A'ja Wilson sat out the 2026 FIBA World Cup earlier this month, missing the chance to win gold with her USA Basketball teammates in Berlin. Now, Wilson and Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon are defending that decision.
Wilson pulled her name from the roster on August 31st after battling back and right leg injuries through the summer.
"I mean it was a major decision," she told reporters from team practice in Las Vegas. "I don’t even think it was necessarily getting ready for the postseason, it was just taking care of my body, and what I need to do."
A'ja Wilson tells reporters that she did not participate in the FIBA World Cup because she did not feel 100% physically.
— ESPN 1100/100.9 FM (@ESPNLasVegas) September 15, 2026
Wilson said it had less to do with prioritizing the #Aces playoff run and more to do with her own health, a decision HC Becky Hammon supported fully.… pic.twitter.com/4qKQSFxQmY
Critics Raise Question as A'ja Wilson Skips 2026 FIBA World Cup
The four-time WNBA MVP showed up on the Aces' injury list twice the week before this year's international tournament. Yet former ESPN host Linda Cohn questioned whether "insecurity" motivated the decision to skip out.
"Is there any part of A'ja that didn't want to spend the next couple of weeks watching the World Cup become the Caitlin Clark show?" she asked on The Linda Cohn Show.
Bernice King, Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter, responded sharply to Cohn's suggestion, demanding a public apology on Wilson's behalf.
"What disappointing, delusional, and dangerous commentary targeting a great ambassador and GOAT athlete," King wrote.
Las Vegas Aces Coach Becky Hammon Defends Star Center
Though Wilson hasn't responded to Cohn's comments, Hammon is echoing King's statement. The decorated coach pointed out that male NBA stars like LeBron James and Steph Curry consistently pass on the World Cup without drawing the same questions.
"A'ja has every right to do what she feels is best health wise," she said. "If this was a man making this decision, there would be nothing to say. And that's my problem."
The Las Vegas Aces are now preparing for the 2026 playoffs, sitting third in the WNBA standings with just two regular-season weeks left to play.
Caitlin Clark shared a clear message after the US won gold at the 2026 FIBA World Cup: She won't entertain derisive comments about her friendship with USA Basketball teammate Angel Reese.
The response came moments after the United States beat France in Sunday's final, as a reporter asked Clark if she and Reese were friends now — insinuating a past rivalry.
"We've always been friends. Don't try to do that. Don't try to do that," Clark said, shaking her finger. She subsequently returned after her media session, and again warned the reporter not to "do that" on her way out.
USA Basketball Rallies Past France to Win FIBA Gold
France jumped ahead early and led 20-17 in the first quarter. From there, USA Basketball took over, outscoring France 80-59 the rest of the way.
Clark and Reese both fueled the comeback. In the closing seconds of the first half, Reese forced a key turnover. Clark answered on the next possession with a 3-pointer that cut France's lead to two.
Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Build Chemistry at 2026 World Cup
Angel Reese cheered Caitlin Clark all tournament, while the two flashed a growing connection in Berlin. And that chemistry might have prompted the reporter's postgame comments — even if Clark waved it off.
Picking up a fifth consecutive FIBA gold medal caps a strong run for the United States, delivered by two players often framed as rivals since their college days.
The FIBA Women's World Cup 2026 wrapped in Berlin while setting a new attendance benchmark for women's basketball. More than 236,000 fans filled the Berlin Arena across 36 games from September 4-13.
FIBA Women's World Cup Attendance Marks New Milestone
That tally eclipsed the previous FIBA Women's World Cup attendance record of 145,519 set by Sydney in 2022. That jump came despite a shorter schedule and an arena capped at roughly 12,650 seats.
Play on the floor gave fans plenty of reason to show up.
Host nation Germany brought the Berlin Arena to its feet with a quarterfinal upset of Belgium, 93-74, punching through to their first-ever World Cup semifinal. France rode Gabby Williams's two-way dominance past China and then Germany to reach the gold-medal game.
USA Basketball Takes Home 5th Straight Title
And USA basketball overcame a 14-point first-half deficit in the final to beat France 97-79 and claim a fifth consecutive title. Breanna Stewart led the comeback, earning her second career MVP award as the team pushed its World Cup winning streak to 36 consecutive games.
Near-capacity crowds filled seats for it all, not just medal rounds. The tournament averaged 6,556 per contest across the 10-day stretch. That kind of sustained turnout is a clear sign of where the global appetite for women's basketball is heading.
Breanna Stewart made FIBA Women's World Cup history in Berlin on Sunday, taking home her second 2026 Tissot MVP award after powering USA Basketball its fifth straight gold medal.
No other player has won the international basketball tournament's top individual nod twice.
Breanna Stewart Grabs 2nd FIBA Women's World Cup MVP Title
Stewart's first nod came back in 2018 in Tenerife, but she posted even bigger stats this time around. The veteran forward shot 55.3% from the floor across FIBA World Cup 2026 play, averaging 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists a game before saving her strongest performance for the final.
Down 14 to France in Sunday's gold-medal matchup, Stewart took over for the US side. She poured in 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to fuel a rally that turned a blowout into a 97-79 rout. Jackie Young backed the effort with six rebounds, five assists, and 18 points of her own as USA Basketball pulled away.
That win secured Team USA's 12th FIBA Women's World Cup title, and fifth straight. With her fourth title, Stewart matches legend Sue Bird for the most World Cup golds by any US player.
Even so, she kept the focus on the team. "We're the standard," Stewart said. "We always have been. It's always about us."
Gabby Williams closed out the FIBA Women's World Cup 2026 by winning the Best Defensive Player award. The nod marks her second defensive award in a row after the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Gabby Williams Dominates on Defense During FIBA World Cup 2026
The French guard averaged 2.8 steals per game across six contests against top teams in Berlin. Despite routinely shadowing the opposing team's best scorer, Williams still posted 18.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.
That two-way production also earned her a spot on the FIBA Women's World Cup awards All-Star Five.
Williams stayed disruptive on both ends of the court throughout the knockout rounds. Her ball pressure forced turnovers, and her quickness closed passing lanes as France swept group play. Though her side eventually fell to the US 97-79 in Sunday's gold medal game, Williams made life difficult for the team's backcourt.
Williams Builds Best Defensive Player Reputation in WNBA
The 30-year-old Golden State Valkyries forward has built a similar reputation in the WNBA.
She led the league in steals in 2025 while subsequently earning All-Defensive First Team honors that season. With back-to-back international defensive awards now in hand, the former UConn women's basketball standout will look to repeat as the WNBA picks back up following FIBA World Cup play.
USA Basketball has done it again, overcoming a 14-point deficit to take down France 97-79 on Sunday and win a fifth straight FIBA Women’s World Cup title.
Veteran forward Breanna Stewart earned 2026 World Cup MVP after notching a 22-point, 10-assist double-double against Les Bleus. She becomes the tournament’s first-ever two-time MVP.
“I pride myself on being consistent, and that’s showing up when it’s the big moments and the small moments and all the moments in between,“ Stewart said.
A commanding performance against the 2024 Olympic silver medalist cemented Team USA’s global dominance — despite some close calls.
The event also set the stage for the 2028 LA Olympics, with young stars Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers gaining key experience.
“After we had that close game with Italy, [Stewart] was somebody that was really vocal in the locker room about, ‘Don’t be flustered by this. This is normal,’” Clark said. “It’s not always going to be pretty.”
Players now return to the WNBA, tipping off the final week of the 2026 regular season this Thursday.
Seattle Storm center Ezi Magbegor suffered a torn ACL in her right knee during Australia's FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup quarterfinal qualifying win over Italy on Wednesday. The injury ended both her tournament run and her 2026 WNBA season.
Details Behind the Ezi Magbegor Injury
The contact occured in the first quarter after Magbegor planted her right leg during a play against Italian defender Lorela Cubaj. She collapsed immediately and had to be helped off the court. Still, Australia held on for the win despite nearly blowing a 26-point lead.
Before the injury, Magbegor had been one of the best players at the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, averaging 15.6 points on 60.5% shooting and 42.9% from three across Australia's first three games as team captain.
The incident adds yet another roadblock to Magbegor's on-court journey.
She already missed the first seven weeks of the Storm's WNBA season with a foot injury, then broke a bone in her face just three weeks after her 2026 debut. Across 14 games, she averaged 6.9 points and four rebounds — her lowest marks since her second year in the league.
A typical ACL recovery takes nine to 12 months, meaning she could also miss the start of the 2027 WNBA season.
Paige Bueckers came to Berlin as a scorer. Now she's making a case on the other end of the floor.
FIBA named the Dallas Wings guard to its Best Defensive Player shortlist at the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. That nod might've caught WNBA fans familiar with Bueckers's basket-making abilities... a bit off-guard.
Paige Bueckers Puts on Defensive Masterclass at 2026 FIBA World Cup
Through four games, Bueckers is averaging 1.0 blocks and 1.3 steals per contest, numbers that top her WNBA career averages of 0.4 and 1.2, respectively.
FIBA even coined a nickname for the second-year pro: "Paige Blockers." Beyond the defensive numbers, she's chipping in 9.5 points and 3.5 assists for a US squad that cruised through group play earlier this week.
Still, she'll have plenty of competition for the FIBA Best Defensive Player honors.
France's Gabby Williams is posting 2.5 steals per game, while Japan's Ramu Tokashiki paces the tournament in blocks at 2.3. Meanwhile, Puerto Rico's Trinity San Antonio is averaging at 5.0 steals per game.
Where to Watch Team USA's FIBA World Cup Semifinal
Team USA, meanwhile, topped Hungary 108-56 in Thursday's quarterfinal and now faces Spain in Saturday's semifinal at 2 PM ET on HBO Max.
The meeting will likely give Bueckers more room to build her numbers on both ends of the court. A win there puts the US one step closer to a fifth consecutive FIBA World Cup title.
Team USA has gold in its sights, as the 2026 FIBA World Cup wraps up play this weekend with the semifinal and final rounds.
Hot off yesterday’s dominant 108-56 quarterfinal win, the US advances to face Spain. La Roja arrives off a similarly strong 89-66 victory over Australia.
France and Germany square off in Saturday’s other quarterfinal clash. Germany upset reigning EuroBasket champion Belgium to reach its first-ever World Cup semifinal.
Team USA remains on a collision course with France, with a rematch of the 2024 Olympics’ tightly contested gold medal game on the horizon should both heavyweights win tomorrow.
To keep its five-peat quest alive, the US will likely lean on veteran scoring leaders while looking to its young stars for a spark.
“We talked about just getting better with each game,” World Cup debutant Rhyne Howard said after Thursday’s win. “If we continue to play like that and continue to keep everybody on the same page, continue to move the ball, it’s going to be really hard to stop us.”
The US takes on Spain tomorrow at 2 PM ET (TNT).
Germany's women's national basketball team is headed to the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup semifinals for the first time after dismantling Belgium 93-74 in Thursday's quarterfinal. That win was powered, in part, by a deafening Berlin crowd fueling the home team from the 2026 FIBA World Cup's opening tip.
Germany Women's National Basketball Team Dispatches Belgium in Quarterfinals
The German players matched that energy on the floor. Nyara Sabally posted 16 points and 12 rebounds while New York Liberty star Leonie Fiebich added 17. Alexandra Wilke chipped in 10 points off the bench to seal the win.
"Everyone stepped up today and we did it from the first second to the very last," Wilke said.
Belgium didn't lack firepower, as Emma Meesseman poured in a game-high 29 points paired with eight rebounds. But three Germans in double-digit scoring wore down a squad that had swept group play without a loss.
The win marks a sharp 2026 FIBA World Cup turnaround for Germany women's basketball. The squad opened with a brutal 30-point loss to Spain in group play before stringing together four straight victories to reach the final four.
On Saturday, Germany faces 2024 Olympic silver medalist France for a ticket to the championship game.