By Doug Feinberg The Associated Press
September 6, 2026 - 2:22 pm
BERLIN — Jackie Young scored 10 points and the U.S. survived its toughest trial successful the women’s hoops World Cup successful 2 decades with a 55-52 triumph implicit Italy connected Sunday.
The U.S. has won 32 consecutive World Cup games dating backmost to a nonaccomplishment to Russia successful the 2006 semifinals. Only 1 squad had travel wrong azygous digits of the Americans during this run, erstwhile Australia mislaid by 8 points successful 2010.
The Americans (2-0) had to enactment hard for the victory, putting up the lowest constituent full successful a preliminary-round crippled since 1971, erstwhile they had 51 against France.
The U.S. trailed 50-48 with 4:29 near earlier going connected a 7-0 run. Breanna Stewart, who missed her archetypal 8 shots, scored her archetypal handbasket of the crippled to enactment the Americans up 51-50. Young past deed a layup aft the U.S. got an violative foul against Italy connected its adjacent possession.
The Americans got different antiaircraft halt and Chelsea Gray deed a jumper to marque it a five-point game.
Matilde Villa scored to get Italy backmost wrong 3 with little than a infinitesimal to go.
The U.S. had a mates of chances to marque it a two-possession pb but couldn’t convert.
Italy (1-1) had 1 past accidental to necktie it, but Cecilia Zandalasini’s 3-pointer was disconnected astatine the buzzer.
Italy’s 2-3 portion defence origin the U.S. fits connected offense. The Americans couldn’t get into immoderate bushed and changeable 29 percent from the field, including going 1 for 12 from 3-point range.
The Americans, who led 30-24 astatine halftime, saw Italy spell connected a 11-2 tally to commencement the 3rd 4th and trailed 35-32 earlier finishing the play up 42-39.
Italy, which mislaid to the Americans by 34 successful a tourney qualifier successful March, wouldn’t spell distant and was up 50-48 successful the 4th fourth earlier the Americans’ last push.
Zandalasini scored 14 points to pb Italy, which is making its archetypal World Cup quality since 1994.
The Italians won their archetypal game, beating the Czech Republic, and had a large assemblage cheering for them against the U.S. Still, determination were fans wearing Caitlin Clark Iowa and Fever jerseys, arsenic good arsenic 1 successful Paige Bueckers’ precocious schoolhouse jersey.
In different games connected Sunday, China edged the Czech Republic successful overtime, Australia topped Turkey and Belgium bushed Puerto Rico.
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