BERLIN – In a clash that will go down as one of the most heart-stopping contests in recent FIBA Women’s World Cup history, a resilient Italian side nearly pulled off a historic upset over powerhouse Team USA on Sunday, falling just three points short at 55-52 after a final-second game-tying attempt missed the mark.
Making their first appearance at the global tournament in three decades, having last competed in 1994, Italy pushed the four-time defending champions to the absolute limit, handing the Americans their lowest scoring total in a World Cup victory since a 42-38 win over Australia back in 1967.
Heading into the final quarter, Italy held a surprising 50-48 lead, and a raucous crowd of 9,232 — majority of whom were cheering for the European underdog — erupted into frenzy as the upset seemed within reach. But the United States responded with a critical 7-0 run to flip the scoreline to a 55-50 advantage. Italy clawed back to cut the deficit to three, and star forward Cecilia Zandalasini had a clear open look from three-point range to tie the game as the buzzer sounded. Her shot drifted off target, ending Italy’s bid for a historic win.
Had the upset landed, it would have marked the Americans’ first loss at the FIBA Women’s World Cup since 2006, and their first defeat in the tournament’s preliminary round since 1983. Italy currently holds a 1-1 record in group play after the narrow defeat.
Following the final play, Zandalasini reacted emotionally to a referee’s failure to call a foul on the USA’s defense during her game-deciding possession, a reaction she later apologized for post-game. “It was a lot of emotions today, but I should have kept them inside of me a little better,” she said.
For Italian point guard Mariella Santucci, the bitter taste of a near-win is mixed with newfound confidence in her team’s ability to compete with the best in the world. “I feel a little bitter of course but they were the better team and they made better plays at the end so they deserve to win,” Santucci explained. “I feel like the way we play we learn so much about ourselves that we can compete against everybody. To play like that with the USA is special, but it makes us think that we are a special team and we can do something special.”
With no time to dwell on the near-miss, Italy faces a critical group stage match against China on Monday, and Zandalasini said the squad is already shifting focus to the next contest. “We have another very important game tomorrow. So now we’ve shown what we’re capable of,” she said. “But we want to keep going and not just stop here and just lose our head on this game. It’s still a very, very long tournament.”
Zandalasini led all Italian scorers with 14 points in the match, and entered Sunday’s contest with a notable historical footnote: Italy was one of the few teams in the world to hold a .500 or better winning record against the United States, with a 1-1 all-time head-to-head record before tipoff.
Looking back on the team’s performance against the undisputed global powerhouse, Zandalasini said the result proved Italy earned their spot on the sport’s biggest stage. “I think we showed that tonight we deserved a spot in this tournament on this big stage,” she said. “I’m so proud of my team, and I think we have a great coach that believes in us and we really play our hearts out.”