Team USA barely kept their insane winning streak alive in the Women’s World Cup, scraping by Italy with a tense 55-52 victory yesterday. Seriously, this was a major scare, one nobody saw coming this early, and it almost blew up an incredible run.
The Wild Finish That Almost Broke the Streak
Anyone who thought this new-look Team USA would just breeze through the group stage got a massive wake-up call. We all expected tests in the World Cup, but never thought it would happen like this, not against Italy. This is a team making its first World Cup appearance since 1994, and the Americans just crushed them by 44 points in the qualifying tournament back in March. So yeah, everyone was shocked to see a tight 40 minutes unfold in Berlin. Italy’s Cecilia Zandalasini launched a three-pointer that would have sent the game to overtime with seconds ticking away. Imagine that! Thankfully, it drifted wide, and Breanna Stewart grabbed the rebound to secure the 55-52 win. Talk about a heart attack moment!
Zandalasini was absolutely livid after the buzzer, immediately confronting officials about what she felt was a missed call earlier in that final possession. It seriously looked like Jackie Young might have poked her in the eye. Now, it wouldn’t have been a shooting foul, and Italy wasn’t in the bonus, but it would’ve let them reset a chaotic possession. You gotta feel for her frustration. She was probably still fuming about a charge call with just over three minutes left, a whistle that would have given Italy the lead with an and-one. Tough breaks, but man, she was fiery. She even apologized for her outburst postgame, saying, “I would like to apologize for how I acted in the end. Just wanted to apologize to the team and to the referee. When I wear this jersey it’s just a different me, I guess. I just feel embarrassed so now I want to say it out loud and to whoever watches.” That’s real passion, even if it boiled over in the heat of the moment.
Ugly Numbers and a Historic Streak on the Brink
Look, a win is a win, and we’ll take it! Team USA is now 2-0 and officially qualified directly for the quarterfinals, which is huge for momentum. Even better, they’re guaranteed to be on the opposite side of the bracket as France. That means these two favorites can’t even meet until the final on September 13. That’s definitely a silver lining in an otherwise messy game.
But we have to talk about the numbers, because they were brutal. Jackie Young was the only player in double figures for the Americans, putting up 10 points while shooting an efficient 4 of 6 from the field, adding four rebounds and three assists. And guess what? She was the only one to make more than 50% of her shots. The team as a whole was ice cold, shooting a horrific 16 of 56 from the field for a measly 29%. From downtown? Even worse: 1 of 12, just 8%! Add 14 turnovers, nearly as many as their made baskets, and you see why this was such a struggle. This 55-52 victory is the smallest margin of victory in their entire historic 32-game World Cup winning streak. It’s the first time they’ve failed to win by double digits since their last loss way back in the 2006 tournament semifinals against Russia. That’s a massive deal, and it shows just how close that streak came to ending.
What’s Next for the Squad
So, what’s next for the squad? Team USA will wrap up the group stage on Monday against Czechia at 2:45 PM ET on TNT. Since they’ve already qualified for the quarterfinals, this game is effectively an exhibition. But even though the outcome doesn’t matter for the standings, it’s gonna be super important for this new group to continue working out the kinks and find some much-needed consistency, especially on offense. We need to see them clean up that shooting and chemistry, pronto. Let’s get it together before the knockout stage!
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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