Clark and Paige Bueckers, both making her senior international debut with Team USA, as well as Rhyne Howard each scored 14 points to help lead the Stars and Stripes past China in blowout fashion to kick off their FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup play, 94-61.Clark may have come off the bench for head coach Kara Lawson to start his game – Team USA veteran Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young got the nod – but she played the most minutes of any player on the team (25) and made the most of them.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMCaitlin Clark of the USA Women's National Team dribbles the ball during a game against China at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 on Sept.4, 2026, at Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany.
(NBAE)She finished the game with a double-double, scoring 14 points on 4-of-9 shooting, including three three-pointers made, with 11 assists.Also coming off the bench was Bueckers, the Dallas Wings star whom Clark worked well with and China had no answers for.Over 20 minutes of play, Bueckers was highly efficient with her 14 points, going 6-of-9 from the field with four assists.
She perhaps could’ve been the team’s leading scorer if she didn’t pick up two quick fouls, with FIBA rules setting a foul-out at five personals compared to the WNBA’s six.CAITLIN CLARK'S RECORD-BREAKING AUGUST SETS THE STAGE FOR HER FIBA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP DEBUTHoward was also feeling it when she checked in off the bench, raining in four three-pointers across 18 minutes of work.Lawson made sure that every single rostered player for Team USA got time on the hardwood on Friday, and they earned it after making quite the statement from start to finish.Team USA faced this same China team in the 2022 gold-medal game at the FIBA Women’s World Cup, where they came away victorious.They were getting tremendous looks throughout the game, shooting 45% from the field and out-rebounding China, 47-41.Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Breanna Stewart and Chelsea Gr...