Former American Negro League baseball legend Leroy "Satchel" Paige once warned: "Don't look back, someone may be gaining on you."
What Paige meant is: If you're not careful and don't go full throttle, eyes ahead, you may be passed before you realise it.
The US men's basketball team failed to heed Paige's words of wisdom in Athens in 2004 and didn't win Olympic gold playing with NBA stars for the first time ever.
The days of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird et al winning by 40 points a game were gone forever.
Since then, the US men have had to scratch and claw to win Olympic gold every four years versus the likes of France, Argentina and Spain.
The world had caught up to America in hoops.
Now, the US women' soccer team (USNWT), winners of three straight Fifa World Cups, have learned the meaning of Satchel's words in the ongoing Women's World Cup as well.
They've been ousted in the first round of the knockout stage.
Yes, in women's soccer, too -- as with men's basketball -- the rest of the world is rapidly catching up on America.
The demise of the US women's soccer team has come about rather quickly -- in the four years since they won the last World Cup in 2019.
A hint of what was to come was the US's failure to win gold at the last Olympics in 2021, when they were beaten out by Canada.
That this slippage was happening became evident right from the start of this World Cup.
In America's first group stage contest, Vietnam played the US gals tough in a 3-0 loss.
This was followed by draws with the Netherlands and Portugal, teams formerly dominated by the Americans. Thus, the US barely squeaked into the knockout stage.
Then, of course, they were eliminated in their last 16 round match by Sweden, 5-4 on penalties, following a 0-0 draw after extra time.
And, as if their earliest elimination ever in the World Cup wasn't enough, the USNWT are also suffering from an image problem in the US.
Half of polarised America was actually rooting AGAINST the US and FOR the opponents in each contest.
That's how turned off the conservative portion of the country was by the team's social justice activism before the tourney and a perceived lack of patriotism during it (most of the team did not sing the national anthem or hold their hand over their hearts while it was played).
Many US team supporters wondered whether the team's actions interfered with their focus during the competition.
Former US World Cup star Carli Lloyd noted the team's lack of drive and intensity.
So, their public relations mess aside, are the USNWT really in big trouble?
Not really, it says here.
Now, what Wiggins' World knows about soccer you could put on the head of a pin and still have room for the Declaration of Independence.
But it's our opinion that the rest of the world, through increased resources and interest, has simply caught up with the US.
Nothing more, nothing less.
And, as with men's basketball, every international women's soccer event will be a dogfight from here on out.
The days of just showing up and romping are over.
In other words, the US women's soccer team has made a seer of ol Satchel.
Contact Wiggins' World at davwigg@gmail.com