USA Basketball drops 12-player roster for upcoming FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup

The GIST: USA Basketball managing director Sue Bird dropped the red, white, and blue’s 12-player FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup (WWC) roster yesterday — and it’s 100% stacked. Here’s more on the tourney before it tips off in Berlin next month, plus the WNBA superstars who’ll be repping the stars and stripes.

🏆 The tournament: Just like its soccer counterpart, the FIBA WWC is held every four years. The 2026 edition will run from September 4th to 13th in Berlin while the WNBA is on international break. Team USA has won 11 of the 19 WWCs contested and is seeking its sixth consecutive gold medal.

• Unfortunately, Team Canada won’t be in action after they failed to qualify for the WWC in March. Thankfully, there’ll likely be some familiar Toronto Tempo faces to cheer for, including head coach Sandy Brondello who’ll helm Australia.

💪 The Team USA roster: A star-studded mix of vets and first-timers, Team USA boasts four-time W MVP A’ja Wilson, two-time MVP Breanna Stewart, and defensive legend Napheesa Collier, along with WWC newbies like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese.

• As for the snubs, fans were surprised to see hoopers like FIBA 3x3 gold medalist Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever), Olympic gold medalist and 2022 WWC player Sabrina Ionescu (NY Liberty), and rookie WNBA MVP contender Olivia Miles (Minnesota Lynx) left off the roster.

📅 Mark your calendar: The U.S. will face China (September 4th), Italy (September 6th), and Czechia (September 7th) in the group stage. Yes, they’re loaded with talent, but their gold medal pursuit won’t be without challenges. Other squads are only getting more competitive, including France, who gave Team USA a tough time at the 2024 Olympics. No pressure, no diamonds.