Team USA needed all their experience on the World Cup stage to edge past Italy 55-52 at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 on Sunday (6 September).
Led in points by Jackie Young (10) and Angel Reese (8) on a night of fine margins, a large batch of resilience was required to overcome Italy and qualify for the quarter-finals in Berlin.
Italy returned to the World Cup floor for the first time since 1994 with a win against Czechia on game day one, and they showed no nerves facing a side that has medalled at every single edition since 1979 – the last time the two sides met in the tournament.
The USA’s 32-game winning streak at the World Cup, which stretches back to 2006, was under threat all night in Berlin.
“It wasn’t our best outing,” USA head coach Kara Lawson said in a post-game press conference. “Defensively, holding a team to 52 points in this tournament is hard to do, but we didn’t have our fastball tonight.
“It’s clear we’ve got some improvements to make, and every game is more information for us. We said before the start that we want to be the most improved team in this tournament, so tomorrow we get back to work.”
Italy were hauled forward by WNBA star Cecilia Zandalasini, who clocked a game-leading 14 points on the night.
Despite fielding an unchanged starting five from the dominant win over People’s Republic of China, the USA were met by a determined and organised Italian defence.
With a rugged defensive line, the Italians began turning transitions into time in the paint to keep within touching distance of the USA.
With the U.S. team less accurate with their passes and attacks than against China, they introduced Caitlin Clark earlier than they had on game day one to shore up the team.
Yet it was Reese who first raised the energy and took control of the game back for the USA with a series of blocks and a team-leading six points by the halfway stage.
“I thought Angel competed really hard tonight,” Lawson continued. “She was a difference-maker for us.”
Buoyed by their strong start, the Italians continued to threaten, netting their first three-pointer in the second quarter via Zandalasini.
A familiar face to the WNBA stars on the opposite team, she followed it up with a drop of the shoulder for two that swayed the momentum back towards her side – taking Italy to within six points of the USA at half-time.
“I’m super proud of my team,” Zandalasini said. “We played with our hearts.
“We wanted to break their rhythm, because we know they can be unstoppable. But it’s a long tournament, we cannot stop here. We have a big game tomorrow (against China).
“We waited 32 years to be here, and we showed today we deserve a spot here on the biggest stage.”
The half-time break only increased Italy’s intent, as they put in a dominant performance at the beginning of the second half.
A nine-point run brought them to within touching distance of the USA, before Sara Madera’s two converted free throws saw them lead for the first time. The advantage was soon extended by Olbis Andre who brought the score to 35-32.
Alternating waves of attacks followed with the teams nearly inseparable for much of the final quarter.
With time ticking, an eight-point run that included contributions from experienced veterans Young, Chelsea Gray and Breanna Stewart saw the USA edge over the line.
“I’m proud of the resiliency of this group,” Stewart said.
“When it mattered down the stretch, we were able to get big stops and get baskets. A win is a win. This is a tough tournament.”
