{
  "id": 6042081,
  "title": "Jackie Young leads a gritty US escape in a tight 55-52 women’s World Cup win over Italy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/jackie-young-leads-a-gritty-us-escape-in-a-tight-55-52-womens-world-6042081",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-06T21:23:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Associated Press",
    "slug": "associated-press",
    "url": "https://apnews.com/article/italy-us-world-cup-score-e23c02bce01fed6e54200747ad004c86"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a grueling Women's Basketball World Cup match held in Berlin on Sunday, September 6, 2026, the United States narrowly defeated Italy with a final score of 55-52. Jackie Young was the star player for the U.S., contributing 10 points to their victory. This marked the toughest test the U.S. faced in the tournament since 2006, where they suffered a loss to Russia in the semifinals. Only a single team, Australia, had ever managed to come within a single digit of the Americans during this impressive winning streak of 32 consecutive World Cup games.\n\nThe U.S. team, who had a perfect record of 2-0 entering the match, were required to put up their lowest point total in a preliminary-round game since 1971, which was 51 points against France. The American squad trailed by 2 points, 50-48, with just 4 minutes and 29 seconds left on the clock. Breanna Stewart, who missed her first eight shots, scored her first basket of the game, giving the U.S. a 51-50 lead. Jackie Young then hit a layup following an offensive foul against Italy on its subsequent possession, extending the lead to 52-50.\n\nA couple of defensive stops followed, and Chelsea Gray hit a jumper, narrowing the gap to just five points. Matilde Villa managed to bring Italy back within three points with less than a minute remaining. However, the U.S. had an opportunity to extend their lead, but they were unable to capitalize on their chances. Italy managed to get one last chance to tie the game, but Cecilia Zandalasini's three-pointer missed the mark at the buzzer.\n\nThe U.S. defense, known for its 2-3 zone defense, caused issues for Italy's offense. The Americans, who led 30-24 at halftime, saw Italy start a 11-2 run in the third quarter, bringing the score down to 35-32. After that, the U.S. finished the period ahead 42-39, ultimately securing the hard-fought 55-52 victory.",
  "summary": "BERLIN (AP) — Jackie Young scored 10 points and the U.S. survived its toughest test in the women’s basketball World Cup in two decades with a 55-52 victory over Italy…",
  "key_points": [
    "U.S. defeats Italy 55-52 in tight Women's World Cup match",
    "Jackie Young scores 10 points in U.S. victory",
    "U.S. faces toughest test since 2006 in tournament"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Jackie Young leads a gritty US escape in a tight 55-52 women’s World Cup win over Italy",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/jackie-young-leads-a-gritty-us-escape-in-a-tight-55-52-womens-world",
        "published": "2026-09-06T20:40:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "SB Nation",
        "title": "There’s good news and bad news for the U.S Women’s World Cup team",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/theres-good-news-and-bad-news-for-the-u-s-womens-world-cup-team",
        "published": "2026-09-06T21:16:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Paige Bueckers sends Team USA message after Italy scare at FIBA World Cup",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/paige-bueckers-sends-team-usa-message-after-italy-scare-at-fiba-world",
        "published": "2026-09-06T22:43:10.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}