Caitlin Clark marked her FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup debut with a record-setting display as the United States defeated China 94-61 in their Group D opener in Berlin on Friday.

Coming off the bench, Clark finished with 14 points and 11 assists, setting a USA record for the most assists by a player on her Women's World Cup debut and surpassing Alyssa Thomas, who recorded nine against Belgium four years ago.

The 24-year-old Clark made an immediate impact after entering the game, recording four assists after just four minutes. The Indiana Fever guard also knocked down three shots from beyond the arc and committed no turnovers.

The defending champion established a 27-14 advantage after the opening quarter before China fought back in the second. Zhang Ziyu's presence inside caused problems for the Americans, but the defending champions responded with a strong finish to the half to stretch its lead to 49-29.

China threatened again after the interval, using a zone defense to slow the USA attack and cut the deficit to 53-37. However, the Americans answered with a decisive run and carried a 70-42 advantage into the final quarter before completing a comfortable victory.

Clark, Rhyne Howard and Paige Bueckers each scored 14 points for the USA, which made 12 three-pointers. Clark's 11 assists were also the most by an American in a Women's World Cup game since Dawn Staley recorded 12 against Russia in 1998.

For China, Luo Xinyu and 19-year-old Zhang scored 13 points apiece, while Han Xu recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Zhang, who stands at 2.2 meters tall, made nine of her 10 free throws and added two blocks on her World Cup debut.

The victory extended the USA’s winning streak at the Women's World Cup to 31 games as the 11-time champion began its pursuit of a fifth consecutive crown.