After helping the Las Vegas Aces to their first WNBA title, A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum are continuing their domination, this time on a global scale.

Team USA set a scoring record Monday at the FIBA World Cup, beating South Korea 145-69 and breaking the previous FIBA record of 143 points set by Brazil in 1990. Next up, the squad faces Serbia at 10 p.m. ET Wednesday to start the knockout round.

Eight of the squad’s 12 players are averaging double figures during the World Cup, and
Wilson and Plum are at the top of the list.

Through the group phase, Wilson is averaging 18 points per game, while Plum is averaging 15.7. Aces teammate and WNBA Finals MVP Chelsea Gray sits at sixth on the list with 11.0, while Brionna Jones of the Sun (15.3), Breanna Stewart of the Storm (14.8) and Shakira Austin of the Mystics (13.5) round out Team USA’s top scorers.

The WNBA MVP arrived just 18 hours before her team took on China – Team USA’s third game of the group stage – but contributed 20 points despite not knowing any of the offensive schemes.

“I don’t know how I’m doing it,” Wilson told reporters Saturday. “You just put things aside. … It’s like riding a bike. I am exhausted, I’m not going to lie about it.”

She followed that performance with 20 points against South Korea, then 14 against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Plum scored 8 points against China, also her first game of the World Cup, but saw her numbers soar in the next two contests.

She scored 19 points against South Korea, then finished group play with a team-high 20 points against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Team USA went 5-0 in the group stage, defeating Belgium, Puerto Rico, China, South Korea and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The quarterfinal contest against Serbia will air at 10 p.m. ET Wednesday on ESPNU and ESPN+.

With a roster as stacked as the Sydney Opera House, the United States is arguably the team to beat at this year’s FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup – particularly after Monday’s record-breaking 145-69 win over South Korea.

But that roster depth makes it hard to crack coach Cheryl Reeve’s rotation. Just ask Sabrina Ionescu, as the 24-year-old New York Liberty star has not seen significant minutes in the tournament, in which Team USA has a perfect 4-0 record.

Ionescu checked in Monday for the first time since Las Vegas Aces stars A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum arrived fresh from their WNBA championship parade.

While Ionescu played 15 minutes in the team’s tournament opener against Belgium last Wednesday and 23 minutes against Puerto Rico last Thursday, she did not see the court Saturday against China.

During her 10 minutes of play in Monday’s dominant win against South Korea, Ionescu put up three points while adding four assists.

Following the game, Reeve noted the packed depth chart as one of the reasons why Ionescu hasn’t seen that many minutes so far in the tournament.

“We have 12 players that I’m trying to get minutes for. In terms of the depth chart, that’s where it’s at,” Reeve said. “And so for her, this is her first time she’s made the national team, first experiences, and just based on the body of work, you’ve got to have an 11 and 12, right?

“She’s handled it great and is helping her team get ready, and I thought she was really good in her minutes [vs. South Korea].”

No player on the team is averaging more than 24.5 minutes per game.

The team has also been more defensive-minded than in years past, averaging a tournament-best 13.3 steals per game even without WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Wilson fully integrated into the lineup

Against China, Team USA allowed just 63 points. China had entered that contest averaging 102.5 points.

Shakira Austin continues to add to her banner year. The 22-year-old put up a monster performance Friday to lead all scorers in the United States’ latest game at the FIBA World Cup.

Austin posted 19 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks off the bench in Team USA’s 106-42 win over Puerto Rico.

The Washington Mystics rookie was the only one from her class to be named to Team USA for this year’s World Cup after she averaged 8.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game during the WNBA’s regular season.

After being named to the All-SEC First Team during her final season at Ole Miss, Austin was drafted No. 3 overall. From there, the only direction has been up for Austin, who started 32 out of 36 games in her rookie season.

As a result of her success in the WNBA, Austin was named to the league’s All-Rookie Team.

And now, she’s doing the same thing she’s been doing all year down in Australia. With her performance Friday, Austin is currently averaging 11.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game through the first two games of her first-ever World Cup tournament.

Brittney Griner might not be with Team USA in Australia, but her presence – and absence – will still be felt by her teammates at the FIBA World Cup.

When jersey numbers were announced, USA Basketball revealed that no player on the team will wear Griner’s No. 15. Instead, they will use Nos. 4-14 as well as No. 16, which Brionna Jones will wear.

“The best way to honor her was to not give her number out,” USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley told the Associated Press. “I put it to our staff and they liked the idea. Our numbering system is very sacred to us and we’ve only used four to 15 in the history of our organization. Now we’re giving out 16 because we don’t want to give away Brittney’s 15 since she would have been here. It’s a small way to pay homage to her and that we’re thinking of her.”

One of the leading scorers for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics, Griner has been wrongfully detained in Russia since February. In August, she was sentenced to nine and a half years in a Russian penal colony on drug charges.

“No. 15 is [Brittney Griner’s]. That’s her number,” added Breanna Stewart. “And we’re waiting for her to get back to have it back.”

“To not have BG here, obviously, it’s an irreplaceable void,” Stewart continued. “We’re really just hoping that she’s going to be home as soon as possible, hoping that she’s doing as good as she can be under the circumstances, but knowing that she has such a big role in USA Basketball from how she dominates on the court and is a caring human being off the court.

“It’s tough because you have these moments where it’s like, ‘She should be here, she would be here’ and also at the same time, it’s bigger than basketball. Having her be home safe and healthy and back with her family is the No. 1 priority.”

The U.S. State Department is continuing to work to bring Griner home, with President Joe Biden meeting with Griner’s wife Cherelle last Friday.

“She really has [been a stalwart of USA Basketball] and that’s something our players have dealt with the entirety of the season,” coach Cheryl Reeve said of Griner. “It’s on their minds every day. It’s heavy. It’s really, really heavy, especially as we participate in this USA Basketball competition. She’s such a big part of many of our lives. And so it’s challenging.”

Australian national basketball team star Lauren Jackson tried to convince Sue Bird to make one last appearance at the FIBA World Cup, but she couldn’t lure her former Seattle Storm teammate to Sydney.

“I tried to get her to get here, I tried to get her to come,” Jackson said.

A three-time WNBA MVP for the Storm, Jackson, 41, came out of retirement earlier this year in her home country and is playing at her first World Cup since 2010.

Bird, also 41, retired from the WNBA after the Storm’s playoff exit in September. Her retirement brought a wave of fanfare, as many attribute the rise of women’s basketball to players like Bird, who won a record five Olympic gold medals with Team USA and four World Championship medals.

Jackson played with Bird in Seattle from 2002 to 2012, winning two WNBA championships. Jackson had her No. 15 retired by the Storm in 2015.

“Sue has just been instrumental. What is basketball without Sue Bird? I don’t know,” Jackson said. “I don’t know what it looks like. It’ll be interesting to see how Team USA goes without her at the head of things.”

This year will be Team USA’s first in more than two decades without either Bird or Diana Taurasi on the court. Sylvia Fowles and Tina Charles also will be absent, having either retired or moved on from Team USA.

In their places, players including Sabrina Ionescu and Kahleah Copper have earned their first major international nods. WNBA rookie Shakira Austin also has made the squad.

Still, for Jackson, who is one of the most seasoned players at the tournament, it will be weird to play without Bird.

“Sue has been great for me, talking me through stuff and working with me on stuff,” she said. “I wish she was here. But it’s her time to shine now and go and do whatever she wants with her life.”

Fresh off a WNBA title, a trio of Las Vegas Aces will head to Australia in hopes of winning the FIBA World Cup with Team USA.

The United States is seeking its fourth consecutive World Cup title, led by WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, Finals MVP Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum. Joining them is 2018 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart, who will be playing in her third consecutive World Cup.

Also on the 12-person roster are Ariel Atkins and Jewell Loyd. These six are the only players on the World Cup roster who were also present at the Tokyo Olympics last summer.

The roster features a number of newcomers, with Sabrina Ionescu and Kahleah Copper each making their national team debuts. Betnijah Laney, Brionna Jones, Alyssa Thomas and Shakira Austin are all making their World Cup debuts.

Austin is the youngest player on the roster at 22 years old and is the lone player of the three 2022 WNBA draftees to make the cut from camp.

South Carolina star Aliyah Boston, the NCAA player of the year, also participated in camp but did not make the roster.

“We have been eagerly anticipating the 2022 FIBA World Cup and welcome the opportunities and challenges this competition presents as we face the world’s best teams,” coach Cheryl Reeve said. “The U.S. roster features some of our game’s brightest stars and I’m excited to lead this team with the goal of winning a fourth consecutive World Cup for the USA. I want to express my gratitude to everyone who was part of our highly competitive training camp and hope to work with many of them again in the future.”

The tournament begins Wednesday, Sept. 21, in Sydney.

The FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup begins Wednesday, with the United States looking to win its fourth straight gold medal.

This marks Cheryl Reeve’s first tournament at the helm of the program since she took over from Dawn Staley last December. Team USA headlines Group A, which also includes Belgium, China, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Puerto Rico and South Korea.

On a 22-game winning streak at the World Cup, Team USA will put its signature depth on display again this tournament.

Veteran staples such as A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart will be joined by the likes of Sabrina Ionescu, Shakira Austin and Kahleah Copper. The addition of Austin comes after she, Aliyah Boston, Rhyne Howard and NaLyssa Smith all made waves in camp.

Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum will all make their way to Australia following the Las Vegas Aces’ championship celebrations, while Alyssa Thomas and Brionna Jones of the runner-up Connecticut Sun will also join the squad.

China or Belgium look set to fight for second place in Group A. Belgium, the fifth-ranked team in the world, is led by Emma Meesseman, who is fresh off a stellar season with the Chicago Sky.

Group B is stacked, with France, Serbia, Japan, Mali, Canada and Australia all fighting to advance to the knockout round. Japan, coming off an Olympic final last year, is the defending Asian champion, while Australia has home-court advantage on its side.

The Aussies also have the presence of veteran players such as Lauren Jackson, who is making her return to the world stage after returning from retirement earlier this year.

Mali is the lone underdog in this group, although the team does boast the talent of players such as Sika Kone.

Team USA preliminary round schedule

Note: All games listed in ET and broadcast on ESPN+.

  • Team USA vs. Belgium — Wednesday, Sept. 21, 9:30 p.m.
  • Team USA vs. Puerto Rico — Thursday, Sept. 22, 8:30 p.m.
  • Team USA vs. China — Saturday, Sept. 24, 12:30 a.m.
  • Team USA vs. South Korea — Monday, Sept. 26, 12 a.m.
  • Team USA vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina — Wednesday, Sept. 28, 12 a.m.

For the first time in 12 years, three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson will suit up for the Australian national women’s basketball team at a FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

The tournament, which will take place in Sydney beginning Sept. 22, marks her first appearance on that stage since 2010. Jackson retired from international basketball nine years ago, and in 2016 she retired from basketball altogether due to a knee injury.

From there, the four-time Olympic medalist moved into basketball administration for the WNBL’s Melbourne Boomers. She later joined Basketball Australia, helping to oversee the league and women’s hoops in the country.

She made her comeback to professional basketball in April, suiting up with Australia’s Albury Wodonga Bandits.

New York Liberty and Australia national team head coach Sandy Brondello made the announcement Tuesday, telling Jackson in a video call that was posted on social media. The two formerly played together on the national team.

“Congratulations, Lauren Jackson, you’re going to another World Cup,” Brondello said. “You should be incredibly proud, Lauren. And I am incredibly proud, because what you did to achieve this, it really is amazing. It shows a lot about you as a person and your hard work and dedication.

“It’s not your first one, but hopefully it’ll be a great one.”

Jackson, who was choked up and a bit speechless at the news, said that she “didn’t honestly know” if her body will hold up through the intense training regimen she undertook for her comeback.

“But it has and I’m feeling good,” she said.

Others named to the team include WNBA players Bec Allen and Sami Whitcomb (New York Liberty), Ezi Magbegor and Steph Talbot (Seattle Storm) and Kristy Wallace (Atlanta Dream).