Caitlin Clark regularly plays against some of the best and most physical players like Alyssa Thomas, A’ja Wilson, and more in the WNBA. However, even the Indiana Fever star admitted that China’s towering Zhang Ziyu presented a challenge unlike anything she had encountered before.
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“This was a different type of basketball game than I’ve probably ever played in my entire life. I’ve never played against a woman of that size. She obviously presented some challenges for us,” Caitlin Clark said, speaking in the USA-China post-game press conference, shared on the FIBA Media YouTube channel.
“But you’ve got to give our post players a lot of credit. They really battled, and Coach Kara really challenged them before the game to be physical, try to push them out of the paint. If she makes a couple, stay resilient, stay in it.”
“I thought Aliyah came in and gave us great minutes guarding her. I think especially in the second half, we were able to get a few more buckets in transition, especially when she was in as well, trying to push the ball.”
Team USA kickstarted its World Cup campaign with a commanding 94-61 victory. However, it wasn’t as easy as it looked in the box score against a China side boasting a formidable frontcourt with 7-foot-3 teenage sensation Zhang Ziyu and 6-foot-10 veteran Han Xu. In fact, both players were quite influential at the center of China’s primary offensive and defensive efforts, combining for 24 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks.
Regardless, Team USA and specifically players like Angel Reese and Aliyah Boston managed to hold their own against them. Angel Reese was especially brilliant, battling relentlessly on the glass to pull down a team-high nine rebounds, including five crucial offensive boards, while adding five points and a block in 17 minutes of action.
A clip of an impressive sequence she had against Zhang Ziyu has even been going viral, showing just how she was able to battle the towering Chinese center and contest her around the basket despite the significant size disparity.
Just like Caitlin Clark mentioned, Aliyah Boston also had her fair share of the Zhang Ziyu matchup, and the Indiana Fever center showed plenty of aggression in the paint. In fact, Boston denied an entry pass and later stripped the ball away when Zhang attempted to score over her during the third quarter. She also ended the game with two rebounds and seven points.
Caitlin Clark herself also managed to put together a record-breaking performance despite the challenge presented by China’s enormous frontcourt. She came off the bench to fuel Team USA’s offense with a dominant double-double, logging 14 points and 11 assists with zero turnovers, along with three rebounds.
The performance helped her set the record for the most assists a USA player has recorded in her Women’s World Cup debut. While several of her teammates also turned in great performances, including Rhyne Howard and Paige Bueckers, who both tied her with a team-high 14 points, Clark’s all-around impact also ultimately earned her the official Player of the Game award.
Overall, while it was indeed a challenging opening test for Team USA considering the size China had at its disposal, the victory still qualifies as a statement start to the tournament. The Americans won all four quarters and maintained the lead for the rest of the game after the two sides opened with a 4-4 tie in the opening minutes.
They will now play Italy next in their second Group D game on Sunday. And thankfully for the team, and Caitlin Clark, this time around, they will not have to worry about the kind of size disparity that definitely presented a unique challenge in the China game.