Before the women’s basketball World Cup, Team USA coach Kara Lawson acknowledged what some box scores have been indicating for a while: The United States is still the most dominant team in the world, but the gap isn’t as large as it once was.

“I think there’s no question that the world is improving at a rapid rate,” Lawson said. “It’s so exciting to see, and I see it at every level.”

Lawson might not have been as excited to see that rapid rate of improvement as closely as she did Sunday in Berlin as Team USA eked out a 55-52 win over Italy in its second game of the tournament.

In March, during World Cup qualifiers in Puerto Rico, Team USA beat Italy by 34 points. Though qualifier and World Cup rosters weren’t identical, the gulf in performance — just six months removed — against an opponent that had been so soundly defeated certainly caused some anxiety. It was one of the closest games Team USA has played in a major international competition in the last decade, and against a team that — on paper — was overmatched — even without veteran star A’ja Wilson joining Team USA in Germany. It was just the fifth single-digit win in the last decade for the U.S and Team USA’s lowest scoring output in international competition in the last 50 years.

The Italians hadn’t qualified for the World Cup since 1994 and hadn’t played in any World Cup or Olympics since the 1996, when they finished eighth at the Atlanta Olympics. At those same Olympic Games, the U.S. began its international dominance that includes a streak of eight consecutive gold medals. Italy had been at home through every major international competition since those Atlanta Games, while USA Basketball had been running through its competition, losing only once in the same span (at the 2006 World Championships).

Italy coach Andrea Capobianco said his plan was to disrupt Team USA’s rhythm from the beginning, and his players executed it to a T. Italy’s physical defense and switching coverages made the U.S. look uncharacteristically uncomfortable and disjointed, even as Lawson cobbled together multiple lineups and personnel groups. The Americans shot 29 percent overall and a paltry eight percent on 3-pointers while missing eight free throws. Even harder to stomach, Team USA shot 10 of 35 in the paint, missing layups and high-percentage shots.

“We got quality looks against their zone (defense) and against their man (defense), in the paint, exactly where we wanted,” Lawson said. “We just missed them. We missed layups. Hopefully moving forward, we can finish a few more.”

Team USA’s relative inexperience appeared to be on display in the tight win as it struggled to string together successful possessions and seemingly played tight. In the past, even when games were close, or in the rare matchups when Team USA trailed, veteran voices in the locker room and on the bench often calmed the team and it took over. With seven players making their senior national team debuts in major international competition, it’s unsurprising the veterans ultimately carried Team USA over the finish line. But it wasn’t until the fourth quarter that happened.

Breanna Stewart — a three-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time World Cup champion — missed her first eight field-goal attempts of the game but finally sank her ninth, giving Team USA a two-point lead with just over a minute to go. Then, Chelsea Gray, a two-time Olympian and one of three World Cup winners on the roster, gave the U.S. a five-point lead with a midrange jumper. Jackie Young, who is one of five players with Olympic gold medals, led Team USA with 10 points and was the only American to shoot better than 40 percent.

“I think our experience is obviously what helped drive us to get things back on top, especially in that fourth quarter,” Stewart said. “We’ve all been in these high-stress situations, knowing that the gym is cheering against us. … We want to be in these battles. We want to be in these tough positions. Because we want to get ready for what is to come.”

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Cecilia Zandalasini, who plays for the Golden State Valkyries, carried Italy with 14 points and seven rebounds. She’s one of 39 players in this World Cup — excluding the American roster — who currently plays in the WNBA. They’re using that experience and growth to fuel their national teams’ growth.

Already in this tournament, Mali beat Spain, and South Korea and Hungary took down Nigeria to register upsets.

Team USA closes out pool play against Czechia on Monday, which will give the U.S. a chance to quickly turn the page. The U.S. had beaten China by 33 points in the opening game.

Among Team USA’s three pool play opponents, Czechia ranks lowest in FIBA international rankings at No. 17. (Italy was ranked No. 14.) But considering this recent scare, it’s fair to say that Team USA can’t overlook any opponent, especially if Italy’s rapid growth to rattle the Americans is a beacon for other squads.

“It’s so hard to win in the World Cup. I know our history is so accomplished at our federation, and we all know the expectation is for us to win,” Lawson said. “But every single one of those wins came hard. And everyone at this tournament comes hard and we understand that. You have to have great respect for who you play and you have to prepare in a way to win. So, it’s supposed to be challenging.”

By beating Italy, the U.S. guaranteed itself at least one more game outside of pool play, as only the fourth-place team in each pod ends its World Cup play in the pool rounds. A win over Czechia would guarantee Team USA a No. 1 spot coming out of their grouping and a place in the quarterfinals.