BERLIN — Paige Bueckers took jumpers from the foul line instead of driving at 7-foot-3 China center Zhang Ziyu on Friday, and the United States beat China 94-61 in its FIBA Women’s World Cup opener at Max-Schmeling-Halle.
Zhang, 19, finished with 13 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 18 minutes in her World Cup debut, going 2-of-4 from the field and 9-of-10 at the free-throw line. China went 16-of-19 at the line as a team and shot 35% on two-point attempts and 26% from three, per Bleacher Report. The Chinese team that lost the 2022 World Cup final to the United States 83-61 in Sydney did not have Zhang on it.
Bueckers scored 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, with the foul-line jumpers taking the place of drives at Zhang.
“I like to think I’m pretty smart,” Bueckers said. “I thought that a layup over some 7-foot-3 center is probably not the best idea.”
Aliyah Boston And The U.S. Frontcourt Against Zhang Ziyu
The tallest player on the U.S. roster is Aliyah Boston, listed at 6-foot-5. In the third quarter, Zhang pivoted to score over Boston and Boston pulled the ball out of her hands, then blocked a shot less than a minute later. Boston finished with 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 block, and her 3-pointer with 4:15 left in the third put the United States ahead 56-37.
Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Boston, and Angel Reese combined for 24 rebounds. Stewart had 7 points and 7 rebounds, Collier 4 points and 6 rebounds, and Reese 5 points and 9 rebounds. The United States led 49-29 at halftime and finished with 6 blocks.
U.S. coach Kara Lawson challenged the post players before the game to be physical, Caitlin Clark said, and Boston came in and gave the Americans good minutes guarding Zhang.
“This was a different type of basketball game that I probably ever played in my entire life,” Clark said. “I’ve never played against a woman of that size. She obviously presented some challenges for us, but you gotta give our post players a lot of credit.”
Lawson had a lot of different people step up in different moments, which she said is when the Americans are at their best.
“Their size in the frontcourt clearly is a matchup problem for, I think, every team in the world, and I thought we did a pretty good job managing that,” Lawson said.
Dallas Wings Center Li Yueru Absent For China
China played the game without Li Yueru. The Dallas Wings center said Wednesday on Instagram that her passport was lost in the mail and had not been recovered, and that she would miss the tournament. Yueru won a silver medal with China at the 2022 World Cup and is averaging 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in 29 games for Dallas this season.
Bueckers and Yueru are Wings teammates, and Wings coach José Fernández is on Lawson’s staff in Berlin as a scout coach. Fernández and Bueckers first worked together in a national team setting in March at the qualifying tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he also served as a scout coach and the United States went 5-0.
The United States plays Italy on Sunday at 1:45 p.m. CT on TNT and HBO Max.
