Team USA had to grind out a tough 55-52 win over Italy in its second World Cup game. Nothing went right offensively. Team USA shot just 28.6% from the field, went 1-for-12 from the 3-point line, and conceded 16 points off turnovers.
Jackie Young was the only player to hit double-digit points for the U.S. Even Breanna Stewart couldn’t find the bottom of the net in a 1-9 shooting performance, and Caitlin Clark made just one free throw in 18 minutes on the court.
Angel Reese emerged as Team USA’s second-leading scorer with 8 points on 2-5 shooting from the field and 4-4 from the free-throw line. She also grabbed three rebounds, got one steal and two blocks, and earned high praise from head coach Kara Lawson.
“What I will say about Angel: When she gets in the game, she impacts,” Lawson said in the postgame media availability, per a video on the FIBA Media YouTube channel. “You can see it. I think everyone in the arena can see it. She comes into the game, and she plays with great energy, and she competes. She scores, she rebounds, she plays with great pace. It’s what you want in a young player to come into the game and do that, so that’s what I appreciate most about her. She finds a way to make an impact.”
She also said, “Caitlin [Clark], Paige [Bueckers], and Angel, they’re learning, and they’re growing. This was a first for them, a game like this in a World Cup. I thought Angel competed really hard tonight. I thought she was a difference maker for us, and they’re growing, and it’s fun to watch.”
Reese also played well in her debut, grabbing nine rebounds against China’s massive frontline. In the WNBA, Reese is a star on her team. On Team USA, she is surrounded by other stars and has to play a role. So far, Reese has shown that she can do that by working hard on the glass and on defense and putting up points without getting a lot of touches or having plays run for her.
USA Basketball’s future is in good hands
Angel Reese and her teammates play during the FIBA Womens Basketball World Cup. | IMAGO / NurPhoto
Kara Lawson still relies heavily on her veterans and players with lots of international experience. They start games and closed out the game against Italy with the exception of Napheesa Collier. Aliyah Boston closed the game over her.
Nevertheless, the younger second unit of Reese, Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Boston, and Rhyne Howard has gotten plenty of opportunities to impact games, and they have not disappointed. While the game against Italy was not a great showing, the potential of that second unit is still obvious.
Whether Lawson will lean into it and give the young stars bigger roles in this tournament remains to be seen. Either way, there’s no doubt that USA Basketball will continue to be one of the best organizations in the world for a very long time. Clark, Boston, Reese, Bueckers, Howard, as well as Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen are now gaining the experience they will need to take over as Team USA leaders down the line.
There’s no denying that countries like France and Spain are catching up to the U.S. in terms of talent, but the future of USA Basketball is still in good hands.
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