Cecilia Zandalasini has been Italy's engine in recent weeks — 19 points and 3 assists per game on the strength of her shooting — but she walks into a different weight class in Caitlin Clark. The USA guard's 72.5 TIB Efficiency rating sits well clear of the field here, built on 14 points and 11 assists per game; she dictates tempo, reads floor geometry three passes ahead, and her range keeps defenses honest at 35 feet. Italy will need Zandalasini to stay aggressive. She's proven she can score in bunches, and the USA's perimeter defense can be susceptible to sustained ball movement — but Clark's assist numbers suggest she'll have teammates ready on the catch. This is less a duel and more a study in how Italy manages an asymmetric skill gap. Tip-off is in about three hours.