Caitlin Clark Stars In National Team Debut As US Obliterates China In Women's World Cup Opener
Caitlin Clark Stars In National Team Debut As US Obliterates China In Women's World Cup Opener
Andrew Powell Fri, September 4, 2026 at 11:46 PM UTC
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Caitlin Clark Stars In National Team Debut As US Obliterates China In Women's World Cup Opener ©(Photo by VIRGINIE LEFOUR / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP via Getty Images)
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
Indiana Fever phenom Caitlin Clark racked up 14 points and 11 assists for a double-double Friday, leading the United States to a dominating 94-61 win over China and its 7-foot-3 center Zhang Ziyu in the women's basketball World Cup opening game in Berlin. (RELATED: 'It's A Bit Unfortunate' Mammoth's MacKenzie Weegar Reacts To American Players Wanting To Be Traded Out Of Canada)
Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard added 14 points, while Las Vegas Aces guard Jackie Young put up 12 for the American side.
Team USA has now won 31 straight World Cup games, dating back to the 2006 semifinals.
Team USA's 2026 roster is loaded with young talent, including the star trio of Clark, Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese and Dallas Wings guard Paige Buckers. None of the three started the game, but they did close out the first quarter together, with the Americans leading 27-14 at the end of action.
HIGHLIGHTS:
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I know China has to be disappointed.
They had to come into the game thinking they could rattle Team USA with Zhang Ziyu, maybe they even thought they had the cheat code to knock the No. 1-ranked team off their pedestal.
Nope.
Seeing Caitlin Clark dish out 11 assists like she was playing at the local YMCA was pure poetry. The court vision, the poise, and the swagger she plays with sets the tone for her team, and you could tell that pretty quickly when she, Reese, and Bueckers stepped on the court for the first time.
And by the way, I love the chemistry between those three. Clark was in control of the game, Bueckers was efficient with 14 points herself, and Reese did her thing on the glass as usual with nine rebounds. Say what you want about Clark and Reese's WNBA rivalry, but when they put on the red, white and blue, they (along with Bueckers) are a force to be reckoned with.
A new golden era of Team USA begins now, and it all starts with a gold medal in Germany.
Source: “AOL Sports”
