Caitlin Clark and Team USA faced Italy on Sunday with a quarterfinals berth in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup up for grabs. The Americans survived a 55-52 thriller despite their struggles from the field and the free-throw line.
The Indiana Fever guard’s exchange with Andrea Capobianco in the first quarter drew a lot of attention. The Italian head coach argued with the referees about a call. Clark then approached him, and they had a brief conversation.
It happened with 2:03 left in the period as the U.S. led 13-8. A clip of the exchange is making the rounds on social media, and fans have dropped their reactions in the comments section.
“What would you say to the best player in the world?” a user commented.
“Highlight of his day 🤣,” one reaction read.
“Her mom’s side is Italian. She gets it,” a fan wrote.
“could be her coach in a parallel life,” posted another.
“That coach was my favorite part of this game. Loved his expressions and antics!!!!” one comment read.
“he went from smirking to smiling when he got to speak to Caitlin Clark,” another fan said.
Clark struggled throughout the game and failed to follow up on her Player of the Game performance against China two days earlier. She finished with just one point on 0-for-6 shooting.
Jackie Young was the only American player to score in double digits with 10. Angel Reese contributed eight points, while Paige Bueckers added seven.
Italy, on the other hand, saw Cecilia Zandalasini lead the way with 14 points. Mariella Santucci backed her with nine.
Team USA advanced to the quarterfinals and will next face the Czech Republic on Monday. Meanwhile, the Italians are in a must-win situation and need to beat China to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
