Angel Reese is used to being one of the strongest players on the floor. That changed on Friday.

During Team USA's 94-61 win over China in the opening game of the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Berlin, 6-foot-4 Reese found herself battling Zhang Ziyu, China's 7-foot-3 center.

That is a massive 11-inch height gap between the two players, and yet Reese kept fighting. A clip of the matchup went viral across social media, where Reese refused to back down against Zhang. It earned her widespread praise from basketball fans all around the world.

The moment occurred during a defensive sequence as the United States already established an early lead. As China ran its half-court set, Reese used her lower body, strength, and position to make every catch harder for Zhang.

Reese got low and tried to keep Zhang from getting into a deep position. Zhang still received the ball near the basket, where her reach gave her a huge advantage. But Reese stayed with her.

She fought the play, stayed attached, and challenged the shot, sending the layup attempt off the rim.

That block wasn't a one-off. For most of the game, Reese and Team USA made sure Zhang never got comfortable.

Zhang still managed to co-lead China with 13 points, six rebounds, and two blocks. Yet Team USA held her to just 2-of-4 shooting. Nine of Zhang’s 13 points came from free throws.

"I've never played against a woman of that size. She obviously presented some challenges for us, but you gotta give our post players a lot of credit," Caitlin Clark said after the game.

Reese finished the game with five points on 2-of-4 shooting, nine rebounds — five of them offensive — and a block in just 17 minutes off the bench.

Fans loved Reese's fight against Zhang

"This clip shows why people praise Angel for her motor. She had to work hard trying to rebound against this giantess! Angel played well in this game," one fan commented.

If a player has a good or high motor, it means they play hard all the time.  They do not take plays off no matter what happens in the game or who they face. Reese's fight against Zhang justified the comment.

"She shoots the ball fairly low so Angel actually did a great job in trying to block/hinder her shot," another fan added.

Reese often faced criticism for her shooting efficiency. This game did little to change that conversation. But even those who question her scoring efficiency had little bad to say about her motor on this night.

"Hate on @Reese10Angel all you want, but the girl is a beautiful BEAST!" one fan said.

The credit didn't stop with Reese, either.

"Angel, AB [Aliyah Boston], and Kiki [Iriafen] all did a good job on her using different tactics. Zhang Ziyu is going to make her FTs, but if you limit her points in the paint she's not going to win games," added one fan.

The fan pointed out that Zhang was always going to get to the free-throw line. But limiting her in the paint was what would actually keep China from winning games.

"If anything this shows how incredibly strong and planted AR is in the paint. I know her leg routine goes crazy," a fan wrote at the end.

The number backs this up. Reese entered this tournament as the WNBA’s rebounding leader(12.4 rebounds per game). Earlier in August, she recorded 26 rebounds in a single game against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Written by

Md Saife Fida