A New Generation: USA Basketball Announces Roster for 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup

USA Basketball officially unveiled the 12-player roster for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, set to take place in Berlin, Germany, from September 4–13.

Selected by Women’s National Team managing director Sue Bird and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors, the roster represents a seamless blend of established Olympic legends and explosive young talent. The American squad will head to Germany seeking its fifth consecutive World Cup gold medal and 12th overall.

The Official 12-Player Roster

The 2026 roster combines a combined 58 WNBA All-Star selections, 16 WNBA titles, six WNBA MVPs, and seven WNBA Rookie of the Year winners:

                     2026 USA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP ROSTER
   ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
   │ GUARDS                                                          │
   │ • Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings)                                 │
   │ • Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever)                                 │
   │ • Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces)                                 │
   │ • Kelsey Plum (Phoenix Mercury)                                 │
   │ • Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces)                                 │
   ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
   │ WINGS & FORWARDS                                                │
   │ • Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx)                             │
   │ • Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury)                              │
   │ • Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream)                                  │
   │ • Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty)                            │
   ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
   │ FRONTCourt / BIGS                                               │
   │ • Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever)                                 │
   │ • Angel Reese (Atlanta Dream)                                   │
   │ • A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces)                                  │
   └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Key Roster Storylines

1. The Superstar Anchors Return

Five core members from the gold-medal-winning 2022 FIBA World Cup squad—A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray, and Kahleah Copper—return to defend their world title.

For Stewart, this selection marks her fourth FIBA World Cup appearance, joining legend status alongside Sue Bird (5) and Diana Taurasi (4) as the only American women to reach that milestone. Wilson, who captured MVP honors at the 2022 World Cup after averaging 17.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, once again serves as the ultimate focal point in the frontcourt.

2. High-Profile Senior Debutants

Seven athletes will make their FIBA World Cup debuts in Berlin. Most notably, four young superstars—Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and Aliyah Boston—are making their major senior international tournament debuts (World Cup or Olympic Games).

While all four have rich USA Basketball championship experience from their junior team days, their inclusion on the senior roster signals a formal torch-passing moment for the program’s backcourt and frontcourt future.

                VETERAN EXPERIENCE VS. FRESH FACES
   ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
   │ Returning 2022 World Cup Champions (5):                     │
   │ • A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum,                │
   │   Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper                              │
   ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
   │ World Cup Debutants (7):                                    │
   │ • Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark,             │
   │   Napheesa Collier, Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese, Jackie Young │
   └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

3. Coaching Staff & Leadership

Head Coach Kara Lawson (Duke University) leads the team on the sidelines, supported by an elite coaching staff of WNBA and collegiate minds:

• Assistant Coaches: Natalie Nakase (Golden State Valkyries), Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix Mercury), and Stephanie White (Indiana Fever).
• Scout Coaches: Jose Fernandez (Dallas Wings) and Tia Jackson (Duke).

Tournament Path & Group Play Schedule

The 16-team tournament will run from September 4–13 across two venues in Berlin, Germany. The United States was drawn into Group D alongside China, Italy, and Czechia.

USA Group D Schedule (Berlin, Germany):

• Sept. 4: vs. China
• Sept. 6: vs. Italy
• Sept. 7: vs. Czechia

The top team in each of the four four-team groups will earn an automatic berth in the quarterfinals on September 10, while the second- and third-place finishers enter play-in qualification games on September 8–9. The tournament concludes with the Semifinals on September 12 and the Gold Medal Game on September 13.