Before the women\u2019s 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\u2019t as large as it once was.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there\u2019s no question that the world is improving at a rapid rate,\u201d Lawson said. \u201cIt\u2019s so exciting to see, and I see it at every level.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
In March, during World Cup qualifiers in Puerto Rico, Team USA beat Italy by 34 points. Though qualifier and World Cup rosters weren\u2019t identical, the gulf in performance \u2014 just six months removed \u2014 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 \u2014 on paper \u2014 was overmatched \u2014 even without veteran star A\u2019ja Wilson<\/a> joining Team USA in Germany. It was just the fifth single-digit win in the last decade for the U.S and Team USA\u2019s lowest scoring output in international competition in the last 50 years.<\/p>\n The Italians hadn\u2019t qualified for the World Cup since 1994 and hadn\u2019t 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).<\/p>\n Italy coach Andrea Capobianco said his plan was to disrupt Team USA\u2019s rhythm from the beginning, and his players executed it to a T. Italy\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe got quality looks against their zone (defense) and against their man (defense), in the paint, exactly where we wanted,\u201d Lawson said. \u201cWe just missed them. We missed layups. Hopefully moving forward, we can finish a few more.\u201d<\/p>\n Team USA\u2019s 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\u2019s unsurprising the veterans ultimately carried Team USA over the finish line. But it wasn\u2019t until the fourth quarter that happened.<\/p>\n Breanna Stewart \u2014 a three-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time World Cup champion \u2014 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI think our experience is obviously what helped drive us to get things back on top, especially in that fourth quarter,\u201d Stewart said. \u201cWe\u2019ve all been in these high-stress situations, knowing that the gym is cheering against us. \u2026 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Here’s what to know about the FIBA World Cup<\/p>\n Sabreena Merchant<\/p>\n Cecilia Zandalasini, who plays for the Golden State Valkyries, carried Italy with 14 points and seven rebounds. She\u2019s one of 39 players in this World Cup \u2014 excluding the American roster \u2014 who currently plays in the WNBA. They\u2019re using that experience and growth to fuel their national teams\u2019 growth.<\/p>\n Already in this tournament, Mali beat Spain, and South Korea and Hungary took down Nigeria to register upsets.<\/p>\n