Although Team USA managed to edge a 55-52 win over Italy in Berlin, WNBA analyst Robin Lundberg noticed an officiating issue involving Caitlin Clark.

“There were some other questionable plays in the game,” Lundberg stated on his latest game analysis video on YouTube. “Caitlin drove to the basket late at the end of the first half. This is a clear foul across the arm that wasn’t called … Didn’t get to the free-throw line, obviously.”

Compared to her stellar performance against China on September 4, Clark posted the worst stat line of her basketball career at any level: 1 point, 1 assist, 4 rebounds, and -2 efficiency in 18:30 minutes of action.

And the missed foul could’ve made the situation worse. Besides the uncalled off-arm contact from Italy’s Olbis Andre that Lundberg discussed on YouTube, Clark was involved in another foul moment.

Per Fadeaway World’s Aritri Paul, officials stopped the play to discuss a foul call involving Clark with 2:03 left in the Q1. Clark went to pass her opinions. However, cameras later caught Italy’s head coach Andrea Capobianco yelling across the paint.

It seems like officiating problems have followed Clark all the way from the WNBA to FIBA. But Lundberg highlighted an issue even beyond that.

WNBA analyst adressed lineup choices

The stat lines against China told a story different from what HC Kara Lawson wants to believe.

The young group of Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, Rhyne Howard, and Aliyah Boston, anchored by Clark, outperformed the veteran starters Napheesa Collier, Chelsea Gray, Breanna Stewart, Jackie Young and Kahleah Copper on September 4.

Yet Lawson started the same vets against Italy for longer minutes, in exchange for a slow-paced half-court offense. Italy took a Q2 16-11 lead and kept it up through Q4. Lundberg didn’t mince his words while opposing it.

“I think the run that Italy made in the second quarter was because of the starters being in for a bulk of that stretch of the game,” he stated in the same YouTube video. “The best stretch of basketball the team played … was when Angel, Aliyah, Caitlin and Paige obviously were all in the game together.”

Official issues aside, Lawson has to look within her team and do the needful before USA takes on the Czech Republic on September 8.

A close-edged victory like this shouldn’t be the ideal for the 4x consecutive defending champs aiming for their 5th title.