USA Basketball names 2026 World Cup roster

USA Basketball on Thursday named its 12-player roster for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup, with Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese and Aliyah Boston included for their first appearances at a major senior international tournament. The event will be held in Berlin from Sept. 4-13, and the United States will try to win a fifth straight Women’s World Cup title, according to USA Basketball. Sue Bird, the women’s national team managing director, announced the roster in a TODAY appearance before USA Basketball published the full squad. Kara Lawson will coach the team in Germany, assisted by Natalie Nakase, Nate Tibbetts and Stephanie White. ### Which 12 players made the team? The roster announced Aug. 6 includes Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Rhyne Howard, Kelsey Plum, Angel Reese, Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young, USA Basketball said. Wilson, Stewart, Collier, Copper, Gray, Plum and Young all return from the U.S. team that won Olympic gold in Paris in 2024, according to TODAY and NBC Sports. (usab.com) USA Basketball said the group combines 14 Olympic gold medals and nine World Cup gold medals. The federation said Stewart and Wilson have combined for six WNBA MVP awards, while the 12 players have a combined 58 WNBA All-Star selections and 16 WNBA championships. ### Who is making a World Cup debut? (usab.com) Seven players will be appearing in the Women’s World Cup for the first time: Boston, Bueckers, Clark, Collier, Howard, Reese and Young, USA Basketball said. The federation also said Boston, Bueckers, Clark and Reese will be making their first USA appearances at a major international competition, defined as the World Cup or Olympic Games. (usab.com) Bird said the roster was built with both established veterans and younger players in mind. “It’s got experience — internationally, WNBA, you name it. It also has youth,” Bird said on TODAY. “You need both those energies.” ### What did Bird say about the selection? Sue Bird said the 12 players had “earned the opportunity to compete in Berlin,” according to USA Basketball. (usab.com) She said wearing a USA jersey “is a privilege” and that the team would pursue “another gold medal.” Bird also acknowledged that omissions would draw attention. “You always expect a little bit of it, right?” Bird said on TODAY, adding that the depth of the player pool meant “you could probably put another roster of 12 in this World Cup, and they would be just as competitive.” (today.com) ### What does the veteran core look like? (usab.com) A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Kahleah Copper return from the team that won the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup, USA Basketball said. Wilson was the MVP of that tournament after averaging 17.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, the federation said. (today.com) NBC Sports reported that Brittney Griner and Sabrina Ionescu were not on the roster after appearing in recent major U.S. teams. NBC also said Bird, who became women’s national team managing director in May 2025, selected the players for her first major-tournament roster in that role. (usab.com) ### When and where does Team USA start play? FIBA lists the 2026 Women’s World Cup in Berlin from Sept. 4-13, with the United States in Group D. FIBA’s team page says the Americans open group play against China on Friday, Sept. 4, in a rematch of the 2022 final. CBS Sports reported that the WNBA will pause from Aug. 31 through Sept. 16 to allow players to participate in the tournament. (nbcsports.com) USA Basketball said the U.S. is seeking its 12th overall Women’s World Cup title in Berlin next month. (cbssports.com) (fiba.basketball)