Indiana Fever stars Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston are part of the Team USA roster playing in the FIBA World Cup in Berlin, Germany. The team went 3-0 in the group stage and secured a spot in the quarterfinal after topping Group D.
Despite its perfect record, however, Team USA struggled against Italy in its second game and barely won 55-52. Kara Lawson’s squad shot 28.6% from the field, with Jackie Young the only player to score in double figures.
With the Americans showing signs of vulnerability, FIBA dropped the team to second in its latest power rankings. France moved up to the No. 1 spot after a dominant showing in the group stage.
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Despite Team USA’s recent struggles, Fever rookie Raven Johnson still believes the national team has what it takes to win the competition. In fact, she didn’t hesitate to predict a championship for Clark, Boston and the USA.
“I’ve been watching it. Shout out to my girls,” Johnson said on Tuesday when talking about the FIBA World Cup and whether she’s watching her Fever teammates, per Tony East of The IX Sports. “They’re killing it, and they’re going to definitely walk away with the gold medal.”
Team USA has been the most dominant team in FIBA World Cup history, so it’s not surprising to hear Johnson’s prediction. The squad has won the last four editions of the tournament and is in search of its 12th title overall.
Sure enough, the likes of France, Spain, Belgium, Australia and Germany pose a major threat to the USA. However, as Johnson suggested, it’s hard to overlook Team USA given the elite talent on its roster.
