Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers lead Team USA to 94-61 win over China
Team USA made a statement in its opening game of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, beating China 94-61 in Berlin.
The Americans took control from the opening quarter, leading 27-14 after 10 minutes and extending the advantage throughout the game. All 12 Team USA players scored. Caitlin Clark led the way in her World Cup debut, finishing with 14 points and 11 assists. Paige Bueckers and Rhyne Howard also scored 14 points each.
Angel Reese made her contribution off the bench, recording five points and a team-high nine rebounds, including five offensive boards, in 17 minutes.
China’s biggest challenge came from 7-foot-3 Zhang Ziyu, who is making her World Cup debut. The 19-year-old led China in scoring with 13 points, along with six rebounds and two blocks.
Caitlin Clark admitted the matchup was unlike anything she had experienced before.
“This was a different type of basketball game than I’ve probably ever played in my entire life. I’ve never played against a woman of that size.”
Clark also credited Team USA’s frontcourt for the way they handled the challenge, saying they “really battled” and were challenged to be physical and push Zhang away from the paint.
For Reese, the biggest takeaway from the opening win was the energy across the entire roster.
“Anybody that went in the game, we wanted to just make sure that we kept the intensity high.”
She added: “A lot of us are young, so we’re just trying to soak it all up. I think we learned a lot from our vets today.”
Team USA will face Italy on Sunday as it continues its Group D campaign.
