Caitlin Clark had 14 points and 11 assists as the United States opened the women's basketball World Cup schedule with a 94-61 win over China on Friday in Berlin. The victory was never in doubt for long, and it gave the United States a clean start to a tournament it is expected to control.
Clark was part of a balanced night that also included 14 points from Rhyne Howard and 12 from Jackie Young. The United States led 27-14 after the opening quarter, then stretched that margin to 49-29 by halftime after a 16-4 run. Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese were all on the floor together to finish the first quarter, a sign of how much depth sits behind a roster that is still finding its shape.
The result matters beyond one opener because the United States has now won 31 consecutive World Cup games, a streak that reaches back to the 2006 semifinals. That kind of run can make even a lopsided game feel like a checkpoint instead of a statement, which is why the score alone will not tell the full story for the rest of the field. For China, Zhang Ziyu’s size created the same problem it was always likely to create. She finished with 13 points and made nine of her 10 free throws, while Han Xu added 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Yet Berlin did not feel like the hostile international stage the United States often walks into. The usual jeers were missing, replaced by a crowd that seemed to enjoy what it was seeing, and Clark noticed. She said it was fun to see the fans’ excitement and how much the women's game is growing globally, adding that the reaction after the game was especially striking.
That support did not erase the work ahead. China cut the deficit to 33-25 with 6:21 left in the first half and later got within 53-37 in the third quarter before the United States closed the door again. The next test comes quickly, with the United States facing Italy on Saturday in another pool game and China meeting the Czech Republic. For Clark and the Americans, the opener delivered what they needed most: a convincing win, a double-double from their young guard and one more night where the schedule looked more like a warning to everyone else than a challenge to them.
