How Caitlin Clark's historic USA debut had 'organic' chemistry with Paige Bueckers in win vs China
· Yahoo Sports
BERLIN — A new era of United States women’s basketball began Friday, as Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers took the floor in their opening game of the FIBA Women’s World Cup. The duo of young guards started off on the bench for Kara Lawson’s U.S. team, backing up Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces.
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But Clark and Bueckers starred for the U.S. in its 94-61 victory over China, with each player leading the team in scoring with 14 points. Clark had 11 assists with no turnovers, marking a double-double in her first FIBA World Cup appearance with the senior national team.
Clark’s 11 assists were one short of tying the single-game U.S. World Cup record of 12, set by Teresa Edwards in 1986 and tied by Dawn Staley in 1998. The total was the most by a U.S. player in a World Cup debut.
The on-court chemistry between Clark and Bueckers was recognizable as soon as they stepped on the hardwood together.
“It’s just organic,” Bueckers said. “We know how to play well off of each other. We’re both smart basketball players that know how to play. She just makes the game easy. Being able to cut, play off the ball, and get to my spots. She draws so much defensive attention, so the defense is always worried about her. It lets her teammates get open and she has great vision as well.”
The 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup is not the first time that Clark and Bueckers have shared the floor together. They competed in the FIBA Under-19 Women’s World Cup in 2019, taking home the gold medal as Bueckers led the team with 14.3 points per game. Seven years later, the exciting duo is now looking to win gold at the senior level with even more talent surrounding them.
“Playing around so many talented players, obviously, our guards are incredible and our post players too,” Clark said. “Anybody I pass the ball to, it feels like they’re never going to miss a shot. So, that’s one of my goals when I come into the game. Facilitate, play fast, set up my teammates, get into the paint, and get some penetration.”
Carter Jones is a student part of the Sports Capital Journalism Program at IU Indianapolis. Get IndyStar's Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How Caitlin Clark's historic USA debut had 'organic' chemistry with Paige Bueckers in win vs China
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