Clark, Howard lead U.S. over China in WC opener — SkimNews
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- Caitlin Clark scored 14 points and dished out 11 assists, recording a double-double while helping direct the U.S. attack against China.
- Rhyne Howard scored 14 points and Jackie Young added 12 as the Americans received balanced scoring beyond Clark.
- United States stretched its World Cup winning streak to 31 games, a run dating to a semifinal loss in 2006.
- Zhang Ziyu finished with 13 points and made nine of 10 free throws, while Han Xu added 11 points and 10 rebounds for China.
- United States closed the first half on a 16-4 run and the third quarter on a 17-5 run, preventing China from narrowing the gap further.
- United States dominated the opening quarter 27-14 before China’s tall interior defense briefly changed the game’s complexion in the second.
- Caitlin Clark signed a basketball and posed for a photo with a young fan wearing a Fever shirt bearing Clark’s name.
Why it matters: The 33-point margin gives a transitional U.S. roster an emphatic start while extending its 31-game World Cup streak. China’s 7-foot-3 and 6-foot-10 post pairing created a real interior test, but the Americans answered with decisive late-half runs.
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