Angel Reese’s defense leads USA vs Italy FIBA World Cup winners, losers

USA Women’s Basketball Survives Its Ugliest FIBA World Cup Win Since 1979

Cybersecarmor.com – In a contest that will likely be buried in the team’s highlight reels, the United States women’s basketball squad edged past Italy 55-52 on Sunday, September 6, in Berlin, Germany, to extend its tournament winning streak to 32 straight games. The victory, coming in the second round of group play at the FIBA Women’s World Cup, sent the Americans into the quarterfinals — but it also exposed a shooting collapse so severe that the team finished at a career-low 29 percent from the field, the worst mark ever recorded in a World Cup game.

For a squad that has claimed four straight World Cup crowns, the margin of three points was a historical anomaly. It marked the narrowest American victory in the tournament since 1979, a reminder that dominance on paper does not guarantee dominance on the floor when the ball refuses to drop.

A March Reckoning, Reversed

The two sides had met just months earlier at the World Cup qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico, where the United States dispatched Italy 93-59 on March 14. Kahleah Copper led that rout with a game-high 15 points, and five Americans crossed the double-digit threshold. Sunday’s affair in Berlin looked like a different sport entirely. Only one American reached double figures: guard Jackie Young, who tallied 10 points to top the American scoring sheet.

The contrast underscored how much Italy had adjusted. After opening the game in traditional man-to-man coverage and falling behind 19-8 by the end of the first quarter, the Italians shifted into a packed zone defense that strangled the U.S. inside the arc. The result was a night of missed layups, contested midrange attempts, and a three-point line that produced just one bucket on 12 tries.

Gray’s Final-Second Rescue

When the scoreboard read 50-50 and Italy’s timeout clock was ticking down, veteran guard Chelsea Gray — who had managed just one field goal on five attempts all evening — became the difference-maker. Around the three-minute mark, she drew a timely charge to swing momentum back toward the Americans. Then, with 1:07 remaining, she buried a contested two-point jumper to push the score to 55-50, forcing Italy into its final timeout and effectively ending the contest.

“The shot Chelsea took was a big momentum changing play. It was an incredible winning play by Gray there.” — USA coach Kara Lawson

Gray’s heroics were the only bright spot in an otherwise grim shooting night. The United States went 10-for-35 in the paint and 1-for-12 from beyond the arc, figures that would be embarrassing in any context, let alone a World Cup group-stage game.

Reese’s Defensive Anchor

If the offense was a disaster, Angel Reese made sure the defense told a different story. The young forward posted two blocks, a steal, and three rebounds while scoring eight points — going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line and 2-for-2 from the field. Her physicality and timing disrupted Italy’s rhythm at precisely the moments the Americans needed breathing room.

“She comes into the game, and she plays with great energy, and she competes. She scores, she rebounds, she plays with weat pace. It’s what you want in a player, in a young player, to come in and do that. And so that’s what I appreciate more about her. She finds a way to make an impact.” — Kara Lawson

Reese’s performance highlighted a recurring theme for Team USA: when the shot stops falling, the team’s identity pivots to physicality, rebounding, and free-throw execution. On Sunday, that pivot kept the Americans alive. They finished 22-for-30 at the line, a statistical lifeline that will not be available in every contest.

Italy’s Tactical Blueprint

Italy forward Cecilia Zandalasini, who contributed 14 points and seven rebounds, credited the zone switch with derailing the American offense. The Italians played with an intensity inside the paint that generated a cascade of missed shots and contested possessions.

“We wanted to break their rhythm because when they get their rhythm, it’s really unstoppable. We try with the zone, we try different matchups, we try some switches and … did a great, great job on their post player because I know they want to put the ball inside it.” — Cecilia Zandalasini

The zone scheme forced the United States into 15-for-44 shooting on two-point attempts, with more than 20 layup misses alone. Coach Lawson acknowledged the quality of looks the team generated but conceded the execution simply wasn’t there.

“We got quality looks against their zone and against their man in the paint, exactly where we wanted. We just missed them. We missed the layups, and so, hopefully, moving forward, we can finish a few more.” — Kara Lawson

What the Result Means Going Forward

Advancing to the quarterfinals keeps the Americans’ title defense alive, but the performance raised questions about how the team will handle a deeper tournament when opponents replicate Italy’s physical, zone-heavy approach. Lawson framed the struggle as part of the competitive fabric of a multi-week event.

“Every single one of those wins came hard. … and we understand that. 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. And the teams that can persevere through that and have a resilient mindset are the ones that are able to win. If you’re fortunate enough at the end of the tournament to be the winner, that’s why it’s so satisfying.” — Kara Lawson

Forward Breanna Stewart echoed the sentiment, acknowledging Italy’s disruption without excusing the American shooting collapse.

“Obviously, Italy really kind of mucked up the game for us a little bit, and it made it hard on us to score. Tough team … This is a tough tournament, but we all really acknowledge that.” — Breanna Stewart

With the quarterfinals looming, the Americans will need to find a more reliable path to the basket. The free-throw line carried them on Sunday; it cannot carry them through an entire tournament. Italy’s blueprint — physical, zone-heavy, rhythm-breaking — is now a known quantity, and the question for Berlin’s next round is whether Team USA can translate its talent into points when the shot stops falling.