Kolkata: The United States has opened its FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup title defense in emphatic style, defeating China 94-61, in Berlin on September 4, 2026. The match-up was particularly notable as it featured the finalists of the 2022 World Cup, which the USA won 83–61 over China to claim its fourth consecutive World Cup title.
The result provides the Americans a solid start for their Group D opener and builds on their extraordinary dominance in the competition. The USA is looking to win their fifth consecutive World Cup title, while China came into the tournament as not only one of the highest-seeded sides but a familiar rival having played the Americans in the 2022 final. The game also marked Caitlin Clark’s senior FIBA World Cup debut, which added to an already stacked set of storylines ahead of the contest.
The Americans were quick to establish their dominance as their perimeter shooting and quick ball movement created a problem for the Chinese from the get-go, allowing the USA to build an early lead. Rhyne Howard led the American scorers with 14 points. Clark also chipped in with 14 points and 10 assists and was named the game’s most valuable player. The game was special for Clark, who did not start for the first time since joining the team. Head coach Kara Lawson started with a backcourt of Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young in the first quarter before subbing in Clark. The change had no bearing on the outcome as Clark settled quickly and became a key creative force for the Americans.
China had one of the most interesting players on the court in Zhang Ziyu, the 2.23-meter center whose height has made her one of the most closely watched young players in international basketball. Zhang finished with 13 points and six rebounds in limited playing time. She was particularly effective from the free-throw line, making nine of her 10 attempts. China was able to compete more effectively when Zhang was on the floor but the USA’s depth and perimeter play proved too much to overcome.
Much of the attention surrounding the game was about Clark, making her first senior FIBA World Cup appearance.
The Indiana Fever star had demonstrated her international game in the World Cup qualifying, where she helped establish herself as an important part of the next generation of American stars. FIBA had identified Clark and Paige Bueckers as key newcomers capable of making impacts on the tournament. gainst China, Clark demonstrated impact through scoring and creating opportunities, with the latter not relying only on her shooting. She repeatedly created opportunities for teammates and finished with a game-high 10 assists. Her performance provided an early sign of how Lawson could use her alongside established stars such as Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier and Kahleah Copper.
For China, this was a lesson that they still have a long way to go to catch up with the world leader in women’s basketball. China came to the game ranked fourth by FIBA and confident that they could make another exciting run as they did in 2022 when they reached the World Cup final. However, the game on Friday showed difference in depth between the two teams. They still have a significant gap in depth to match the Americans, who were able to dictate the game, penetrating China’s defense with ease and attacking from all sides. Now, the team will return to Group D and seek to regain momentum in the competition.
The 94-61 win sends a strong message to the rest of the tournament. The USA arrived in Berlin minus stars Wilson and Plum and with a number of players competing in their first World Cup, but they still had enough experience, power and shooting to dominate one of their fiercest potential rivals. It was a memorable debut for Clark on the sport’s biggest women’s international stage, and a perfect start for the USA on their path to a second consecutive trophy. The road to the title is a long one, with Italy and Czechia also waiting for the Americans in Group D, but after hammering China by 34 points, Team USA has shown that the five-time reigning champions are the team everyone wants to beat.
