Team USA just finished the group stage of the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup with a flawless 3-0 record, extending their unbelievable World Cup winning streak to 33 consecutive games! That’s right, 33 straight wins. After a tense, narrow victory over Italy on Sunday, the squad absolutely dismantled Czechia with a dominant 105-64 win, proving they’re hitting their stride and ready for whatever comes next.
Chemistry Building and Dominance Emerging
You felt that sigh of relief after the Czechia game, didn’t you? Following the nail-biter against Italy, the team needed to show out, and they did. Caitlin Clark summed it up perfectly after the Czechia blowout, saying, “You can see our chemistry slowly building. We were excited we had a back-to-back and could get out here and play again after last night when we didn’t play our best… So thought we were much better on the offensive end. Played with a lot more pace tonight, played in transition better. Thought we were good on defense. Excited to have the bye and get ready for three more games.” That’s the mindset we want! This squad is still figuring things out, but they’re doing it while staying perfect. Now they’ve got some much-deserved rest before the quarterfinals.
Jackie Young: The Unsung Hero Keeping the Streak Alive
Let’s be real, Team USA’s perfect run almost went sideways against Italy, and if it did, we’d all be talking about Jackie Young. This woman is an A+ player for a reason. Against Italy, she was literally the *only* one who showed up to play. She dropped 10 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished out three assists, and snagged two steals in that razor-thin three-point win. Crucially, Young scored six of Team USA’s measly 13 points in the fourth quarter alone! She assisted on the go-ahead bucket with only 3:20 left, and then pulled down a *huge* offensive rebound in the final minute that chewed up another 15 seconds. Talk about clutch! She’s been Team USA’s most consistent player, hitting double figures in scoring and at least three assists in all three group stage games. Leading the team with 11.3 points per game and shooting an efficient 53.8% from the field, Young is the glue keeping this machine rolling.
Bueckers’ Electric Debut and Stewart’s Grit
Then there’s Paige Bueckers, making her World Cup debut and already looking like she belongs. She made an immediate impact, tying for a team-high 14 points against China. Even in the messy Italy game, she kept her head high with seven points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. She’s one of three players averaging double figures in the group stage, tied with Breanna Stewart for second on the team at 10.3 points per game. Plus, she’s second only to Clark in assists at 3.7 and leads the whole team in field goal percentage at 59.1%. That’s electric! Breanna Stewart, on the other hand, had a tougher time. She rightfully caught some flak for her 1-for-9 shooting performance against Italy. Ouch. But you gotta give her props for her grit on the boards, pulling down a team-high 11 rebounds in that game. It was classic Stewie to secure that final rebound after Italy’s Cecilia Zandalasini missed that potential game-tying three. Her rebounding was essential, even when her shot wasn’t falling.
So, with the group stage done and a perfect record in the books, Team USA gets a well-deserved break until Thursday. They’ll be facing either Hungary or Japan in the quarterfinals. The stakes are clear: keep that chemistry building, keep the pace high, and keep that incredible 33-game World Cup streak alive!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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