If Team USA’s narrow win against Italy raised a few eyebrows, its response against Czechia offered a much-needed reminder of just how dangerous this roster can be. Kara Lawson’s squad wasted little time putting Sunday’s disappointment behind it, racing out to a 29-15 lead after the opening quarter and steadily pulling away from there. By halftime, the team had stretched the advantage to 24 points, and they never allowed Czechia a realistic route back into the contest. 

The final scoreline of 104-64 was far more representative of what the defending champions are capable of. But beyond the emphatic result, the game produced several individual performances and developments worth highlighting as Team USA moves deeper into its World Cup campaign.

Here are the biggest storylines from this dominant win over Czechia.

Breanna Stewart’s statement performance

After a relatively quiet night against Italy, Breanna Stewart looked much closer to the version of herself that Team USA knows it can rely on. The veteran forward led the Americans with 19 points, shooting an impressive 8-of-11 from the field and 7-of-10 on her two-point attempts.

The Italy game had been a shadow version of Stewart, with five points on a difficult 1-of-9 from the field. But even in that forgettable shooting night, one thing carried over positively: she finished with 11 rebounds. 

And she brought that same rebounding intensity into the Czechia game, adding seven boards alongside six assists and a block. So this was not simply a scoring performance for her; she was also moving the offense, cleaning the glass, and making plays for teammates throughout. 

This well-rounded version of her is definitely one that Team USA will be hoping to see consistently as the tournament progresses into the knockout stage.

Kara Lawson sticks with her veteran starting five

For the third consecutive game, coach Lawson trusted the same veteran starting unit: Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper, Breanna Stewart, and Napheesa Collier. And against Czechia, it worked exactly as intended, with Stewart, Collier, and Young leading the team in scoring from the opening tip.

Of course, the significant rotation and playing time distribution across the full roster gave the game a more exploratory feel than the previous two outings, with Lawson clearly taking advantage of the comfortable scoreline to give everyone meaningful minutes.

However, this fixed starting five has now been in place for all three group stage games, and it appears Lawson has settled on her preferred five regardless of the considerable public discussion around Caitlin Clark’s continued placement on the bench at tip-off. 

Whether that starting lineup remains unchanged into the knockout rounds is now one of the more interesting questions hovering over Team USA’s campaign as the stakes begin to rise.

Team USA dominated Czechia across every major statistical category

This was a completely dominant performance from Team USA in every measurable sense. And while the 40-point winning margin reflected that clearly enough on the scoreboard, the underlying numbers show even further just how thorough the control really was.

Team USA shot 53 percent from the field overall, including 64 percent on two-point attempts. Czechia, by contrast, managed just 34 percent from the floor and 51 percent inside the arc, and the rebounding battle was equally one-sided.

Team USA controlled the glass 54-34, including a remarkable 19 offensive rebounds that translated directly into a 22-4 advantage in second-chance points. The ball movement was also just as sharp, with Team USA dishing out 31 assists to Czechia’s 12, while holding a 52-30 edge in points in the paint.

It should, however, be noted that a dominant result against this Czechia side was the bare minimum expectation. The Czechs had lost both of their opening group games, falling 63-54 to Italy and 74-70 to China, and arrived in no condition to test the full depth of what Team USA can produce.

All 12 players score as Team USA shows off its depth

If there was one stat that captured the nature of this victory most perfectly, it was this: every single member of Team USA’s 12-player roster scored. And perhaps even more impressively, coach Lawson managed to give all 12 players at least 10 minutes of court time.

And this was not a game where the starters did the heavy lifting before the bench took over in garbage time. The entire roster had a genuine opportunity to contribute, and virtually everyone took advantage of it. Paige Bueckers and Sonia Citron each finished with 10 points. Jackie Young added 12, and Angel Reese added 13. Caitlin Clark contributed nine, and Kiki Iriafen chipped in seven. 

That kind of balance is an encouraging sign heading into the knockout stage, because it means there is simply no single player an opponent can game plan to stop. The threats run 12 deep.

Caitlin Clark leaning more into playmaking role

Caitlin Clark may be gradually settling into a different kind of role for Team USA at the World Cup. While the Indiana Fever star is undoubtedly capable of taking over games as a scorer, it appears like she is increasingly embracing her responsibilities as a primary playmaker rather than as a lead offensive option.

That was already evident in the opening game against China. Clark finished her World Cup debut with 14 points, but it was her 11 assists that defined her evening. And that trend continued against Czechia. She scored nine points, but once again her biggest contribution came through creation rather than scoring, finishing with a team-high 7 assists.

It could be a sign that Clark is settling into a more deliberately defined playmaking role within this particular roster. With so many established scorers like Stewart, Collier, Bueckers, and Young, she may not need to carry offensive responsibility every night. Instead, she can deploy what she does better than almost anyone on the team: reading defences, pushing pace, and finding teammates in the right positions at the right moments.

Caitlin Clark continues to struggle from the three-point line

While Clark has increasingly embraced her playmaking function, one aspect of her game has continued to be elusive in the last two games: the three-point shot. After going 0-for-3 from deep against Italy, she struggled again from beyond the arc against Czechia, making just 1-of-6 from three-point range. So across Team USA’s last two games, she has now converted only one of her last nine three-point attempts.

For a player whose offensive reputation is so closely tied to her ability to stretch the floor and punish defences from distance, the numbers are noticeable. Of course, she still found meaningful ways to contribute against Czechia, and in a game as comfortable as this one, there was little need to force the issue when the shot was not falling naturally.

But as the tournament moves into the knockout stage, getting that three-point stroke back will matter significantly more. Clark’s range changes the way defences are forced to guard the team. When she is hitting from deep, opponents have to respect the threat, which opens driving lanes and creates additional space for Stewart, Reese, Bueckers, and the rest of a roster that is already difficult enough to contain.

Angel Reese once again makes an all-around impact

Angel Reese was one of the positives in the Italy game, contributing 8 points, 3 rebounds, a steal, and 2 blocks in a night when most of her teammates struggled to find consistency. And she carried that form directly into the Czechia game.

She finished with 13 points and 6 rebounds, shooting an efficient 4-of-5 from the field, while also adding three steals that underlined the defensive presence she has been bringing throughout the tournament.

Reese has steadily carved out a clear role for herself over these three games, bringing physicality, energy, and activity every time she steps onto the floor. She is not asked to be the centerpiece of the offense. She does not need to be.

And if these first three games are any indication, she will definitely be a consistent and important contributor for Team USA as the stakes rise in the knockout rounds.

Team USA approach knockout round with renewed confidence

The group stage is officially complete, and Team USA can now turn its full attention to the part of the tournament where there is simply no margin for a bad night. After finishing Group D undefeated, the Americans will face the winner of the Hungary versus Japan matchup in Thursday’s quarterfinal.

The Czechia game was precisely the kind of performance Kara Lawson would have wanted before the knockout rounds: balanced scoring, strong defensive numbers, dominant rebounding, and genuine contributions from all 12 players on the roster.

“When you have a performance that you are not pleased with, the best thing to do is be honest and look at the areas that you can improve and grow and get better. I thought that we did that tonight,” said Lawson.

It was a confidence-restoring performance after the Italy scare, and a reminder of why they’re attempting to win their fifth consecutive title. Team USA has had its response. Now they will be hoping to build on it when the stakes are at their highest, and every game becomes a must-win.