USA Dominates China 94-61 in 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Opener as Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers Shine
The US women’s national basketball team made a dominant start to its 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup campaign, beating last edition’s runners-up China 94-61 in its opening match in Berlin on Friday.
“I think there are so many great players in the US coming from different places who can do so many different things, and that’s what makes our team so good,” said player Angel Reese. “One through twelve, we’re all great.”
Reese also praised the team’s young players and its defensive intensity. “A lot of us are young, so we’re just trying to soak it all up and have fun,” she said. “I think anybody who went into the game—we wanted to make sure that we kept the intensity high, and I think we did that.”
Paige Bueckers also pointed to the team’s intensity, saying that even when things do not go to plan, its determination should never be in question. “And I think that starts, for me, on the defensive end. So just try to set the tone and be aggressive, because that’s something that I can control,” she added.
The US will face Italy in its second Group D match on Sunday, while China will take on the Czech Republic.
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