2026 World Cup: Jackie Young Leads USA Past Italy in 55-52 Nail-Biter

USA survived a tense, back-and-forth battle with Italy, escaping Berlin Arena with a 55-52 win in Group Phase play at the FIBA Women's World Cup on Sunday. The Americans built an early double-digit lead only to see Italy claw all the way back and briefly go in front in the third quarter, setting up a fourth quarter that finished tied at 13-13 and a final margin decided in the closing minutes.
USA's biggest surge came late in the first quarter and into the second, a 12-0 run that flipped an 11-8 deficit into a commanding 23-8 lead, fueled by 4 points and a block from Paige Bueckers (183-G-2001, college: UConn) and 6 points from Angel Reese (190-F-2002, college: LSU). Italy answered in the third quarter with a 9-0 run of its own to erase a six-point deficit and take a 35-32 lead, and the game stayed tight from there, with Italy's largest advantage reaching three points twice before the decisive sequence arrived. Trailing 50-49 with 3:20 left, Breanna Stewart (193-F-1994, college: UConn)'s jump shot put USA back in front for good at 51-50, the last of eight lead changes, and USA closed the game by outscoring Italy 7-2 over the next stretch to seal the win.
Jackie Young (183-PG-1997, college: Notre Dame) led USA with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals on 4-of-6 shooting, and was also named crunch-time MVP after contributing 2 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists without a turnover in the decisive minutes. Stewart added 5 points and a game-high 11 rebounds without committing a turnover, and Bueckers finished with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks for a team-best plus-7. Italy's Matilde Villa (171-SG-2004) was the best player on the floor for either team, scoring 6 points with 5 rebounds and a steal for Italy's best plus-10 rating, and she accounted for all four of Italy's points in crunch time, but Italy could not find enough scoring elsewhere to complete the upset. Cecilia Zandalasini (188-F-1996) topscored with 14 points for the Azzurri.