Dispatch.com readers can vote for their favorite boys high school athletes of the week on their desktop, the Dispatch.com mobile web or Dispatch app once per hour by scrolling down to ballots listed below.
Deadline is 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18.
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center high school Athlete of the Week voting occurs each week during high school sports competition and recognizes athletes across all sports.
Last week's Athlete of the Week: Berlin's Ethan Litton voted Boys Athlete of the Week presented by Wexner Medical Center
If you can't see the ballot when you scroll to the bottom of this story, try refreshing the link or clearing the cache in your browser. You do not have to be a subscriber to vote.

#wexner #medical

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's federal prosecutor's office said Monday it had filed charges against a German-Ukrainian woman suspected of acting on behalf of Russian intelligence.
The woman, who was only identified as Ilona W. in line with German privacy rules, is accused of having been in contact with a full-time intelligence officer at the Russian Embassy in Berlin at least since Oct. 2023, the prosecutor's statement said.
The defendant ran a marketing agency in Berlin and was also the chairwoman of a lobbying group. As a result, she had an extensive network in military and political circles, prosecutors said.
Over the course of several years, the woman provided the intelligence officer at the Russian embassy with numerous tips about high-profile events and ensured that he could attend them — sometimes under a false name. This was intended to enable him to build his own network for intelligence purposes, the statement said.
To identify contacts and potential targets, she also attended such events herself. Furthermore, the defendant attempted to recruit individuals from the German Ministry of Defense and the defense industry for her own purposes, prosecutors alleged.

#defense #statement

Gigi Chasco of Wisconsin Lutheran girls volleyball was the winner of last week's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel high school athlete of the week poll for the week of Aug. 31-Sept. 5.
Vikings head coach Megan Mache described the Florida Gulf Coast commit as the "glue" for Wisco in its five-set thriller over New Berlin West on Thursday, Sept. 3. Chasco tallied 26 ******* ists, 14 digs, 12 kills, four blocks and a pair of aces in a 25-17, 23-25, 25-18, 19-25, 15-8 nailbiter in the all-Vikings battle.
Chasco received 11,462 out of a possible 21,352 total votes cast.
Claire Baldwin of Sussex Hamilton girls volleyball was the runner-up in last week's poll. The Chargers bounced back in a massive way during the previous week with a 6-0 record, including a tournament victory at the Summers End event in Winnetka, Illinois. The sophomore Baldwin had a huge week for the Chargers, tallying 54 digs and 52 kills on the week, which also included a win over Greater Metro Conference foe Wauwatosa West in a 3-0 sweep.
Other nominees in the poll included Ethan Potthast of Brookfield Academy football, Bear Bonk of Marquette football and Noah Gailey of Hartford boys cross-country.

#Vikings

Gigi Chasco of Wisconsin Lutheran girls volleyball was the winner of last week's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel high school athlete of the week poll for the week of Aug. 31-Sept. 5.
Vikings head coach Megan Mache described the Florida Gulf Coast commit as the "glue" for Wisco in its five-set thriller over New Berlin West on Thursday, Sept. 3. Chasco tallied 26 **** ists, 14 digs, 12 kills, four blocks and a pair of aces in a 25-17, 23-25, 25-18, 19-25, 15-8 nailbiter in the all-Vikings battle.
Chasco received 11,462 out of a possible 21,352 total votes cast.
Claire Baldwin of Sussex Hamilton girls volleyball was the runner-up in last week's poll. The Chargers bounced back in a massive way during the previous week with a 6-0 record, including a tournament victory at the Summers End event in Winnetka, Illinois. The sophomore Baldwin had a huge week for the Chargers, tallying 54 digs and 52 kills on the week, which also included a win over Greater Metro Conference foe Wauwatosa West in a 3-0 sweep.
Other nominees in the poll included Ethan Potthast of Brookfield Academy football, Bear Bonk of Marquette football and Noah Gailey of Hartford boys cross-country.

#week #Vikings

BERLIN (AP) — Breanna Stewart was part of the U.S. Olympic team that beat France by one point in Paris two years ago.
The U.S. captain feels that victory has no barring on the rematch Sunday for the women's FIBA World Cup **** le.
"This is a completely new game and everybody has their own things that continue to motivate them," Stewart said after the U.S. topped Spain 76-66 in a semifinal Saturday. "I think that what I will continue to be preaching to this team is 'we're going to turn the page on everything.' This is one game to win the the gold medal at the World Cup in Berlin and that's our entire focus."
It's easy for Stewart to say that as more than half the U.S. roster in the World Cup wasn't on that Olympic team. Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers are playing for their first championship with the national team. Stewart's already won three World Cup **** les since making her debut in 2014.
Kahleah Copper was a huge reason the U.S. was able to beat France two years ago. She had 12 points in that game.

#stewart #team #olympic

BERLIN (AP) — The U.S. women are in a familiar spot — playing for another FIBA World Cup championship.
Getting to a fifth consecutive ******* le game was a little harder then the previous few as they beat Spain 76-66 on Saturday in the semifinals. The Americans had averaged winning the previous four semifinals by 26 points, including a 40-point rout of Canada in 2022.
The Americans will face France in a rematch of the 2024 Paris Olympic gold-medal game that the U.S. won by a point.
"I think it's two great teams going to go head-to-head," said Kahleah Copper, who had 13 points in the win against Spain. "You know I'm excited for the matchup. I'm excited for us to be able to compete."
The U.S. has won 35 straight games in the World Cup going back to a loss to Russia in the semifinals in 2006. Now the Americans are one win away from a fifth consecutive tournament ******* le. That would match the former Soviet Union for the most consecutive championships.

#consecutive #fifth #title #points

No. 18 Tennessee (1-0) will play at Georgia Tech (0-1) on Saturday.
Kickoff between the Vols and Yellow Jackets is slated for 7 p.m. EDT at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. ESPN will televise the contest.
John Heisman was head coach for the Yellow Jackets and athletics director from 1904-19. He also served as Georgia Tech's basketball head coach from 1908-09 and 1912-14, compiling a 9-14 record. Heisman was Georgia Tech's baseball head coach from 1904-17.
In football he guided the Yellow Jackets to a national championship in 1917. He also won seven SIAA **** les (1900, 1902-03, 1915-18). Heisman won a SIAA baseball championship in 1906. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1954 during its second enshrined class.
Heisman began his coaching career at Oberlin in 1892. He also served as head coach at Buchtel (now the University of Akron) from 1893-94. Heisman was head coach at Auburn (1895-99), Clemson (1900-03), Georgia Tech (1904-19), Pennsylvania (1920-22), Washington and Jefferson (1923) and Rice (1924-27).

#georgia #jackets

EAST HARTFORD - No defending state champion lost more starters on both sides of the ball than the Berlin football team.
But the few Redcoats who returned as starters from last year's perfect CIAC Class M ***** le team showed why Berlin is, well, Berlin.
Behind an offensive line that wore down East Hartford and spearheaded Berlin's double-wing attack, the Redcoats ruined Ty Outlaw's return to his alma mater's sideline with a 42-14 CCC victory Friday night.
"It was terrific, a great start for our guys," said Berlin head coach John Capodice, who lost 19 starters off last year's undefeated state championship team. "But it's a brand new season. We lost all those seniors. We had a dream season. Now our goal is to go 1-0 every week and we were fortunate to do that tonight."
Junior Brandon Sadowski, one of the Redcoats who started on last year's 13-0 ***** le team, led the way with 134 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just 15 carries.

#berlin #team

Union Berlin head coach Mauro **** rinelli acknowledged that his side's continued defensive problems extend well beyond one system or one centre-back partnership after Friday evening's 1-3 home defeat against Schalke 04. The result leaves Union with one point from their opening three Bundesliga fixtures and, considerably more concerningly, ten goals conceded.
Lustrinelli's side opened the campaign with a chaotic 3-3 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt before suffering a comprehensive 4-0 away defeat at Bayer Leverkusen last weekend. Schalke then became the third consecutive opponent to exploit a defensive unit still attempting to adjust to significant tactical and personnel changes.
"It's a lot of small things," **** rinelli told Sky Germany when asked about the ten goals conceded. "We're too undisciplined. We're not keeping up with the opponent. And the opponent profits. They exploit it. And we need too many chances to score goals. The two things are decisive over the course of 90 minutes."
The warning signs predate the Bundesliga campaign.
GGFN highlighted Union's defensive instability throughout preseason, with **** rinelli experimenting with multiple formations while attempting to move the club away from the three-centre-back structures that had defined the era of Urs Fischer and his successors.

#goals #bundesliga #centre

Rennes and Sevilla maintained their promising starts in Ligue 1 and La Liga, Fiorentina got its first win in Serie A, and Schalke beat Union Berlin 3-1 in a Bundesliga match where the referee was replaced on Friday.
Both teams had just one point after their first two Bundesliga matches but newly promoted Schalke went home happiest thanks in part to a fine goalkeeping display from player of the match Loris Karius.
Robin Gosens opened the scoring for Schalke with an angled volley and Aouchiche doubled their lead moments after the break with a superbly taken strike.
Karius held Berlin at bay for much of the second period and though he could not stop Tim Skarke from scoring in the sixth minute of added time, Maximilian Wober restored Schalke's two-goal lead with almost the last kick of the game.
The match was notable for the substitution of referee Timo Gerach early in the second half. Gerach complained of a sore calf and was replaced by fourth official Jarno Wienefeld, an experienced Bundesliga 2 referee who took charge of his first top tier game.

#schalke #referee #berlin

With four points from three games, FC Schalke have made more than just a respectable start to this Bundesliga season.
A large part of that is down to goalkeeper Loris Karius, who delivered a superb performance both in the sensational 0-0 draw against Bayern Munich and in the 3-1 away win over Union Berlin. Schalke fans in particular are therefore calling for him to be nominated for the German national team on social media.
Karius was asked about that in a Sky interview after the Union match. The TV reporter wanted to know whether there had already been any contact with Germany coach Jürgen Klopp and how realistic he considered a call-up to the national team.
"No, there has been no contact," Karius replied. "I see it as neither realistic nor unrealistic. I'm not thinking about it."
Even so, the 33-year-old, who has repeatedly faced heavy criticism over the course of his career, admitted: "If people ***** ociate me with that, it's a huge compliment to my performance."

#union #loris

On a cloudy, seventeen-degree evening in the federal capital, 1. FC Union Berlin (0-1-1, 15th) played host to FC Schalke 04 (0-1-1, 14th) in the third matchweek of their 2026/27 Bundesliga campaigns at Stadion An der Alten Försterei.
Union Berlin, in their eighth Bundesliga season, managed to draw Eintracht Frankfurt 3-3 on the opening matchweek, but failed to land a single shot on target in an 0-4 defeat to Bayer 04 Leverkusen last weekend. As for Schalke, who return to the Bundesliga for the first time since 2022/23, they lost their opener 0-3 to FC Augsburg but managed to follow it with a scoreless draw against the reigning German champions, FC Bayern München.
This is the seventh meeting between the two sides in their histories, with the current head-to-head record an even 1-4-1. Schalke's lone win came in 2019/20, a 2-1 result at Veltins-Arena - Union's only victory was a dominant 6-1 result in the 2022/23 season, with that match also having been played in Gelsenkirchen. With the other sixteen teams yet to play their third matches, the winning side from this match would move up to seventh place in the table, and will likely be in the middle of the table by the time that all matches are complete on Sunday.
The hosts, in red, would kick off the match and go left to right in the opening term, with Schalke, in blue, going right to left when on the attack. It would take ten minutes for the visitors to get the first chance, as a through ball from Robin Gosens on the left side of the Union half would reach Kenan Karaman at the edge of the box. The Turkish striker and team captain saw enough ******* e to direct a shot towards the top-left corner, and did not miss by much, as his right-footed attempt went over the hands of a jumping Frederik Rønnow and slightly over the bar.
Schalke would win a corner just five minutes later, whipped in near-post by Adil Aouchiche; the cross would be met by a powerful header from Dejan Ljubičić, but the Austrian attacking midfielder would send the ball well above the top-right corner and out of play. Aouchiche would then get another chance of his own in the nineteenth minute, but his right-footed curler towards the top-left corner was fantastically denied by a leaping Rønnow.

#played

The High Line has hosted forests, billboards, giant pigeons and enough public art to fill a small museum. Its newest resident, however, may be the flashiest yet: a monumental golden "snake" curling through the park in the Meatpacking District.
Bulgari has unveiled auruBOROS—Urban Memory and Collective Dream, a 33-foot pneumatic sculpture created by Berlin-based art and architecture duo Plastique Fantastique. The free installation is now open above Little West 12th Street, near The Standard, High Line, and will remain on view through September 20.
The work resembles a gleaming serpent or double helix, with massive coils rising from beneath the elevated park and wrapping around its concrete supports. Visitors can walk among and through the reflective forms, which shift in appearance as sunlight, shadows and passing New Yorkers bounce off the metallic surface.
The sculpture's name combines aurum, the Latin word for gold, with ouroboros, the ancient image of a serpent eating its own tail. Its location also fits the installation's themes of memory and transformation: the High Line, after all, turned an abandoned freight railway into one of the city's most popular public **** es.
Created by Plastique Fantastique artists Marco Canevacci and Yena Young, auruBOROS is Bulgari's first public art installation in the United States. The duo is known for large-scale inflatable environments, including a giant ring that encircled a Paris footbridge during Nuit Blanche in 2023 and an immersive installation at the 2019 Venice Biennale.

#plastique

Team USA opened the knockout round and made World Cup history. Yet, its job in Berlin remains unfinished.
The Americans are one of the last four teams standing with a ticket to Sunday's gold-medal game now on the line.
Team USA faces Spain in Saturday's World Cup semifinals (2 p.m. ET) for a chance to advance to one last game. France and Germany face off in the other semifinal (10:30 a.m. ET). The two winners will move on to the gold medal game, while the two losers will play for third place.
The United States has advanced to the gold-medal game in each of the last four World Cups, winning it all each time. The last time the U.S. failed to make the gold-medal game was in 2006, when it defeated Brazil for bronze.
Paige Bueckers plays during the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 quarter-finals match between the United States and Hungary in Berlin, Germany, on September 10, 2026. (Photo by Marcin Golba/NurPhoto via Getty Images) (NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

#World #game #united

BERLIN, Sept 11 (Reuters) - The likely leader of the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the far-right Alternative for Germany's Ulrich Siegmund, suggested a weapons producer could be allowed to ‌operate in the state to provide resources for his party's planned deportation campaigns.
The AfD, which ‌wants to restore ties with Russia and brands itself a "party of peace", opposes Germany's record defence spending under Chancellor Friedrich Merz and military support for Ukraine, raising questions about the future of a planned defence industry investment in the city of Sangerhausen.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Siegmund indicated the AfD was not opposed to arms production for domestic purposes when asked about the site.
"We do not condemn the production of military equipment ‌across the board, because we will ⁠naturally need the appropriate resources for future repatriation and deportation campaigns," he said.
"This is also in the interest of internal security, our own stability, and national defence," ⁠he added.

#campaigns #military

WILTON - The Wilton football team knew this season would require a fast start with one of the more daunting schedules in the state, especially late in the year. The team felt it needed a victory on opening night against Norwalk, another FCIAC team with CIAC playoff hopes, and that is just what the Warriors got.
Wilton had to hold on down the stretch but ultimately took care of business, beating Norwalk 35-21 at Fujitani Field behind three touchdown passes from Colton Smith and three touchdowns from senior running back Dennis Dustin.
"If I was ever to say the first game of the year is a must-win, this was one," Wilton coach EJ DiNunzio said. "The schedule is a beast with Southington and all the other ones. We needed this win and we knew we needed it."
DiNunzio feels this is the toughest schedule he has seen in his time at Wilton, which was 10-2 and reached the Class MM semifinals last season, losing 21-20 to Bunnell. There are seven playoff teams from last season on the slate, including 2025 state champions Berlin (Class M), Greenwich (Class LL) and New Canaan (Class L), and Class LL runner-up Southington.
Wilton's final five games are all against playoff teams.

#season #needed #playoff

BERLIN (AP) — The Swiss federal intelligence service on Thursday published a 200-page dossier on the notorious ******* war criminal Josef Mengele, the German doctor known as the "Angel of Death" for conducting horrific medical experiments on prisoners at Auschwitz.
During World War II, Mengele served at the Auschwitz extermination camp in ******* -occupied Poland, where about 1.1 million people were killed, approximately 1 million of them Jews. He became infamous for carrying out brutal medical experiments on inmates, including children, under the guise of scientific research.
After the war, Mengele obtained a Red Cross travel document under a false identity, allowing him to leave Europe. Like many former ******* officials, he spent years in hiding in Latin America while being pursued internationally for his crimes. He drowned in 1979 while swimming on the coast of Brazil.
The documents released by Swiss authorities include material provided to police suggesting that Mengele may have returned to Switzerland after initially fleeing Germany, or may have been planning to enter the country under a false name, according to the German news agency dpa.
Historians seeking to establish whether Mengele spent time in Switzerland while being pursued as a war criminal, without Swiss authorities catching him, had long sought access to the files.

#swiss #german #million

BERLIN — Caitlin Clark extended her hand to a United States teammate in the first quarter of the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal game against Hungary. It was a gesture of appreciation for the connection that had just occurred.
Seconds earlier, Paige Bueckers recorded a steal from Hungary's Yvonne Turner. Bueckers' pass met Clark, and like clockwork, she was off. Clark found her way to the paint where 6-foot-4 Dorka Juhasz stood as the last line of defense. Faced with an easy decision, Clark dished the ball to Angel Reese, who went up for the layup with two seconds to go, bringing the U.S. to the end of the first quarter with a 36-12 lead.
As Clark reached out her hand, Reese met it with simplicity and normalcy. This would be the first of four total ****** ists between Clark and Reese in an overwhelming 108-56 U.S. victory.
In a world that continues to divide these two athletes, the World Cup has offered another viewpoint, one that seems all the more true. It is a stage that presents these women as selfless competitors, and more simply as teammates.
In a post-game interview with TNT, Reese remarked on her connection with Clark, saying "We've played against each other so many times, so I'm sure we know each other's game like the back of each other's hand."

#clark #World #seconds #quarter

BERLIN — Caitlin Clark extended her hand to a United States teammate in the first quarter of the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal game against Hungary. It was a gesture of appreciation for the connection that had just occurred.
Seconds earlier, Paige Bueckers recorded a steal from Hungary's Yvonne Turner. Bueckers' pass met Clark, and like clockwork, she was off. Clark found her way to the paint where 6-foot-4 Dorka Juhasz stood as the last line of defense. Faced with an easy decision, Clark dished the ball to Angel Reese, who went up for the layup with two seconds to go, bringing the U.S. to the end of the first quarter with a 36-12 lead.
As Clark reached out her hand, Reese met it with simplicity and normalcy. This would be the first of four total ***** ists between Clark and Reese in an overwhelming 108-56 U.S. victory.
In a world that continues to divide these two athletes, the World Cup has offered another viewpoint, one that seems all the more true. It is a stage that presents these women as selfless competitors, and more simply as teammates.
In a post-game interview with TNT, Reese remarked on her connection with Clark, saying "We've played against each other so many times, so I'm sure we know each other's game like the back of each other's hand."

#clark #reese #quarter

For guests heading toward the Boom Boom Room for Bulgari's New York Fashion Week party, a surprise detour awaited them: the night actually began up on the High Line.
There, Bulgari ambassadors Anne Hathaway and Lisa glimmered in jewels as a small crowd gathered for the unveiling of Bulgari's "AuruBoros." Curator Beatrice Galilee took to the mic to give some context for the installation, which was created by Berlin-based artistic duo Plastique Fantastique (Marco Canevacci and Yena Young).
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#high #line #hathaway

BERLIN (AP) — ****** an shooting guard Saki Hayashi went off with what looked a broken arm after a foul during the team's playoff against Hungary at the women's FIBA World Cup on Tuesday.
Hayashi scored despite the foul in the air from Agnes Torok but needed immediate medical attention with just over a minute left in the second quarter. She landed awkwardly on her right arm.
She was unable to continue and a somber silence fell upon the arena as she lay still on the court. A blue tarp was provided to give her privacy and fans responded with applause when she was led off.
Hayashi hit nine 3-pointers in ****** an's opening win over Mali on Friday.
Japan trailed Hungary 37-34 at halftime in their playoff to see which team will play a quarterfinal against the United States on Thursday.

#foul

Lazio have officially announced their signing of Portuguese centre-back Diogo Leite on a free transfer following their flying start to the 2026-27 Serie A season, which sees them joint top of the pack after three matches.
The Biancocelesti have confirmed that Leite has joined the club on a free transfer following the expiry of his Union Berlin contract earlier this summer, and that he has put pen to paper on a two-year deal with an option to extend for a further 12 months at the Stadio Olimpico.
BERLIN, GERMANY – MAY 16: Leite Diogo of 1. FC Union Berlin during farewell prior to the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Augsburg at Stadion An der Alten Foersterei on May 16, 2026 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
"S.S. Lazio announces the official signing of the footballer Diogo Filipe Monteiro Pinto Leite following the expiration of his contract with FC Union Berlin on June 30, 2026," a statement on the club website confirmed.
"The player has signed a two-year contract with an option to extend for an additional two seasons."

#union #signing #free

Any sports lover would know "trash talk" is pretty much part of the game. In fact, some believe one has to master the art so as to add intensity and rivalry to the game. As Team USA continues its 2026 FIBA World Cup campaign in Berlin, Germany, they have already found their "trash-talking queen" in the squad.
Fans are already loving the fun little content they get to watch every day while Team USA tries to defend their ***** le at the FIBA World Cup. These moments show a very different camaraderie among the players than what fans are used to seeing when these same players represent their respective WNBA sides.
While filming fun media content for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, Team USA was asked who the "biggest trash talker" on their squad is. Unironically, many fingers pointed to one individual: Angel Reese.
Reese was overwhelmingly voted number one by her teammates for her constant in-game chatter, including Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Aliyah Boston, and Paige Bueckers.
If fans can recall, Reese made headlines after the 2023 NCAA Championship game when she taunted Clark by pointing to her ring finger as the LSU Tigers closed in on the championship. Reese, who rarely stays silent on court, has made a reputation for trash-talking her rivals.

#fans

By Friederike Heine
BERLIN, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Mamad Mohamad watched with mixed emotions as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) swept to a historic victory on Sunday evening in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt.
A member of the Greens, the 46-year-old ‌is set to become one of the first lawmakers with an immigrant background to enter the state parliament, alongside Mustafa ‌Groener of the Left (Die Linke) party.
For Mohamad, who arrived in Germany from Syria as a 16-year-old Yazidi Kurd in 1996, it was a milestone that should have been a moment of celebration. Instead, he described it as a "poisoned victory".
"My heart was split," Mohamad said, recalling the first projections that showed the AfD outperforming expectations while Chancellor Friedrich Merz's governing conservatives slumped to a historic low.

#historic #victory #year

BERLIN (AP) — Record 3-point shooting helped France cruise into the quarterfinals of the women's FIBA World Cup.
France broke a three-day old record, making 22 3-pointers in its 111-56 win over Nigeria on Monday. The French team topped the 20 3-pointers that ****** an hit in its opening win over Mali.
Gabby Williams led the way making six of her eight 3-point attempts. Marine Johannes hit five as France was 22-for-40 from behind the arc.
Migna Toure's 3-pointer with 5:45 left was France's 21st of the game to top ****** an's record. She said she had no idea that France was even close to a record.
"I didn't know we broke the record, to me it was just a corner 3," Toure said.

#record #pointers

BERLIN -- Every game boils down to moments.
As the United States faced Italy in the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup, every second required a response, and for Italy's Cecilia Zandalasini, history came down to one moment.
In the final seconds, U.S. defender Jackie Young closed in on Zandalasini, raising her left hand. Zandalasini recoiled with the ball still in her hand, seemingly affected by Young's reach. But time did not stop, no whistle was blown, and Zandalasini had one more shot; one more moment. She found herself just beyond the arc, and still affected by Young's intrusion, she threw up a shot that could have made history, but it only found glass as the buzzer sounded and the U.S. escaped with a 55-52 victory.
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In frustration, Zandalasini turned and strutted to the nearest official, yanking her jersey down in anger. Italy's coach Andrea Capobianco seemed to be the only one to calm her, as his hands cupped the sides of her face in an act of resolution.

#affected

CERNOBBIO, Italy, Sept 5 (Reuters) - NATO members should not tolerate deliberate actions of hybrid war, ‌and the United States will stand by ‌countries as they deal with these incidents, Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, said on Saturday.
Whitaker said last month's attempted drone attack at Germany's Leipzig/Halle Airport, which Berlin has blamed on Russia, was more worrying than ‌other recent incidents ⁠NATO members have faced due to Russian drones targeting Ukraine that strayed off course.
"Then ⁠you have what I would call the more concerning hybrid actions like we saw in Leipzig, like we have seen in Poland," Whitaker said speaking on the ‌sidelines of a business conference in Italy.
NATO members must be prepared, vigilant and also deliver a strong message when they are challenged by these events, he said.
"If we can identify who's doing it — which ‌Germany did — we make sure we express strongly that is unacceptable and we will not tolerate it," Whitaker said.

#whitaker #incidents

Well, Team USA had tons of trouble with Italy.
Less than six months ago, Team USA defeated Italy by 34 points in the World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico. On Sunday in Berlin, Germany, Team USA squeaked out a three-point win, 55-52.
On paper, the Italians may not have had any advantages over the United States. The resumes and statistics that convey the Americans' superiority, however, failed to account for the firey and feisty motivation that the Italians brought to the matchup.
Team USA was going through the motions. Italy played with emotion.
As indicated by the final score, it was an ugly affair.

#World

The U.S. women's basketball team edged Italy 55-52 in its closest FIBA World Cup in 20 years on Sunday.
Italy led 50-49 with 3:21 left before the U.S. regained control in a group-stage game of the biggest international tournament between now and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The Americans stormed out to a 19-8 lead after the first quarter in Berlin, but Italy rallied to get within three going into the fourth quarter.
Italy, led by Cecilia Zandalasini of the Golden State Valkyries, qualified to play in its first global championship since the 1996 Olympics. It took third at the 2025 EuroBasket, its best finish at that continental tournament since 1995.
FIBA WORLD CUP: Box Score | Schedule, Results | USA Roster Breakdown

#since

The 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup begins on Friday in Berlin, with the United States among the favorites in the 16-team field.
Team USA, coached by Duke women's basketball coach Kara Lawson, has a roster with a mix of veterans such as Brenna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, and Chelsea Gray, as well as some young stars including Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, and Caitlin Clark.
Two veterans that initially made the roster withdrew for health reasons: Four-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson and five-time All-Star Kelsey Plum. They were replaced by Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen.
Team USA is seeking a fourth straight FIBA World Cup ******* le, and they have won nine of the last 12 FIBA World Cups.
Here are all the teams, the groups, the full schedule, and everything else you need to know.

#team