Breanna Stewart led a resurgent Team USA performance with 19 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in a dominant 105-64 victory over the Czech Republic at the FIBA World Cup on Monday. The win marked a significant bounce-back for the U.S. women's national team less than 24 hours after a narrowly avoided upset against Italy.
Unlike their previous game where only one player reached double-figure scoring, the Americans had six players achieve this against the Czechs. Stewart, who played less than 17 minutes, expressed satisfaction with her stat line, emphasizing the team's collective ability. "There's a number of things that we can all do on this team," Stewart said. "Obviously, when you're playing with incredible talents, my teammates make it easy but trying to do the right things and really get the team going in a number of ways."
Stewart acknowledged the previous day's 55-52 win against Italy as a "great test" for a team unaccustomed to being challenged late. However, Monday's performance served as a strong statement to conclude group play. After an uncharacteristic 1-for-9 shooting performance from the field against Italy, Stewart shot 8-for-11 against the Czech Republic, mirroring the team's overall improved efficiency.
The U.S. struggled offensively against Italy, shooting 28.6 percent from the field and making only one three-pointer. Against the Czech Republic, the Americans increased their pace and game control, scoring 57 points in the first half alone, two more than their total from the previous game. They led for nearly the entire contest, shooting 53 percent from the field and sinking seven three-pointers.
Angel Reese contributed 13 points and six rebounds, with Napheesa Collier and Jackie Young also scoring 13 points each. The U.S. secured the win early enough for Stewart to watch the final 15-plus minutes from the bench.
Coach Kara Lawson noted the team's progress, stating, "When you have a performance you're not pleased with, the best thing to do is be honest and look at the areas you can improve and then grow and get better." She added, "I thought we did that tonight. We took some strides in transition on offense. We made some strides in our half-court offensive execution, in our defensive awareness, just all the things we're trying to do and we need to continue to do that."
With a 3-0 record in group play, Team USA has advanced to the quarterfinals. They will face the winner of the Hungary-Japan game on Thursday. "We know that pool play's done now and gonna be ready for the quarterfinals to see whoever we face," Stewart said. "But it's do or die at this point."