The U.S. is 2-0 and has won 32 straight World Cup games since a 2006 semifinal loss to Russia. Only one team had kept the margin inside single digits in that run before Sunday, Australia by eight in 2010. Italy, in its first World Cup since 1994, led 50-48 with 4:29 left.
A Zone That Took the Fastball Away
The Americans looked like themselves early, up 23-8, before Italy switched to a 2-3 zone and turned the game into a slog. The U.S. shot 29 percent from the field, including 1-for-12 from three, and missed layups it usually converts. Breanna Stewart missed her first eight shots. "Italy really kind of mucked up the game for us a little bit," Stewart said. "It made it difficult for us to score."
Coach Kara Lawson treated the night as a tournament lesson rather than an alarm. "You have to be able to win different ways in this tournament because every team stylistically plays a little bit different," she said. "You do have to be able to win when you don't have your fastball. We didn't have a fastball tonight, but we figured it out late."
Gray's Charge, Young's Layup, a Three That Missed
Stewart's first basket finally put the U.S. up 51-50. Gray then took a charge with 3:03 left, the play Lawson called "momentum-changing," and Young finished the ensuing possession with a layup. Gray's jumper with 1:07 remaining made it a five-point game. Matilde Villa cut it to three, and Cecilia Zandalasini, who led Italy with 14 points, missed a tying three at the buzzer. She later apologized for reacting toward an official. "It was a lot of emotions today, but I should have kept them inside of me a little better," she said.
The Americans have already clinched a quarterfinal berth before their last group game against the Czech Republic. Italy (1-1) plays China on Monday. The result is also a snapshot of a closing gap: the U.S. won its eighth straight Olympic gold in 2024 by a single point over France, and Lawson said every World Cup night now "feels like a dogfight." That is the new baseline in women's sports, even for a team that almost never loses this tournament.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What was the score of USA vs Italy at the FIBA World Cup?
- The United States won 55-52 on Sunday in Berlin. Jackie Young led the U.S. with 10 points. Cecilia Zandalasini had 14 for Italy.
- How close was this to ending Team USA's World Cup streak?
- Very. The U.S. has won 32 straight World Cup games since 2006. This was its lowest-scoring World Cup win since 1967, and only the second time in that streak that an opponent finished within single digits.
- What turned the game in the fourth quarter?
- Italy led 50-48 with 4:29 left. Stewart scored to put the U.S. ahead, Gray drew a charge, Young hit a layup, and Gray added a jumper. Zandalasini's three at the buzzer missed.
- What is next for Team USA?
- The Americans (2-0) are into the quarterfinals. They still play the Czech Republic in group play. Italy (1-1) faces China on Monday.
