.Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women's college baseball and the WNBA.Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sunshine for the Hartford Courant.Stanford graduate and also Baltimore indigenous along with more encounter at the Dallas Early Morning Updates, Seattle Times and also Cincinnati EnquirerKevin PeltonCloseKevin PeltonESPN Elder Article Writer Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus series.Previously a specialist with the Indiana Pacers.Cultivated WARP score and also SCHOENE systemAug 8, 2024, 09:49 AM ETTwo worldwide rivals will certainly reunite on Friday, as the United States girls's baseball team confronts the Australian Opals along with a location in the 2024 Paris Video games' gold medal match on the line.Team USA, which is actually riding a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic wins, improved to the semifinals with an 88-74 overcome Nigeria on Wednesday. Complying with a distressed reduction to Nigeria in their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung with each other 3 straight triumphes, including Wednesday's 85-67 quarterfinal decision over Serbia.Editor's Picks2 RelatedWhile the U.S. women have been the gold standard for baseball around the planet, succeeding seven successive Olympic gold medals and also 9 general, Australia has actually been a famous giant alongside all of them. The Opals have actually medaled in five of the past 7 Summer Gamings, take away 3 silvers and two bronze, although their semifinal operate in Paris notes the first time they have actually developed past the quarterfinals because the 2012 London Video games.2012 likewise was the final time the fabulous Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic phase for the green as well as gold-- until now. While Group USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, showing up in her 5th Games as well as to begin with in 12 years. Jackson has actually consistently medaled in the competitors, and also though she has actually viewed restricted action thus far in France, she has an opportunity to continue that streak this weekend.Australia-- which includes 6 energetic WNBA gamers-- possesses lots of momentum, yet the Opals are 0-20 all time versus the USA senior nationwide staff, consisting of 0-8 in Olympic competition. During the five Games in which they medaled, Australia shed to the USA either in the semifinals or the gold medal competition. The teams final complied with in 2020, when the Americans dominated 79-55. ESPN's Alexa Philippou and also Kevin Pelton malfunction a number of journalism questions heading into the matchup.play1:05 Breanna Stewart credit histories Jackie Young for jump-starting Group USABreanna Stewart talks along with Brian Windhorst after Crew USA's 14-point win over Nigeria to accelerate to the semifinals.Team U.S.A. changed up its own starting 5 versus Nigeria, along with Jackie Youthful instead of Diana Taurasi. Did the step fix its problems in the backcourt?Philippou: Starting Youthful in place of Taurasi-- who had final go over the seat at the Olympics in 2004-- was the right move. Along with 15 aspects versus Nigeria, Young appears to be carving out a part as Crew USA's third scorer responsible for A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Without A Doubt, Young is actually the simply various other USA gamer balancing dual figures at 10.3 aspects per game.) Youthful, among three Sin city Aces players in the beginning five, showed off her 3-point firing earlier versus Germany, going 5-of-8. But while she went scoreless from deeper on Wednesday, it was her capability to get downhill and also reach from midrange that stuck out, alongside her trademark self defense in the backcourt. It took till the center of the 2nd quarter for the U.S. to really put its feet on the gas versus Nigeria, but Youthful's aggression as well as electricity on both ends ought to remain to return. And Taurasi appeared to perform well off the bench, where she improved as a facilitator along with 4 assists.Pelton: I would certainly love to see starting point guard Chelsea Gray be a risk to score. She missed all 3 of her try attempts in the quarterfinals, taking Gray to 1-of-13 thus far in the course of the Olympics. Extremely, the USA outscored Nigeria by merely two aspects in Gray's 17:27, while all four various other beginners had a plus-minus of plus-17 or far better while on the court.Still, as I discussed in our last roundtable, the USA girls may get rid of one non-scorer in the starting five such a long time as she is taking something else to the desk. And also Gray is along with her playmaking, having now totted 22 assists versus simply three turn overs. So, I don't believe train Cheryl Reeve requires to create further changes.Photo through Garrett Ellwood/NBAE by means of Getty ImagesWhat issues carry out the Australians posture, and also what can make all of them a difficult matchup?Top stories of the full week coming from Receive unique accessibility to thousands of premium short articles a year from leading writers. u2022 Solak: Intriguing NFL QB student lesson "u2022 MLB: Legendary AL MVP struggle, other honors "u2022 25 crucial gamers in CFP race" Even more ESPN+ content ".Philippou: WNBA enthusiasts will certainly be actually effectively knowledgeable about this Opals team, which includes the Seattle Storm's Ezi Magbegor as well as Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx's Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks' Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics' Jade Melbourne as well as Indiana Fever's Kristy Wallace, plus The big apple Liberty trainer Sandy Brondello at the helm. Not just do the Opals have the talent to complete against Staff United States. They possess energy and fix observing their unsatisfactory begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been actually pleased along with her team's poise and also guts over the past week, two premiums a rival needs to have when encountering the Americans.The Opals, whose balanced assault includes 5 players averaging at the very least 8.0 PPG, can easily hurt adversaries inside along with Magbegor as well as Smith but also from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the very best in the Olympic industry and also considerably more than Group U.S.A.'s tiny 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion while along with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the staff along with eight as well as 7 treys, respectively.Pelton: Abstractly, Australia is much deeper and also even more accomplished than any crew in the business barring the U.S. females. We can question the best global player at the Paris Video Games, along with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) as well as Satou Sabally (Germany) as powerful applicants. Yet no staff possesses a set of gamers like the Opals' frontcourt duo of Magbegor as well as Johnson, both of whom would certainly have been on my WNBA All-Star team this year. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was certainly not named to the staff this period even with comparable creation.) As well as no crew outside the USA has almost as much WNBA knowledge throughout its roster.Given all that skill, it was astonishing when Australia shed its position activity to Nigeria at that point barely defeat winless Canada. In their past 2 video games, our company've observed the Opals our team anticipated, as they defeat topped France to develop to the knockout stage as well as led Serbia through as a lot of as 28 in an uneven quarterfinal victory.A' Ja recipes to Stewie for 3. LeBron authorizes. United States System as well as Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUpsu2014 NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024 Can any individual cease Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson?Pelton: No. But if any individual is actually visiting have them, it's the duo of Magbegor and also Smith. Australia's article players position second (Magbegor, 2.4) as well as 4th (Smith, 1.8) in the WNBA in blocks every activity and possess the movement to stand up for Stewart and Wilson on the border. Magbegor is specifically experienced against each rivals, having faced Stewart virtual for 3 years as Hurricane teammates as well as paired up with Wilson in the 2022 WNBA semifinals.The largest challenge for Magbegor and Smith is filthy problem. Magbegor got three first-half fouls versus Canada, and also Johnson had pair of in the very first one-fourth versus France, restricting their minutes. Data backup George is a difficult, skillful gamer (she racked up 18 aspects in 24 moments against Serbia) however nowhere near as athletic on defense.Philippou: Pelton raises a valid issue. But offered the encounter Stewart as well as Wilson contend this phase-- Stewart is going for her third Olympic gold as well as Wilson her second, while Magbegor and also Johnson are actually looking in their first Games-- I 'd count on the Group USA tremendously duo to help make the winning plays important in such a high-pressure circumstance to development to the final.Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesWhich of France and also Belgium would be actually a harder challenger for Team USA?Pelton: I'm going with Belgium, which provided the united state ladies their toughest Olympic examination however. The Americans dominated by 13 aspects, although the frame was actually only seven getting in the 4th one-fourth of a group phase activity played in Lille, France, near the perimeter along with Belgium. All this despite Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point shooting, with Julie Vanloo particularly struggling coming from midtown while missing 10 of her 11 attempts. On Wednesday, the Mystics point guard went 3-of-5 coming from 3, scoring thirteen factors with 7 supports (albeit along with nine turn overs) as Belgium navigated past Spain, the just other team besides the united state that was unbeaten in pool play.Philippou: As the bunch nation along with the crowd on its edge and also a lot of pride vulnerable, a challenging defensive team in France wouldn't be a piece of cake, either, especially if Marine Johannes may go off like she did against Germany along with 24 aspects off the seat and also along with Gabby Williams breaking the ice on each ends.Has Staff U.S.A. played its own finest baseball yet?Philippou: In-game congruity, especially on outburst, can still be a problem. There are times when the absence of playing time with each other or even Reeve's tweaking along with rotations/combinations is still evident. Nevertheless, there is actually a reason why Sue Bird lately said on Carmelo Anthony's podcast that USA Baseball is actually the best annoying basketball she has actually ever before participated in. After a bit of a sluggish beginning, the U.S. inevitably led through 30 in the third quarter against Nigeria, yet Reeve could not have liked how her staff allowed the D'Tigress to create it a 14-point game before the ultimate buzzer. By means of four games, the Americans' absence of 3-point capturing have not definitely been actually solved, which could be an issue if challengers get hot from deep.Team U.S.A. can't ignore any one of the staying teams in the field, but with a defensive identification and offensive expertise led by Stewart as well as Wilson, it has actually presented it can place activities away when it requires to, something that should move over in to the ultimate pair of games.Pelton: On the flip side, I think the capturing is actually additionally main reason to think there's one more equipment for the united state girls. Collectively, the 12 players on the lineup have actually integrated to fire thirty three% on 3-point attempts in the WNBA this period. That will not get a "Burst Sisters" nickname any time very soon, yet it's additionally better than Team USA has actually dealt with from the much shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are actually outstanding to heat from lengthy variety. Keep an eye out if they finally do.