Team USA women’s basketball team showed resilience in a difficult second game of their 2026 FIBA World Cup campaign, securing a narrow win over Italy. The game was tightly contested, with the Americans managing just one made three-pointer out of twelve attempts in the entire game. Turnovers plagued the team early, leading to a wake-up call that many felt reflected poorly on their coaching approach.
Despite those struggles, Team USA held off Italy in the second half and claimed a 55-52 victory, according to AOL. The result advanced the Americans directly into the quarterfinals of the tournament.
The win over Italy featured a disappointing offensive performance in which Team USA shot just one out of twelve from three-point range. That performance had raised concerns about the team’s offensive execution and leadership.
Basketball analyst and WNBA content creator Rosalina Lee commented that the team’s performance against Italy was a sign of deeper issues with coaching and offense. She noted that players like Caitlin Clark and Breanna Stewart were unable to find their rhythm from beyond the arc. Lee added that Team USA would struggle against strong teams like Spain or France. She also expressed doubt about whether the team could handle similar challenges in future games.
However, the team appeared to respond well to those concerns and improved significantly in their match against Czechia. Team USA defeated Czechia 105-64 and shot 53% from the field, according to FIBA. The victory sets up a quarterfinal clash for Team USA against the winner of Hungary and Japan.
If they continue to perform at this level, they could extend their record to twelve championships, according to a report from marca.com. The Americans have won four consecutive World Cups, in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. This achievement would mark a historic run in women’s basketball competition.
The team will now look to build on their recent momentum as they prepare for more challenging opponents.