A 24-hour turnaround following the narrow win against Italy proved just what Team USA needed, as they finished off their FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup group stage campaign in top spot with a huge 105-64 win over Czechia on Monday (7 September).
Having been knocked off their stride by Italy on Sunday, they leapt up on Monday to extend their 33-game World Cup streak in more convincing and clinical fashion.
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Once again, they were hauled to victory by the veterans of the squad.
It took the USA over half an hour for their first and only three-point shot against Italy; it took less than a minute for Breanna Stewart to get the first against Czechia.
Only Jackie Young made double figures in points the day prior; she was one of six here. She came away with 12 points, joined on a dozen by Napheese Collier as Angel Reese scored 13, while Paige Bueckers and Sonia Citron clocked 10.
Yet it was Stewart’s smooth, instinctive efficiency that set the standard for the USA with a game-high number of points (19), defensive rebounds (6), and assists (6).
“I thought it was a great response from yesterday’s game,” Collier said in the post match press conference.
“We weren’t happy yesterday, with either offense or defense. We came today with a mindset that we’re going to play as hard as we can. We were going to be aggressive.”
After the first game of her career without making a three-pointer, against Italy, where she shot 0-6 from the floor and recorded only one point, Caitlin Clark responded with a nine-point and seven-assist game, putting away her first points on the board at the end of the first quarter.
“I think Caitlin’s done a solid job in this tournament taking the right shots at the right times,” head coach Kara Lawson said.
“She provides a great playmaking aspect to her game on our team. We rely on her, but she’s another young player that’s finding her way through her first World Cup, and she’s really motivated and wanting to help our team win. I think that’s a great place to be.”
