A quarterfinal berth, meaning a place in the eight-team knockout round where medal contention actually begins, now belongs to the United States women's basketball team after a tense 55-52 win over Italy on Sunday in Germany. The Americans led by 11 after the first quarter, then watched Italy chip away, take a late lead, and nearly convert a final shot that could have tied the game before the attempt sailed left of the rim.
What the box score actually says
The short version: Team USA was outplayed for significant stretches and survived on the margin of a missed shot.
Team USA shot 1 for 12 from beyond the arc. In plain terms, a three-point attempt is any shot taken from beyond the painted arc on the floor, and the Americans converted just 8% of them. They made 29% of their field goals overall.
Italy's Cecilia Zandalasini finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, the best individual line on the floor from either team. For the United States, Jackie Young led with 10 points and was the only American to shoot better than 40% from the field.
Caitlin Clark, the high-profile guard who drew considerable attention in the build-up to this tournament, finished with one point and did not make a single field goal.
How the finish played out
The United States opened fast, building a 19-8 advantage through the first quarter. Italy closed the gap steadily and took a three-point lead midway through the fourth. With the game on the line in the closing seconds, an Italian player attempted what could have been the tying shot. Contact appeared possible, but no foul was called. The shot went left of the basket. Breanna Stewart gathered the miss.
Had Italy held on, it would have been one of the most monumental upsets in FIBA Women's World Cup history.
The United States improved to 2-0 in group play and has secured its quarterfinal spot. The shooting numbers tell a story this team will need to answer if it wants to go further in Germany.