Workforce USA started the protection of its FIBA Ladies’s World Cup gold medal with a 94-61 drubbing of China in Berlin on Friday.

The People, with a stacked roster of WNBA gamers, have been led by Caitlin Clark, who scored 14 factors and added 11 assists in her Workforce USA debut. Rhyne Howard additionally had 14 factors and made a team-high 4 3-pointers. Paige Bueckers, who was in early foul bother, added 14 factors on 6-of-9 taking pictures.

“Paige was actually key for us in that second half,” coach Kara Lawson stated. “Playmaking, I assumed Paige and Caitlin performed off each other rather well towards that zone. They each can stretch the ground. … I restricted Paige within the first half simply because she was in foul bother. It wasn’t that she did something incorrect.”

The People overcame a Chinese language roster that features 19-year-old Ziyu Zhang, listed at 7 foot 4. She put up 13 factors, six rebounds and two blocks in 18 minutes. Friday’s recreation gave scouts perception into how Zhang, one of many high prospects for the 2027 WNBA Draft, would fare towards the league.

China’s 7-foot-4 Ziyu Zhang towered over Workforce USA on the court docket in Friday’s FIBA recreation. (Marco Steinbrenner / DeFodi through Getty Photographs)

When requested after the sport about “wanting up” when taking part in towards Ziyu, Clark laughed and admitted she was unaccustomed to coping with that peak within the WNBA.

“This was a unique kind of basketball recreation that I’ve in all probability ever performed in my complete life,” the Indiana Fever guard stated. “I’ve by no means performed towards a lady of that measurement. She clearly introduced some challenges for us. You’ve obtained to provide our publish gamers quite a lot of credit score. They actually battled.”

Clark and Workforce USA will play the second of three group-stage matches towards Italy on Sunday.