Updated

Updated · CBS Sports · Sep 7

Team USA Closes Group Stage 3-0 With 105-64 Rout, Extending World Cup Streak to 33

Updated

Updated · CBS Sports · Sep 7

Team USA Closes Group Stage 3-0 With 105-64 Rout, Extending World Cup Streak to 33

Q: Will the unexpected health absences of veteran leaders finally snap Team USA's historic 33-game World Cup winning streak?

Probably not, though the risk is higher than usual. The absences of A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum are significant. Wilson is widely regarded as the best player in the world and was the U.S. leading scorer at the 2022 World Cup and 2024 Olympics, while Plum brought proven scoring and tournament experience. Losing both so close to the event removed two veteran stabilizers from a team already short on preparation time. But the group stage showed why Team USA remains the favorite. The Americans still went 3-0, earned a quarterfinal bye, and extended the World Cup streak to 33 games. After an ugly 55-52 escape against Italy, they responded with a 105-64 rout of Czechia, suggesting the team is adjusting rather than unraveling. Breanna Stewart has stepped into the leadership vacuum, Jackie Young has been the most reliable scorer, Caitlin Clark has organized the offense effectively, and Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese and Napheesa Collier have given the U.S. enough depth to compensate. The bigger warning sign is not the missing stars alone, but chemistry and margin for error. Clark has said the group is still building cohesion, and the Italy game exposed how vulnerable the U.S. can look when its offense stalls. In single-elimination play, one cold shooting night against a top opponent such as France or Belgium could threaten the streak. So the absences have made Team USA less dominant and more beatable, but based on the evidence so far, they have not made a streak-ending loss likely.

3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Sep 7

A 41-point win over Czechia sent Team USA into the FIBA Women’s World Cup quarterfinals unbeaten at 3-0 after a far shakier three-point escape against Italy a day earlier.
Caitlin Clark said the Americans played with more pace and better chemistry in the 105-64 bounce-back, and the result earned them a bye until Thursday against either Hungary or Japan.
Jackie Young drew the top grade after scoring at least 10 points in all three games and leading the team at 11.3 points per game, while Paige Bueckers and Breanna Stewart also averaged 10.3.
Clark’s group stage mixed a historic 14-point, 11-assist World Cup debut with a scoreless outing against Italy, but she still leads Team USA with 6.3 assists per game.
The player review also flagged concerns before the knockout rounds, with Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper and Aliyah Boston among the lower-graded veterans after uneven group-stage production.