Team USA tips off in Puerto Rico on Wednesday, with several big-name rookies expected to make their senior basketball team debuts in the week-long 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament.
USA Basketball debutants Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, and Kiki Iriafen — as well as recent roster additions Monique Billings and Rae Burrell — could see their first senior team minutes in Wednesday's matchup against Senegal, as the squad continues to hone its player pool in the lead-up to the 2028 LA Olympics.
"The international game is obviously very challenging, and this is my first time on a senior national team," Clark said this week. "So, no better way than just getting tossed into the fire."
Four regional World Cup Qualifying Tournaments are running concurrently this week, with each competition utilizing a round-robin format where teams amass points to determine the winner.
For head coach Kara Lawson's Team USA, the games are merely additional international experience, as the nation already qualified for the this year's World Cup by winning the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup last July.
The US will enter the 2026 World Cup as four-time reigning champions, with this week's qualifiers serving as an extended audition for September's USA Basketball roster.
How to watch Team USA at the 2026 FIBA World Cup qualifiers
The US will kick off the week-long 2026 FIBA World Cup qualifiers by taking on Senegal at 4:45 PM ET on Wednesday, with matchups against Puerto Rico, Italy, New Zealand, and Spain also on their tournament docket.
Wednesday's game will air live on truTV.
