The U.S. women’s national team needed every ounce of experience in its locker room to hold off a determined Italy squad, escaping with a 55-52 win after nearly blowing a first-half lead.
Team USA controlled the opening two quarters and took a 30-24 advantage into the break. But Italy came out of halftime with a different level of urgency, chipping away at the deficit and eventually grabbing its first lead of the game at 33-32 midway through the third quarter on a pair of free throws.
From there, the game turned into a street fight. Neither team could pull away, and Italy actually held the edge again late, up 50-48 with under five minutes remaining. That’s when the Americans leaned on their veterans to close it out. Breanna Stewart, assisted by Jackie Young, put the U.S. back in front 51-50 with 3:29 to play. Young and Chelsea Gray followed with back-to-back buckets to push the lead to 55-50 with just over a minute left.
Italy wasn’t finished. The Italians answered quickly to cut the deficit back to three points, and both teams went cold down the stretch — neither side could find the basket again until Italy’s last-gasp three-point attempt rimmed out with three seconds on the clock. Stewart grabbed the rebound to seal it, and the U.S. escaped with the win.
Young was the only American to reach double figures, finishing with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Gray added 4 points in the win.
For Italy, Golden State Valkyries forward Cecilia Zandalasini led all scorers with 14 points in the losing effort.
Up Next: Team USA faces winless Czechia (0-2) on Monday, Sept. 7 at 11:45 a.m. PT, broadcast on TNT and streaming on Courtside 1891.
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