The United States women's national team is 2-0 at the FIBA Women's World Cup, but the path hasn't been smooth. Sunday's 55-52 squeaker over Italy had fans biting their nails and calling for change.
Head coach Kara Lawson sent out Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, Napheesa Collier, and Breanna Stewart to start. The group struggled to find rhythm, and the team's offensive flow was, to put it kindly, clunky. Italy, a squad many expected to be an afterthought, pushed the Americans to the brink.
Lawson had warned before the tournament that the gap was closing. "I think there's no question that the world is improving at a rapid rate," she said. "There's more depth to the teams at the World Cup. Now when you look at rosters, there's a number of just high-quality players. I think it's going to be the most difficult World Cup to win that we've had because of that."
Those words proved prophetic. Italy's defense swarmed the U.S. ball-handlers, and the Americans looked disjointed. The narrow margin of victory has sparked a firestorm on social media, with fans demanding a new starting five.
The dream lineup, as floated by many online, would feature Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers in the backcourt, Jackie Young on the wing, and Aliyah Boston and Angel Reese in the frontcourt. The enthusiasm is loud and clear.
"The WNBA politics will never allow this. We should be beating Italy by 20," one fan wrote.
Another chimed in: "The WNBA Politics appear to HAVE TAKEN OVER FIBA."
But the most pointed criticism is aimed at Jackie Young, who some believe is freezing out Clark. One fan claimed, "Young can't play with Clark. She hates her so much. She'd rather turn the ball over than pass it to her. Put Howard in that position and you have something."
Others echoed that sentiment, with one suggesting, "No to Jackie Young who refuses to pass the ball to CC. Replace her with Rhyne Howitzer Howard."
While the calls for change are loud, whether Lawson will heed them remains to be seen. The coach has a history of trusting her veterans, but the margin for error is shrinking. The U.S. is still unbeaten, but the world is catching up, and the fans are making their voices heard. The next game will be a test of whether the coaching staff sticks with the status quo or shakes things up to silence the critics.
