USA vs Italy FIBA World Cup winners, losers led by Angel Reese defense
The USA women's basketball team narrowly defeated Italy 55-52 in the FIBA World Cup, marking their 32nd consecutive tournament win despite a poor shooting performance. The team now advances to the quarterfinals following a clutch performance by Chelsea Gray.
Why it matters
The performance of the USA team in international basketball tournaments is a major indicator of global competitive standards in the sport.
Hear this story The USA women's basketball team continued its run at the FIBA World Cup, holding off Italy, 55-52, in their second game of group play on Sunday, Sept. 6, in Berlin, Germany.
The Americans, who have won four consecutive World Cup titles, won their 32nd consecutive game in the tournament but this one did not come easily. It was their smallest margin of victory since 1979 and lowest shooting percentage (29%) from the floor ever.
"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.
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