The Aporia
The Aporia
Feinberg, D. (2026, September 6). A gritty late surge lifts the US past Italy 55-52 in its toughest World Cup test in years. Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/sports/basketball/a-gritty-late-surge-lifts-the-us-past-italy-55-52-in-its-toughest-world-cup-test-in-years/article_267467fe-a04c-52ab-970c-3c3dc593dd68.html
Feinberg, Doug. “A gritty late surge lifts the US past Italy 55-52 in its toughest World Cup test in years.” Toronto Star, 6 Sept. 2026, https://www.thestar.com/sports/basketball/a-gritty-late-surge-lifts-the-us-past-italy-55-52-in-its-toughest-world-cup-test-in-years/article_267467fe-a04c-52ab-970c-3c3dc593dd68.html.
Feinberg, Doug. “A gritty late surge lifts the US past Italy 55-52 in its toughest World Cup test in years.” Toronto Star, September 6, 2026. https://www.thestar.com/sports/basketball/a-gritty-late-surge-lifts-the-us-past-italy-55-52-in-its-toughest-world-cup-test-in-years/article_267467fe-a04c-52ab-970c-3c3dc593dd68.html.
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The Women's Basketball World Cup teams were staying at a hotel in Berlin, Germany, when a fire alarm went off in the middle of the night around 2 a.m., forcing players and coaches to evacuate the building for about an hour. Fortunately, there was no actual fire, just someone who had pushed the emergency alarm button in the elevator. The incident didn't seem to affect Australia's performance, as they beat Turkey 87-71 later that day.
However, the Americans did face a tougher challenge in their next game against Italy, which ended with a narrow 55-52 win for the U.S. Despite struggling on offense, the Americans managed to pull ahead with a few timely baskets late in the game and a key defensive play by Chelsea Gray. The Italians gave the Americans all they could handle, but ultimately came up just short.
The game was marked by some controversy when Italy's Cecilia Zandalasini appeared to be poked in the eye by Jackie Young while attempting a three-pointer to tie the game with seconds left. Zandalasini was seen yelling at the referees and was eventually held back by staff members. She later apologized for her outburst, saying she had been "a different person" when wearing the Italian jersey.
The U.S. team has now won 32 consecutive World Cup games, dating back to a loss to Russia in 2006. Despite their struggles on offense, they showed resilience and determination in pulling off the narrow victory over Italy.
