Caitlin Clark makes eye-opening admission after facing China’s 7-foot-3 star originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Caitlin Clark encountered something entirely new during her FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup debut. The Indiana Fever star helped Team USA open the tournament with a commanding 94-61 victory over China on Friday in Berlin. Clark finished with 14 points, 11 assists and three rebounds in 25 minutes, but one opposing player made the experience unlike any other game of her career.
China center Zhang Ziyu stands 7-foot-3, creating a challenge Clark had never faced at the college, WNBA or international level.
“I’ve never played against a woman of that size,” Clark said during her postgame interview.
That one sentence captured the extraordinary nature of the matchup.
Zhang scored 13 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots in her World Cup debut. She attempted only four shots from the field but repeatedly earned trips to the foul line, where she converted nine of 10 attempts.
Caitlin Clark credits Team USA’s post players
Clark did not simply marvel at Zhang’s size. She explained how Team USA attempted to neutralize it. According to Clark, head coach Kara Lawson challenged the Americans’ post players to establish physical position and force Zhang farther away from the basket. Clark specifically credited Indiana Fever teammate Aliyah Boston for accepting the difficult defensive assignment and providing important minutes.
— Moonball (@moonball30) September 4, 2026
The plan was not built around preventing Zhang from scoring altogether. Instead, Team USA wanted to remain composed when she did produce points and avoid allowing China to dictate the game through its towering center.
That approach worked.
Team USA held China to 32 percent shooting and led for more than 38 minutes. The Americans also used their speed to create transition opportunities, particularly when Zhang was on the floor. The contrast between Zhang’s unmatched size and Team USA’s pace became one of the defining tactical battles of the game. China possessed a player capable of changing shots simply by standing near the rim, but the Americans repeatedly attacked before the defense could get set.
Clark was central to that strategy.
She pushed the ball, created open attempts and finished with more assists than the entire Chinese team. Her 11 assists came without a single turnover, making her the first player to record at least 10 assists with no turnovers in a Women’s World Cup game since the statistic began being tracked in 1994, according to FIBA.
MORE: Sophie Cunningham sends fiery message away from Indiana Fever during WNBA break
Team USA passes its first unusual test
Zhang’s presence gave Team USA a valuable opening-game test despite the lopsided final score. The Americans will not see many players who can replicate her size during the tournament. They still demonstrated that their depth, athleticism and ball movement can overcome an opponent with a dramatic physical advantage.
Clark’s response also offered a glimpse into her adjustment to international basketball. Even after producing a historic performance, she focused on the challenge presented by China and the teammates who helped Team USA solve it. Team USA will return to Group D action against Italy on Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET before facing Czechia on Monday.
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