FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Sept 4-13

FIBA’s Women’s Basketball World Cup opens in Berlin on Friday, Sept. 4, with 16 national teams scheduled to play through Sept. 13, according to FIBA’s event page. The governing body’s official tournament site lists opening-day group games across four pools and says the competition will be staged in Berlin, Germany. USA Basketball, which announced its roster on Aug. 6, is among the teams arriving for the event after final preparations ahead of the opener. The tournament is the 2026 edition of FIBA’s top women’s national-team event and will bring together 16 teams in a four-group format, according to FIBA. FIBA’s teams page and tournament explainer list the qualified field and note that play runs from Sept. 4 through Sept. 13. ### Which dates and format matter most once play starts? (fiba.basketball) Sept. 4 is the start of group play, and Sept. 13 is the date of the final, according to FIBA’s official event site. The schedule page shows four groups of four teams, with the top three teams in each group advancing to the knockout stage. Berlin is the host city for the entire event, FIBA says, and the federation has published an event guide and ticketing information for fans attending in person. (fiba.basketball) FIBA’s ticket page says spectators can buy general and VIP packages for games running from Sept. 4-13. ### Where does the United States fit into the bracket? (fiba.basketball) USA Basketball said on April 21 that the United States was drawn into Group D with China, Czechia and Italy. The same USA Basketball release said the top three teams from each group move on to the knockout rounds. FIBA’s live event page lists the United States opening against China on Sept. 4, then facing Italy on Sept. 6 and Czechia on Sept. 7. (fiba.basketball) Those listings match the Group D schedule shown on the tournament site. ### Who is on the U.S. roster heading to Berlin? USA Basketball announced its 12-player women’s national team on Aug. 6 and said the group will compete in Berlin from Sept. 4-13. (usab.com) The federation said the roster includes five World Cup gold medalists and seven players making their World Cup debuts. Sue Bird, serving as USA Basketball Women’s National Team managing director, oversaw the roster selection for her first major international competition in that role, USA Basketball said in a separate Aug. 11 feature. (fiba.basketball) USA Basketball said the team’s 12 players combine for 14 Olympic gold medals, nine World Cup titles, 58 WNBA All-Star appearances and 16 WNBA championships. (usab.com) ### Which other teams are in the field? FIBA’s tournament pages list a 16-team field that includes the United States, China, Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain and Japan, along with Czechia, Hungary, Italy, South Korea, Mali, Nigeria, Puerto Rico and Turkey. FIBA published the confirmed lineup after qualifying and later posted the final group draw for Berlin. (usab.com) FIBA has also maintained a roster tracker ahead of the event, saying it is monitoring squad announcements as teams finalize lineups for Berlin. That tracker was published as part of the federation’s pre-tournament coverage. ### What should readers watch for next? (fiba.basketball) Friday, Sept. 4, is the next fixed milestone, with FIBA’s schedule listing eight opening-day group games in Berlin, including United States-China in Group D. FIBA’s event page, teams page and ticket portal carry the latest official schedule and tournament information as the competition begins. (fiba.basketball 1) (fiba.basketball 2)