Italy Coach Calls Caitlin Clark’s Game ‘Beautiful’ Before USA World Cup Matchup

The USA and Italy are facing off in the group stage of the FIBA World Cup on Sunday.

Italy has several talented players, but they surely realize the test ahead of them in facing the USA. And Italy's coach, Andrea Capobianco, had some very high praise for star guard Caitlin Clark before having to face her.

"From a technical standpoint, I think Caitlin is incredible. From an image standpoint, she makes this sport even more enjoyable. Because, besides her ability to score, she makes everything she does look beautiful," Capobianco said in translated Italian, per an X post from Euro Women's Hoops.

Italy’s coach Andrea Capobianco: “From a technical standpoint, I think Caitlin Clark is amazing.

“From an image standpoint, she makes this sport even more enjoyable because, besides her ability to score, she makes everything she does look beautiful.” pic.twitter.com/6mPxoMts6I
— Euro Women’s Hoops (@euwhoops) August 27, 2026

It will be interesting to see how Capobianco tries to slow Clark down on Sunday. The problem is that Clark essentially forces opposing defenses to pick their poison: she can either create for her teammates if the defense focuses too much on her, or torch them from behind the three-point arc if they're playing too relaxed on defense.

Italy's best player is Cecilia Zandalasini, who plays for the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA. She's one of the league's best defenders, so it will be interesting to see who Capobianco has her match up against.

While Zandalasini is a small forward, she's versatile enough to guard multiple positions. Perhaps Capobianco will have her guard Clark when the two are on the court together.

USA's Past Win Against Italy in the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament

These two teams faced each other in the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament earlier this year. The USA dominated Italy in that matchup, beating them 93-59 in a game that was never really close. Clark scored 12 points and tallied 5 assists in 22 minutes and had a team-high +27.

Therefore, Capobianco will likely need to adjust his initial strategy when trying to slow her down. But he also can't place too much emphasis on Clark because that means Team USA's other world-class players will be open, and Clark will be able to find them if there's an opening.

That being said, Italy is undoubtedly one of the best teams in Europe, and their loss to the USA at the World Cup Qualifying Tournament was the only loss they suffered in the tournament.

But women's basketball fans can still expect Clark's "beautiful" game to show itself at the World Cup on Sunday. The question is just in what way that beauty will manifest against Italy's squad.

Add us as a preferred source on Google