Caitlin Clark had 14 points and 11 assists to help the United States beat China, led by 7-foot-3 Zhang Ziyu, 94-61 in its women's basketball World Cup opener Friday in Berlin. Rhyne Howard scored 14 points and Jackie Young added 12 for the Americans, who have now won 31 consecutive World Cup games dating back to a loss in the 2006 semifinals.

This is a period of transition for the U.S. with a young roster that includes the trio of Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese. None of them were in the starting lineup, but they were on the court together to close out the opening quarter, which the Americans dominated to go up 27-14.

China fought back at the start of the second quarter behind Zhang. The 19-year-old, who was making her first World Cup appearance, towered over the Americans. Zhang's first basket of the game got China within 33-25 with 6:21 left in the half. The U.S. then went on a 16-4 run to close the first half up 49-29. China paired Zhang with 6-10 Han Xu in the third quarter, presenting an even more potent defensive wall. Zhang finished with 13 points, hitting nine of her 10 free throws. Han added 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The U.S., which is normally jeered by opposing crowds, had the fans backing it Friday. Clark signed a basketball and took a photo with a young girl wearing a Fever T-shirt. "It's so fun to see all of the fans, and their excitement, and how much the women's game is growing globally," Clark added. The U.S. will play Italy on Saturday, while China faces the Czech Republic.