Previewing U.S. women’s basketball semifinal vs. Australia with a chance for eighth straight gold medal

Two international rivals will meet once more on Friday, as the USA ladies’s basketball group goes up towards the Australian Opals with a spot within the 2024 Paris Video games’ gold medal match on the road.

Staff USA, which is using a streak of 59 consecutive Olympic wins, superior to the semifinals with an 88-74 conquer Nigeria on Wednesday. Following an upset loss to Nigeria of their Olympic opener, the Opals have strung collectively three straight victories, together with Wednesday’s 85-67 quarterfinal choice over Serbia.

Whereas the U.S. ladies have been the gold normal for basketball internationally, successful seven consecutive Olympic gold medals and 9 total, Australia has been a historic powerhouse alongside them. The Opals have medaled in 5 of the previous seven Summer season Video games, taking residence three silvers and two bronze, though their semifinal run in Paris marks the primary time they’ve superior previous the quarterfinals for the reason that 2012 London Video games.

2012 additionally was the final time the legendary Lauren Jackson suited up on the Olympic stage for the inexperienced and gold — till now. Whereas Staff USA has 42-year-old, six-time Olympian Diana Taurasi, the Opals have Jackson, 43, showing in her fifth Video games and first in 12 years. Jackson has all the time medaled within the competitors, and although she has seen restricted motion thus far in France, she has an opportunity to proceed that streak this weekend.

Australia — which boasts six lively WNBA gamers — has loads of momentum, however the Opals are 0-20 all time towards the U.S. senior nationwide group, together with 0-8 in Olympic competitors. Throughout the 5 Video games wherein they medaled, Australia misplaced to the U.S. both within the semifinals or the gold medal contest. The squads final met in 2020, when the Individuals prevailed 79-55.

ESPN’s Alexa Philippou and Kevin Pelton break down a few of the urgent questions heading into the matchup.

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Breanna Stewart credit Jackie Younger for jump-starting Staff USA

Breanna Stewart talks with Brian Windhorst after Staff USA’s 14-point win over Nigeria to advance to the semifinals.

Staff USA switched up its beginning 5 towards Nigeria, with Jackie Young rather than Diana Taurasi. Did the transfer repair its points within the backcourt?

Philippou: Beginning Younger rather than Taurasi — who had final come off the bench on the Olympics in 2004 — was the precise transfer. With 15 factors towards Nigeria, Younger seems to be carving out a task as Staff USA’s third scorer behind A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. (Certainly, Younger is the one different U.S. participant averaging double figures at 10.3 factors per sport.) Younger, considered one of three Las Vegas Aces gamers within the beginning 5, confirmed off her 3-point capturing earlier towards Germany, going 5-of-8. However whereas she went scoreless from deep on Wednesday, it was her means to get downhill and hit from midrange that stood out, alongside together with her trademark protection within the backcourt. It took till the center of the second quarter for the U.S. to actually put its foot on the fuel towards Nigeria, however Younger’s aggression and power on each ends ought to proceed to pay dividends. And Taurasi appeared to do nicely off the bench, the place she stepped up as a facilitator with 4 assists.

Pelton: I might like to see place to begin guard Chelsea Gray be a risk to attain. She missed all three of her shot makes an attempt within the quarterfinals, bringing Grey to 1-of-13 thus far in the course of the Olympics. Remarkably, the U.S. outscored Nigeria by simply two factors in Grey’s 17:27, whereas all 4 different starters had a plus-minus of plus-17 or higher whereas on the courtroom.

Nonetheless, as I discussed in our final roundtable, the U.S. ladies can overcome one non-scorer within the beginning 5 as long as she is bringing one thing else to the desk. And Grey is together with her playmaking, having now totaled 22 assists towards simply three turnovers. So, I do not assume coach Cheryl Reeve must make additional adjustments.

What issues do the Australians pose, and what might make them a tricky matchup?

Philippou: WNBA followers will probably be nicely conversant in this Opals squad, which options the Seattle Storm‘s Ezi Magbegor and Sami Whitcomb, Minnesota Lynx‘s Alanna Smith, Los Angeles Sparks‘ Stephanie Talbot, Washington Mystics‘ Jade Melbourne and Indiana Fever‘s Kristy Wallace, plus New York Liberty coach Sandy Brondello on the helm. Not solely do the Opals have the expertise to compete towards Staff USA. They’ve momentum and resolve following their disappointing begin to the Olympics. Brondello has been happy together with her group’s poise and grit over the previous week, two qualities an opponent wants when dealing with the Individuals.

The Opals, whose balanced assault boasts 5 gamers averaging a minimum of 8.0 PPG, can damage foes inside with Magbegor and Smith but additionally from the 3-point arc. Their 36.9% 3-point clip is the most effective within the Olympic area and far greater than Staff USA’s paltry 30.8%. Whitcomb and Cayla George, a 2023 WNBA champion whereas with the Las Vegas Aces, lead the group with eight and 7 treys, respectively.

Pelton: On paper, Australia is deeper and extra gifted than any group within the area save for the U.S. ladies. We will debate the most effective worldwide participant on the Paris Video games, with Emma Meesseman (Belgium) and Satou Sabally (Germany) as robust candidates. However no group has a pair of gamers nearly as good because the Opals’ frontcourt duo of Magbegor and Smith, each of whom would have been on my WNBA All-Star group this 12 months. (Magbegor, a 2023 All-Star, was not named to the group this season regardless of comparable manufacturing.) And no group exterior the U.S. has almost as a lot WNBA expertise all through its roster.

Given all that expertise, it was surprising when Australia misplaced its opening sport to Nigeria then barely beat winless Canada. Of their previous two video games, we have seen the Opals we anticipated, as they beat topped France to advance to the knockout stage and led Serbia by as many as 28 in a lopsided quarterfinal victory.

A’Ja dishes to Stewie for 3. 🎯

LeBron approves.

📺 USA Community and Peacock pic.twitter.com/yI8kbWNUps

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 7, 2024

Can anybody cease Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson?

Pelton: No. But when anybody goes to comprise them, it is the duo of Magbegor and Smith. Australia’s publish gamers rank second (Magbegor, 2.4) and fourth (Smith, 1.8) within the WNBA in blocks per sport and have the mobility to defend Stewart and Wilson on the perimeter. Magbegor is especially skilled towards each opponents, having confronted Stewart in follow for 3 years as Storm teammates and matched up with Wilson within the 2022 WNBA semifinals.

The largest impediment for Magbegor and Smith is foul bother. Magbegor picked up three first-half fouls towards Canada, and Smith had two within the first quarter versus France, limiting their minutes. Backup George is a tricky, expert participant (she scored 18 factors in 24 minutes towards Serbia) however nowhere close to as athletic on protection.

Philippou: Pelton brings up a sound concern. However given the expertise Stewart and Wilson have at this stage — Stewart goes for her third Olympic gold and Wilson her second, whereas Magbegor and Smith are showing of their first Video games — I might count on the Staff USA tremendous duo to make the successful performs essential in such a high-pressure scenario to advance to the ultimate.

Which of France and Belgium could be a more durable opponent for Staff USA?

Pelton: I am going with Belgium, which gave the U.S. ladies their hardest Olympic take a look at but. The Individuals prevailed by 13 factors, though the margin was simply seven coming into the fourth quarter of a bunch stage sport performed in Lille, France, close to the border with Belgium. All this regardless of Belgium going simply 5-of-27 in 3-point capturing, with Julie Vanloo significantly struggling from downtown whereas lacking 10 of her 11 makes an attempt. On Wednesday, the Mystics level guard went 3-of-5 from 3, scoring 13 factors with seven assists (albeit with 9 turnovers) as Belgium cruised previous Spain, the one different group in addition to the U.S. that was unbeaten in pool play.

Philippou: Because the host nation with the gang on its aspect and loads of delight on the road, a troublesome defensive group in France would not be a pushover, both, particularly if Marine Johannes can go off like she did towards Germany with 24 factors off the bench and with Gabby Williams main the best way on each ends.

Has Staff USA performed its finest basketball but?

Philippou: In-game consistency, particularly on offense, can nonetheless be a problem. There are occasions when the shortage of enjoying time collectively or Reeve’s tweaking with rotations/mixtures continues to be obvious. In spite of everything, there is a motive why Sue Fowl lately mentioned on Carmelo Anthony’s podcast that USA Basketball is essentially the most uncomfortable basketball she has ever performed. After a little bit of a gradual begin, the U.S. finally led by 30 within the third quarter towards Nigeria, however Reeve could not have liked how her group allowed the D’Tigress to make it a 14-point sport earlier than the ultimate buzzer. By means of 4 video games, the Individuals’ lack of 3-point capturing hasn’t actually been remedied, which could possibly be a problem if opponents get scorching from deep.

Staff USA cannot overlook any of the remaining groups within the area, however with a defensive identification and offensive prowess led by Stewart and Wilson, it has proven it could actually put video games away when it must, one thing that ought to switch over into the ultimate two video games.

Pelton: On the flip aspect, I feel the capturing can be motive to imagine there’s one other gear for the U.S. ladies. Collectively, the 12 gamers on the roster have mixed to shoot 33% on 3-point makes an attempt within the WNBA this season. That will not earn a “Splash Sisters” nickname any time quickly, but it surely’s additionally higher than Staff USA has managed from the shorter 3-point line in FIBA play.

Taurasi (1-of-7) and Jewell Loyd (2-of-10) are overdue to warmth up from lengthy vary. Look out in the event that they lastly do.