January 1, Team USA’s Star Player Silenced As Italy Nearly Pulls Off Historic World Cup Upset

Wyatt’s Take

• Team USA women’s basketball barely escaped Italy with a nail-biting 55-52 win despite shooting a disastrous 8% from three-point range
• The supposed superstar roster was held scoreless by Italy’s defense while an Italian player led all scorers with 14 points
• A questionable no-call on what looked like a foul on Italy’s final shot saved America from international embarrassment

Team USA women’s basketball got a reality check Sunday at the FIBA Women’s World Cup in Germany. What should have been a dominant performance turned into a white-knuckle finish against Italy that nearly resulted in one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.

The Americans jumped out to a 19-8 lead after the first quarter, looking like the powerhouse everyone expected. Then the wheels came off.

Italy clawed back and actually led by three points midway through the fourth quarter. On the final possession, an Italian player had a chance to tie the game and appeared to be fouled on the attempt, but the referees swallowed their whistles.

The potential game-tying shot sailed harmlessly left of the rim, landing in the arms of Breanna Stewart and ending Italy’s upset bid.

The shooting numbers tell the ugly story. Team USA hit just 1-of-12 shots from three-point range—a pathetic 8%—and made only 29% of their field goals overall.

Those are high school JV numbers, not what you expect from a roster stacked with professional talent.

Italy’s Cecilia Zandalasini put on a clinic, leading all scorers with 14 points and seven rebounds. She was the unquestioned star of the game.

For the Americans, Jackie Young managed 10 points and was the only player shooting above 40% from the field. The rest of the team looked lost on offense.

The most glaring disappointment? Caitlin Clark finished with just one point and didn’t make a single field goal the entire game.

Clark has been breaking records left and right and was supposed to be one of the key pieces for this tournament. Instead, she was completely neutralized by Italy’s defense.

Had Italy held on for the win, it would have ranked among the most shocking upsets in FIBA Women’s World Cup history. The Americans avoided that embarrassment, but barely.

The win moves Team USA to 2-0 in group play and secures their spot in the quarterfinals. But if they keep playing like this, their tournament run will end quickly.

These women need to figure things out fast. The competition only gets tougher from here, and opponents now have the blueprint for how to shut down America’s offense.

Why It Matters

Americans deserve better than watching our national team nearly lose to a country most folks couldn’t find on a map. This roster is loaded with talent that should be dominating international competition, not squeaking by with underwhelming performances. When you represent the red, white, and blue on the world stage, excellence isn’t optional—it’s the expectation. Time for these athletes to show they can deliver.