Italy came a whisker away from handing the defending champions USA their first loss in the World Cup in over two decades. Cecilia Zandalasini pulled out all the stops and scored a game-high 14 points, and in the dying seconds of the game, Italy was just a three-pointer away from sending the game into overtime. However, her team’s heroic defensive display was not enough, as the USA held on for a 55-52 win.

For Cecilia Zandalasini, it was tough not to be emotional as she displayed her frustration with the officiating in the dying moments. Zandalasini thought she had been fouled before making a three-pointer attempt that missed.

“I would like to apologize for how I reacted in the end. It wasn’t sporting at all. Yeah, just want to apologize to the team and to the referee. Just when I wear this jersey is, just I different me I guess, now I even feel embarrassed, so I just wanted to say it out loud and to whoever is watching this, thank you,” said Zandalasini in the post-game press conference.

With the game still in the balance with less than 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Zandalasini attempted a shot from beyond the arc. Jackie Young was defending Zandalasini, and the live game commentary mentioned that Young poked Zandalasini in the eye.

Zandalasini and a few Italian players rushed towards the referee as the final whistle blew, only to be separated by their teammates and the coaching staff. The Golden State Valkyries star was visibly upset, screaming at the referee about the lack of a call, as teammate Francesca Pan joined her, gesturing towards her eye, referencing the contact with Young.

However, footage showed that Jackie Young may not have made significant contact with the Italian, leading the officials not to blow the whistle. In fact, the contact generated significant debate on social media, with some clips apparently showing Young making no contact, while many argued otherwise.

Regardless, the Italians put on a defensive masterclass, stifling the elite offensive firepower of the US squad. This game marked the lowest point total for the American FIBA team since 1971.

The USA could not convert any of their first 10 shots from beyond the arc. Paige Bueckers was the first to finally land one. The US’s efficiency from the field was no better, with the entire team converting just 28.6% of their shots, and their conversion rate from beyond the arc was even lower, at just 8.3%.

This unfortunate night of shooting takes on a more serious tone when one looks at the firepower that the US squad has, with the likes of Caitlin Clark, Rhyne Howard, etc., just to name a few, who easily average above 40% FG in regular WNBA games. Jackie Young was the only player on Team USA with double-digit points, recording a modest 10 points.

Before facing Italy, Caitlin Clark boldly claimed her teammates would not miss a shot. Well, what unfolded on the court told a radically different story, and veteran Breanna Stewart acknowledged it as well.

“Italy really kind of mucked up the game for us a little bit and made it difficult for us to score. But tough team, tons of respect to what they’ve done and just proud of the resiliency of this group,” Stewart said after the game, per WNBA reporter Scott Agness.

A 51-50 lead, engineered by Breanna Stewart’s mid-range jumper at the 3:20 mark, stood as the fourth quarter’s ultimate turning point. It started a dominant burst, where the Americans added four points from Young and Gray, while Italy added just two points off Matilde Villa’s fadeaway jump shot. Even with rebounding almost evenly split, Italy’s offensive flow evaporated entirely, yielding zero assists and no steals through the closing minutes.

Despite Cecilia Zandalasini’s offensive showing, the Italian side fell short. However, the fact that they pushed Team USA to the brink earned the European side praise from the defending champions.

Kara Lawson praised Italy while calling the game a test

The 55-52 game was Team USA’s lowest points total in 42 years, and their lowest-scoring World Cup game since 1971. Following the game, head coach Kara Lawson gave the Italian side credit for pushing them so hard.

“Italy played with great force and great passion; they controlled the game for large parts. Defensively, to hold a team to 52 points in this tournament is hard to do. And you have to be able to win in different ways in this tournament because every team stylistically plays a little bit different.”

Meanwhile, watching her squad struggle and produce one of their worst winning perfromances in decades, the Team USA coach also realized where her team was lacking. While she didn’t elaborate on exactly which weak links she saw in Team USA’s playing style, Lawson did tell reporters that Italy was a test that revealed a lot.

“Sometimes it’s good to be tested like this. You see where your weaknesses are, and we know exactly where we need to improve,” Kara Lawson told TNT Sports reporter Allie LaForce.

Then again, it seemed that the USA women expected nothing less from the likes of Zandalasini even before the game.

“Zandalasini’s had an incredible year with the Valkyries. Coach Nat, who’s on our staff, has been able to coach her and really get the best out of her,” Clark told reporters after the win over China.

“I think she’s an incredible player. It seems like every game she continues to get better and better. She can stretch the floor. She can score in the mid-range. She has great size. She’s athletic. So, you know, she’ll be one of the keys to our scouting report, I’m sure. But she’s certainly had a tremendous year, and I would expect her to do the same for Italy as well.”

Having avoided their first loss in the World Cup in over two decades, Team USA will take on Czechia in their final group stage game. While they’ve already secured a place in the knockout stages, Team USA will be hoping to regain thier confidence and offensive edge against Czechia.