Caitlin Clark, Team USA Dealt Unwanted Blow After Italy Thriller

· Yahoo Sports

Aug 28, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball in the second half against the Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

​Team USA women’s basketball picked up a narrow 55-52 victory over Italy on Sunday in its FIBA World Cup matchup.

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​​The win was nowhere near as commanding as the Americans’ previous victory over China, as Italy gave Team USA  a major scare throughout the contest.

​Team “USA’s 55 points tonight mark its lowest-scoring World Cup game since 1971,” noted ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.

​USA head coach Kara Lawson acknowledged that the Americans won’t always be at their best following the narrow victory.  

​“Every single one of those wins came hard. … and we understand that,” said USA coach Kara Lawson, whose team advanced to the quarterfinals with the victory.

“You have to have great respect for who you play; you have to prepare in a way to win. And so, it’s supposed to be challenging, and we’re supposed to have moments where we’re not at our best.”

​Team USA Survives Italy’s Second-Half Push

The Americans jumped out to a commanding start, taking a 23-8 lead. However, what looked like a comfortable victory quickly turned into a battle as Italy stormed back to cut the deficit to 30-24 by halftime.

Italy continued applying pressure, putting together an 11-2 run in the third quarter and showing no quit. However, the fourth quarter proved to be the difference for the Americans.

​After trailing 50-48, Team USA went on a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter, thanks in part to Breanna Stewart, who missed her first eight shots before eventually hitting a shot with three minutes to go to give Team USA some life.

Las Vegas Aces star Jackie Young led Team USA with 10 points, but it was her teammate Chelsea Gray who stole the show.

After connecting on a layup and hitting some free throws, Gray knocked down the biggest shot of the game, hitting a clutch jumper with 1:07  remaining that would seal the win for the United States.

​​“I thought that the late charge Chelsea took was a big momentum-changing play,” Lawson said. “It was an incredible winning play by Gray there.”

​It was an ugly performance for Team USA, which shot just 29% from the field. The Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark hit a new career low with zero field goals. However, the Americans ultimately did enough to escape with the victory.

​Despite picking up the win, Paige Bueckers revealed that the team still has plenty to learn from the game.

​“Definitely I think there are learning experiences and growth from every single game,” she told reporters on Sunday. “But to be challenged like this early for our group, I think it’s great for us in the long run.”

Italy had previously lost to the Americans by as much as 34 points in a tournament qualifier in March. Team USA has won 32 straight World Cup games, dating back to the loss in 2006 against ​Russia.

​The United States is now 2-0 in Group D play and will look to continue its winning ways against the Czech Republic in its final group-stage game.

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