Team USA emphatically overpowered Czechia in their final group-stage game in the FIBA Women’s World Cup on Monday, winning 105-64. They showed significant progress from their near-scare against Italy on Sunday, when they nearly created history for the wrong reasons. Despite the comeback on Monday, one critical flaw in the USA’s game remained, as highlighted by former Indiana Fever beat reporter and insider Scott Agness.

“They didn’t shoot it great from three-point range,” said Agness in his podcast “Fieldhouse Files” on September 7. “7-of-25. I mean, even Caitlin Clark, 1-of-6 in this one. Not many players are shooting well from distance. And in fact, I am just now noticing this: not one player had more than one made three-pointer.”

It’s hard not to ignore the point he is making. Against Czechia, Team USA could only convert 28% of their shots from beyond the arc. This is despite having players like Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Rhyne Howard, and Chelsea Gray on the floor, who regularly dish out deep threes with ease in the WNBA. However, against Czechia, none was able to score more than a single three-pointer.

“So, the three-point ball is something they’re still trying to find with great consistency, right?” Agness added. “We saw France, I think, knock down 15 threes in their last game. USA in this one, going seven of 25.”

Team USA is not the only team aiming for the ultimate glory in this tournament. France, who have eight WNBA players on their team, headed by Gabby Williams and Marine Johanees, just surpassed a FIBA record in their win against Nigeria, as they knocked down a record-setting 22 shots from beyond the arc, with Gabby Williams contributing six of those 22 on six-of-eight shooting from three.

Agness, however, also pinpointed what Team USA did right against Czechia.

“But look, when you’re getting the inside action, when you’re operating the way in which they did, the efficiency, the ball movement, and I like the better rotations as well, most of the way, then you’re just taking the best shot available. You would like better balance, but it doesn’t much matter in what was a 41-point win here this afternoon for Team USA,” Agness added.

While the US may have improved its performance against Czechia, the gaps in their display when they faced Italy were simply too big to ignore.

Hounded by the suffocating Italian defense, the Americans produced their lowest scoring output since the adoption of the three-point line in 1984. Team USA misfired on their first 10 looks from deep before Paige Bueckers finally broke the drought. It was an uncharacteristically frigid shooting display across the board, as the U.S. converted just 28.6% from the field and an abysmal 8.3% from downtown.

While they improved their shooting from the field against Czechia, going for 35-of-55 (63.63%), there is still a vast room for improvement. Even when it comes to conversion from the free-throw line, the US was outmatched by Czechia, converting 63.6% of their shots compared to Czechia’s 65.4%.

The American team is still making too many errors in the game, as they recorded 20 personal fouls and 13 turnovers, which yielded seven points against Czechia. This may not have mattered in this game, but when potentially facing disciplined sides like France or Spain, it could become costly.

A side brimming with so many fast players, the US was almost matched by Czechia when it came to points off fast breaks, with the US scoring 13 and Czechia scoring 11.

With the French gunning for a first World Cup medal in 73 years, the road will be anything but straightforward for the USA in their path to a fifth straight World Cup. Caitlin Clark and Co. will need to work with coach Kara Lawson and others to fix their shooting woes, as poor efficiency can turn costly against some of the other top teams in the competition, like it almost did against Italy.

For now, the focus shifts to the quarterfinals on Thursday. Team USA has yet to know who its opponent is for that matchup.