Welcome back during the break for the final stretch in the WNBA season. We have taken a trip to Berlin, Germany, to enjoy a game between the USA and China for todays match up. Team USA's starting lineup consisted of Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Breanna Stewart, and Jackie Young. In Game 1, we already saw what our ladies can do in the paint to win. Team USA defeated China 94 to 61 in the event opener, an astounding 33-point win. Some of the top performers include Caitlin Clark scoring 14 and dishing out 11 assists to her teammates, making her the first USA player to score a high double-digit assist total since South Carolina's Head Coach Dawn Staley in 1998 with a whopping 12 assists; Rhyne Howard also had 14 points, along with Paige Bueckers adding her 14 points to the board in the second half alone. All 12 players for Team USA were able to contribute points to the board before the final buzzer. Team USA had a total of 12 3- points in which Clark, Howard, and Bueckers are responsible for eight of those combined.
Team USA also did an amazing job when it came to assisting each other on field goal scoring, 26 of 34. Sonia Citron came through in the final moments with the perfect layup. Aliyah Boston, standing 6'5 proved she was the perfect defensive matchup for China's 7-foot-4 Zhang Ziyu, stopping her one-on-one possession. Although China did cut the lead down by eight points at one point in the second quarter, Team USA quickly regained a significantly larger lead to defeat China. China only shot 35 percent from within the two-point range and 26 percent from the three-point range. Zhang did manage to score 9 points from the free-throw line, contributing to China's 16-of-19 percentage from the line. At just 19 years old, Zhang is also eligible to enter the 2027 WNBA draft. Could we be seeing more of her on the court in the near future in the USA? This is just the beginning as they prepare to take on Italy in the next matchup happening on Sunday, September 6th at 2:45 pm. I will be locked in to see what medal Team USA obtains in the finale.