Team USA women roll into World Cup semifinals with record-setting assist display

The United States women’s national team delivered its most convincing performance yet at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, dismantling Hungary 108-56 in Thursday’s quarterfinal in Berlin behind a record-setting passing effort.

The 31 assists posted by the Americans set a World Cup record for a quarterfinal game and came within three of the program’s tournament mark of 34, established against Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2022. The ball movement was especially pronounced after halftime, when the U.S. recorded 16 field goals on 16 assists under FIBA’s counting rules, which credit passes that directly lead to at least one free throw.

Caitlin Clark came within one assist of a second double-double at the tournament, finishing with 10 points and nine assists. Her assist average now stands at 7.0 through four games, putting her on pace to surpass the U.S. World Cup record of 5.8 set by Dawn Staley in 1998.

Napheesa Collier led the balanced attack with 19 points as one of eight Americans with at least eight. Kahleah Copper added 10 points and six rebounds.

Clark-Reese partnership takes shape

Perhaps the most notable storyline is the developing chemistry between Clark and Angel Reese, former college rivals whose NCAA championship meeting dates to 2023, when Reese’s LSU team beat Clark’s Iowa. Clark assisted on three of Reese’s four baskets, and Reese returned the favor with a layup assist after a steal in the third quarter.

“We’re probably going to be Olympic teammates for a long time, so we just continue to build chemistry,” Reese said.

Shooting numbers back up the sharing

The unselfish play translated into efficient scoring: the U.S. shot 58.8% overall and 52.2% from three-point range, with 12 made threes matching a U.S. World Cup record. The 108-point outburst was the team’s second consecutive game above the century mark.

Aliyah Boston continued her perimeter development with back-to-back first-quarter three-pointers. She has connected on 40.8% of her three-point attempts on 2.7 tries per game for the Indiana Fever in the WNBA.

The Americans, whose roster was only finalized days before the tournament, advance to a Saturday semifinal against either Spain or Australia. A win would send them to a championship game against a bid for a 12th World Cup title and fifth straight — a run that would match the Soviet Union’s streak of five consecutive titles from 1959 to 1975.

What to watch

• Saturday’s semifinal opponent: Spain or Australia
• Whether Clark’s assist average (7.0) continues tracking toward Dawn Staley’s 1998 record of 5.8
• Any roster or injury updates ahead of the potential fifth consecutive gold-medal game

Source: original release