The U.S. women’s basketball team started the FIBA World Cup with a victory against China, winning 94-61 in Berlin. Caitlin Clark made her global championship debut, scoring 14 points and achieving 11 assists. Her performance marked the most assists by an American woman in a World Cup game since 1998.
Without A’ja Wilson, the team maintained their winning streak, notching their 67th consecutive victory in Olympic and World Cup play. The head coach, Kara Lawson, in her debut global championship game, opted for a starting lineup of 2024 Olympic gold medalists including Chelsea Gray and Breanna Stewart.
Clark, alongside Paige Bueckers and Rhyne Howard, led in scoring with 14 points each. Clark’s impact was noticeable as she played without turnovers and logged 25 minutes on the court.
Lawson praised Clark for her ability to change the tempo with her playmaking skills. All 12 team members scored and played at least 10 minutes in the absence of Wilson and Kelsey Plum, who were absent due to health issues.
Both of them, obviously, have been great players for us,Lawson stated regarding Wilson and Plum.We’ve got to focus on ourselves and how we’re going to develop our chemistry.
The U.S. team will face Italy on Sunday and Czechia on Monday. Challenges are expected to arise during the knockout rounds, especially against France.