Caitlin Clark led Team USA to a dominant 94-61 win over China in their group-stage game on Friday. The Indiana Fever star recorded 14 points and 11 assists, all while having the team’s highest efficiency rating.
FIBA named Clark the Player of the Game, as she became the first player in World Cup history to record at least 10 assists without a single turnover. She also set a new Team USA mark for the most dimes in a World Cup debut.
Aside from Clark, several players also impressed, as Team USA showed its loaded talent and depth.
Paige Bueckers and Rhyne Howard also scored 14 points apiece, while Angel Reese gave Team USA some much-needed presence in the frontcourt with nine rebounds.
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Despite their incredible performance and dominant win, however, Clark expressed her belief that she and her USA teammates can reach a higher level of play. She even guaranteed that they will be able to elevate their game as the tournament progresses.
“We played well yesterday,” Clark said on Saturday, per Jenna Black of the Indianapolis Star. “But you have to keep getting better as the tournament progresses, and I think you will see as we go through the tournament, our chemistry will only get better and better.”
It will certainly be interesting to see how Team USA performs for the rest of the tournament. There are a number of other nations that boast elite talent, such as France, Spain, Belgium and Australia. The Americans will certainly be tested should they meet any of these squads.
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