing beginning to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually satisfied along with her crew's poise and grit over recent week, 2 top qualities an opponent needs to have when experiencing the Americans.The Opals, whose well balanced attack flaunts five players averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, may injure opponents inside with Magbegor and Smith however additionally coming from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most effective in the Olympic industry as well as considerably greater than Team U.S.A.'s modest 30.8%. Whitcomb as well as Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the group along with 8 and 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Theoretically, Australia is deeper and extra talented than any type of staff in the business save for the united state women. Our team can dispute the best international gamer at the Paris Games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and also Satou Sabally (Germany) as sturdy candidates. Yet no staff has a set of players as good as the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, both of whom will possess performed my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was actually certainly not called to the group this period even with identical creation.) And also no team outside the USA possesses virtually as a lot WNBA adventure throughout its own roster.Given all that skill, it was surprising when Australia lost its own opening activity to Nigeria at that point rarely beat winless Canada. In their previous pair of games, we have actually seen the Opals our team expected, as they defeat topped France to advance to the knockout stage and also led Serbia by as numerous as 28 in an unequal quarterfinal victory.A' Ja meals to Stewie for three. LeBron permits. USA System and also Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can anybody cease Breanna Stewart and also A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. Yet if any person is heading to include them, it's the duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson. Australia's article players rate 2nd (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as fourth (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks per video game as well as possess the wheelchair to speak up for Stewart as well as Wilson on the border. Magbegor is actually particularly experienced versus each opponents, having faced Stewart in practice for 3 years as Tornado allies and paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The most significant difficulty for Magbegor as well as Smith is nasty trouble. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls versus Canada, as well as Smith had 2 in the initial one-fourth versus France, limiting their moments. Data backup George is a challenging, trained player (she racked up 18 points in 24 minutes against Serbia) yet no place near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises an authentic issue. Yet offered the encounter Stewart and also Wilson have at this stage-- Stewart is actually opting for her third Olympic gold and also Wilson her 2nd, while Magbegor and also Johnson are appearing in their very first Video games-- I 'd count on the Team USA tremendously duo to make the winning participates in essential in such a stressful scenario to advance to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and Belgium would certainly be actually a tougher challenger for Staff USA?Pelton: I am actually opting for Belgium, which gave the USA females their hardest Olympic exam however. The Americans prevailed through 13 factors, although the margin was actually merely 7 getting in the 4th quarter of a group stage activity played in Lille, France, near the borderline along with Belgium. All this even with Belgium going only 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, along with Julie Vanloo specifically having a hard time coming from downtown while missing out on 10 of her 11 tries. On Wednesday, the Mystics point player went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring thirteen points along with 7 assists (albeit with 9 turnovers) as Belgium cruised past Spain, the simply other team besides the USA that was actually unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the lot country along with the group on its edge as well as plenty of pride vulnerable, a complicated defensive staff in France definitely would not be a piece of cake, either, specifically if Marine Johannes can easily go off like she did versus Germany with 24 factors off the bench and with Gabby Williams blazing a trail on both ends.Has Staff USA played its finest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game uniformity, particularly on offense, may still be a problem. There are actually times when the lack of participating in time together or even Reeve's tweaking with rotations/combinations is still noticeable. Nevertheless, there is actually a reason Sue Bird recently stated on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that U.S.A. Basketball is the most uneasy baseball she has actually ever before played. After a little bit of a slow start, the U.S. inevitably led by 30 in the 3rd fourth versus Nigeria, however Reeve couldn't have actually loved exactly how her team allowed the D'Tigress to make it a 14-point video game before the final buzzer. Via 4 activities, the Americans' lack of 3-point shooting have not definitely been treated, which might be a problem if enemies get hot coming from deep.Team U.S.A. can not forget any of the remaining staffs in the business, but with a defensive identity as well as offensive expertise led by Stewart and also Wilson, it has actually shown it can easily put games away when it requires to, something that needs to transmit over in to the final two games.Pelton: On the other hand, I presume the firing is additionally factor to think there is actually another equipment for the U.S. ladies. Jointly, the 12 players on the lineup have integrated to shoot 33% on 3-point tries in the WNBA this season. That will not make a "Splash Sis" label any time very soon, however it's also far better than Team USA has managed from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to warm from lengthy variation. Keep an eye out if they ultimately carry out.