USA vs Italy 55-52: How a Gritty Win Put Team USA into the Quarterfinals
When the final buzzer sounded in Berlin, the U.S. women’s basketball team had escaped with a 55-52 win over Italy at the FIBA Women’s World Cup. The score alone tells the story: this was no blowout. It was a defensive grind that nearly turned into one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
Offense That Almost Let the Game Slip Away
Team USA entered the game as the heavy favorite. On paper, they had more depth, more WNBA talent, and more big-game experience. On the court, none of that mattered for long stretches. According to Fox News, the Americans shot a putrid 1-for-12 from beyond the arc, an 8% clip, and made only 29% of their field goals overall. That kind of shooting would sink most teams.
It almost sank the U.S. Italy led by three points midway through the fourth quarter and even had a chance to tie the game with the final shot of the night. The Toronto Star described the closing minutes as a tense World Cup game, and that assessment fits. Italy’s upset bid fell short, but they pushed the Americans further than most expected.
The Box Score Highlights
In a game where almost nobody could score, efficiency stood out. Jackie Young led Team USA with a team-high 10 points and was the only American to shoot above 40% from the field, as Fox News noted. That feels like a modest stat line for a game of this magnitude, yet it was enough to be the difference.
One U.S. player, unnamed in the reports, finished with just one point and was held without a field goal the entire game. It was that kind of afternoon for the Americans, where even established scorers struggled to find rhythm against Italy’s defense.
What the Win Secured
The result improved the U.S. to 2-0 in group play and, more importantly, locked up a place in the quarterfinals. ESPN reported that Team USA escaped with the win and secured that berth despite the offensive struggles. For a program that typically dominates international competition, surviving a low-scoring scare may be a useful wake-up call.
The Americans will need better shooting if they want to defend their title. But in tournament play, the only stat that truly matters at the moment is the one in the win column. Italy, meanwhile, can take encouragement from a near-miss that proved they belong on the same floor as the world’s best. The margin between the teams turned out to be a single possession, and that is exactly how Italy wanted to play it.
For now, Team USA moves forward. The quarterfinal berth is secured, and the escape against Italy will be remembered less for how they played and more for the fact that they survived.