Breanna Stewart shines as US rout Czech Republic 105-64 after scare vs Italy

The United States women's national basketball team just sent a clear message to every opponent at the World Cup: the struggle against Italy was only an accident. Just 24 hours after narrowly winning 55-52 in what was considered their worst preliminary-round performance in 50 years, the defending champions displayed absolute dominance with a 105-64 victory over the Czech Republic in Berlin. Breanna Stewart led the way with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, silencing any doubts about her leadership after a sluggish outing the day before. Stewart started like a storm. She scored 11 points in the first 10 minutes, constantly moving intelligently to receive the ball in dangerous positions. She not only scored herself but also created opportunities for teammates to fire from beyond the arc. As a result, the U.S. finished the first quarter with a 29-15 lead. To show the real difference: in the entire first half against Italy, the U.S. managed only 30 points. This time, Stewart alone nearly matched that number in a single quarter. The explosion came from the U.S. team controlling the pace completely. They pushed the ball faster after every rebound, passed accurately into spaces and defended the paint with extreme intensity. The Czech Republic could barely find comfort against the physical pressure and speed of their opponents. The disjointed touches and lack of patience at the rim that nearly cost them against Italy had disappeared. In the second quarter, Napheesa Collier became the next scoring catalyst. Collier scored seven of her 12 points in that period, combining well with Stewart and the bench players. The U.S. gradually stretched the lead to 57-33 by halftime. The game seemed decided from that moment, but the North American side never let up. They continued to accelerate in the third quarter and created a lead of more than 40 points. Stewart finished with an impressive performance despite playing just over 16 minutes. She sat for the entire fourth quarter because the game was already decided. Therefore, Stewart had no chance to become the second player in World Cup history to record a triple-double. That rare feat belongs to Erika Dobrovicova of the Czech Republic, who did it in 2026 against Spain. Stewart also fell short of her own World Cup scoring high of 23 points, set in 2026 against China. With this victory, the U.S. extended its unbeaten streak at the World Cup to 33 games since losing in the semifinals to Russia in 2026. This is an impressive run, proving the long-term dominance of American women's basketball at the international level. But more important is how they bounced back from a disappointing performance. That shows mental maturity, a quality not always visible in statistics. For the Czech Republic, they finished pool play with three losses. This was their first World Cup since 2026. The team won silver when they hosted the event in 2026, but they are currently going through a youth transition and are not yet able to compete with the top powers. The defeat to the U.S. showed the clear gap in quality despite their passionate efforts. The U.S. will move on to the quarterfinals on Thursday. Their opponent will be the winner of the Hungary-Japan game. This is the first meaningful test for Stewart's team, because the group stage offered little challenge after the Italy game. If they keep the same face as they showed against the Czech Republic, the U.S. are certainly the strongest title contenders. In other games on the same day, China beat Italy, Germany topped Mali, Belgium defeated Australia, Puerto Rico edged Turkey by a narrow margin, France routed Nigeria, Spain beat Japan and Hungary claimed a victory over South Korea. These results are reshaping the group standings and promising a fascinating quarterfinal round. Looking back at the game, the biggest positive for the U.S. is not just the margin of victory, but the way they restored order in their gameplay. Stewart was the catalyst, Collier and the bench brought depth, and the defense showed perfect focus. If they want to defend their crown, the U.S. must maintain this version of themselves rather than the sluggish version seen against Italy. From a tactical perspective, Stewart receiving the ball in multiple positions is the key to breaking down any upcoming defense. Basketball always has unexpected twists, but the class of a champion lies in the ability to get back up. The U.S. women's team just showed they still know how to get up in the most disciplined way.