The United States began the Women's World Cup with a commanding 94-61 victory over China in Friday's opener, powered by a double-double from Caitlin Clark with 14 points and 11 assists.
Team effort to start the tournament
The win was the Americans' 31st in a row at the World Cup since the 2006 semifinal, built on a 27-14 first quarter and a decisive run before halftime, in a game whose final score and details were published by RealGM — Basketball Wiretap and Fadeaway World — NBA.
Rhyne Howard also scored 14 points and Jackie Young added 12 for a transitioning American roster featuring a young core of Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese. None of the three started, but they shared the floor to close the first quarter and extend the early lead.
China's interior response
China, led by 7-foot-3 center Zhang Ziyu, 19 and playing in her first World Cup, rallied to start the second quarter and forced double-teams inside. Zhang finished with 13 points on 9-of-10 free throws, while Han Xu posted 11 points and 10 rebounds and paired with Zhang in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 53-37.
Runs that decided the game
After China closed to 33-25 with 6:21 left in the first half, the United States answered with a 16-4 run to lead 49-29 at the break, highlighted by a three-point play from Young and the final four points from Breanna Stewart. In the third quarter, following the 53-37 score, the trio of Clark, Bueckers and Reese sparked a 17-5 run to close the period and put the result beyond reach.
Context and what's next
The game was played with notable crowd support for the Americans, where Clark continued her routine of signing a ball and posing for a photo with a young fan wearing her jersey. The United States will face Italy in pool play on Saturday, while China meets the Czech Republic in the group staged in Berlin.
