Aliyah Boston Makes Impact in Ugly Team USA Win Over Italy

Indiana Fever star Aliyah Boston was on the floor in crunch time for Team USA.

Aug 6, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston (7) looks on in the first half against the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was difficult to find a player who stood out for Team USA in their narrow 55-52 win over Italy in their FIBA World Cup group stage contest.

That goes for Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, who was held without a field goal versus Italy as the follow-up to her stellar World Cup debut against China on Friday. But Clark was hardly alone in her struggles.

In fact, Team USA had its lowest scoring output in a World Cup game since 1971 and Jackie Young was the only player to hit more than two field goals for Team USA. And the Americans went only 1-for-12 from beyond the arc while shooting just 28.6% overall.

However, they were still able to secure the victory and the other member of the Fever on the squad, Aliyah Boston, was on the floor during crunch time. Boston led Team USA with a +18 in her 21:28 minutes of action.

She shot just 2-for-7 from the field herself but her impact on both ends was apparent. Italy tried to muck the game up and play physically, and Boston's presence helped negate that on both ends.

Boston Will Be Relied Upon Heavily

Given the absence of A'ja Wilson, who bowed out of the tournament last week just before things tipped off in Berlin, Germany, Boston will need to be relied upon heavily. She is the most natural center on the roster so it makes sense why she was in down the stretch, and when the competition gets tougher, she may need even more minutes.

The bench as a whole has been more effective than the starters from a pure plus/minus standpoint, which of course includes the familiar Clark to Boston connection. Clark, Boston, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese are among the younger players coming off the bench who figure to play a big role not only in this World Cup, but for USA Basketball moving forward.

In the narrow victory over Italy it was Boston who earned the trust of head coach Kara Lawson. She was the only non-starter to log over 20 minutes and was in the game during the decisive minutes.

It remains to be seen how the rotations will go for the remainder of the World Cup, but the sample size for evaluation will increase quickly as Team USA faces Czechia on Monday. That will give Clark a chance to bounce back fast and Boston another crack at making a positive impact.