Up to date Sept. 8, 2026, 10:20 p.m. ET
After three victories in group stage play, Staff USA is shifting on to the FIBA Girls’s World Cup knockout stage.
The People accomplished a Group D sweep with a 105-64 rout of Czechia in Berlin, Germany, on Monday, Sept. 7. The 41-point victory was the USA’s thirty third consecutive World Cup win. With group play within the books, america will face Dorka Juhasz and Hungary within the quarterfinals on Thursday, Sept. 10 (5:30 a.m. ET, TNT/HBO Max).
Forward of the workforce’s subsequent sport, USA TODAY’S Studio IX is pondering three questions, together with if Caitlin Clark, who leads the workforce in assists (6.3 per sport) would be the place to begin guard.
Here is three burning questions for Staff USA and its World Cup roster:
Would Staff USA coach Kara Lawson take into account beginning Caitlin Clark?
Chelsea Grey will doubtless received the nod as place to begin guard for Staff USA due to her general expertise, significantly on the senior nationwide workforce. Nonetheless, her manufacturing as one of many first guards on the ground has been underwhelming. By way of three video games, Grey is averaging 3.6 factors on 31% taking pictures and one help in roughly 16 minutes of play. Admittedly, these numbers are jarring and are a drop from the 5.6 factors and 4.8 assists per sport she had throughout the FIBA Qualifying Event in March.
Caitlin Clark, who is often introduced in to alleviate Grey and run the offense, is averaging eight factors on 27.3% taking pictures and 6.3 assists per matchup. Clark opened with a 14-point, 11-assist double-double towards China. Nonetheless, she had an uncharacteristic taking pictures day towards Italy on Sept. 6 amid team-wide offensive struggles. Clark did not register a subject aim.
With Grey struggling greater than Clark, the query ought to be requested: Will coach Kara Lawson change up the beginning lineup? It is arduous to say. Here is why.
Beginning Clark makes a ton of sense and would increase the beginning unit. It is clear the ball and the offense transfer when she’s on the ground. There is a definitive change in tempo and tempo. However, this is the place issues get attention-grabbing. When the Italy sport was tight on the finish, Lawson leaned on her veteran beginning lineup — together with Grey.Grey in the end drew a well timed offensive cost with about three minutes remaining that modified the sport’s momentum. She additionally delivered the game-winning basket with simply over a minute remaining to safe a 55-52 win.
This is not to say Clark cannot do the identical. She has greater than sufficient examples all through her profession. Nonetheless, Clark wasn’t the one younger participant who did not see time late. Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese additionally weren’t on the ground, which may sign that Lawson won’t but really feel snug tinkering with beginning and shutting rotations past the veteran-heavy unit she has already deployed.
That stated, Clark’s time may very well be on the horizon if she continues to play properly and elevate her teammates because the competitors grows within the event.
Which Staff USA gamers have been underrated on the World Cup?
If folks have not been listening to what Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers have been doing on the World Cup, now could be the time. Reese and Bueckers have made essentially the most of their minutes, particularly defensively.
Reese has been garnering a whole lot of consideration within the paint, and when she is not ending on the cup, she’s drawing fouls, which has helped america preserve its foot on the gasoline offensively. She has additionally been vocal on each ends of the ground, calling out performs as she sees them, which has led to momentum shifts. Reese has been distinctive defensively, inflicting disruption. She has 4 steals and two blocks via three matchups, plus a number of soar balls and deflections.
Bueckers has earned the title “Paige Blockers.” The younger guard had 14 factors throughout america’ opening matchup towards China, all within the second half. She additionally had 4 assists and two steals. In her final two video games, she has stuffed the stat sheet, averaging 8.5 factors, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
What different World Cup groups ought to Staff USA fear about?
The largest menace to america is France and has been for the reason that 2024 Paris Olympics.
Historical past appears favorably upon america as a result of it gained an eighth straight gold medal. Nevertheless it wasn’t cake stroll by any stretch. France was buying and selling baskets with the U.S. within the waning moments of the sport, organising a wild end. Ahead Gabby Williams hit would-be 3-point shot with one second remaining to ship the sport to time beyond regulation however her foot was on the road, giving america a 67-66 win.
It is greater than affordable to assume the French have not forgotten about that second and will use it as gasoline on the World Cup. They’ve appeared completely dominant of their three matchups, averaging greater than 100 factors of offense. Williams, Dominique Malonga and Marine Johannes have helped lead the cost. France has additionally been a nightmare defensively, inflicting 21 turnovers a sport and holding groups to 34.1% taking pictures from the ground.
