The US is gunning for gold, as the reigning champion tips off the 2026 FIBA World Cup tomorrow hunting a fifth straight title behind nine tournament debutants.

First-timers Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers headline the group, with USA Basketball entering as the favorite despite losing vets A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum to health concerns.

The expanded 16-team format cuts the preliminary round down to three games, with the US drawn into Group D alongside China, Italy, and Czechia.

Team USA could face its toughest FIBA test yet, with more than 25 global WNBA stars suiting up for their countries this month.

France and host nation Germany loom as major threats, with China, Belgium, Australia, and Spain primed to play dark horse.

“The depth of these rosters is really strong, which is exciting,” said US coach Kara Lawson. “It should be hard to win — it’s a World Cup.”

The FIBA World Cup tips off tomorrow with Japan vs Mali at 5:30 AM ET, before the US takes on China at 8:15 AM ET (TNT).

FIBA Women's World Cup Coach Kara Lawson will lead USA Basketball into Berlin this weekend as the 2026 FIBA Basketball World Cup tips off September 4th. But she's far from the only familiar face on the sidelines.

FIBA Basketball World Cup 2026 Coaching Staffs Tap WNBA Talent

FIBA confirmed the full slate of FIBA Women's World Cup coaches across all 16 qualifying nations, and the list reads like a who's who of top WNBA leaders.

Lawson guided Duke to back-to-back ACC titles and an Elite Eight appearance last season. She earned the top job after serving as an assistant during Team USA's gold-medal run at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Her staff includes Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White, the Golden State Valkyries' Natalie Nakase, and the Phoenix Mercury's Nate Tibbetts.

However, the US bench isn't the only one stacked with proven winners.

Sandy Brondello, Mike Thibault Among International Lineup

Australia nabbed Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello, who led the Opals to bronze at the 2024 Olympics. Meanwhile, Belgium turned to three-time WNBA Coach of the Year Mike Thibault. Japan also tapped the league, hiring former Mercury championship coach Corey Gaines.

With that much combined experience on the sidelines, the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2026 in Berlin promises to deliver one of the deepest coaching fields the international tournament has ever seen.

In the 44-year history of the NCAA women's basketball tournament, only three No. 3 seeds have won a national title — with the rest of the March Madness champions representing No. 1 or No. 2 seeds.

This year's crop of third-seeded challengers is aiming to break the mold even further by adding their names to that elite list.

No. 3-seeds Duke, Louisville, TCU, and Ohio State all earned first-round hosting duties following strong conference tournament runs, and each team now looks to turn their late-season momentum into deep March Madness campaigns.

"We don't get to control the length of our adversity…. You get to control who you are in it," Duke head coach Kara Lawson said ahead of her team's 2026 ACC tournament win.

Mirroring NCAA women's basketball history's trio of No. 3 champions — UNC (1994), Tennessee (1997), and LSU (2023) — this year's batch has its own dangerous qualities.

Duke showcases a strong commitment to defense and Louisville has honed their ability to stretch the floor while TCU and Ohio State have exhibited stellar guard play from the point of attack all season long.

How to Watch the NCAA's No. 3 seeds in Women's March Madness

Duke tips off the first round of the 2025/26 NCAA women's basketball tournament against No. 14 Charleston at 11:30 AM ET on Friday, airing live on ESPN2, with TCU taking on No. 14 UC San Diego 30 minutes later on ESPN.

No. 3-seeds Ohio State and Louisville will similarly kick off Saturday's first-round slate, as the Buckeyes take on No. 14 Howard at 11:30 AM ET on ESPN2 before the Cardinals face No. 14 Vermont at 12 PM ET on ESPN.

Duke captured its second consecutive ACC tournament championship with Sunday's 70-65 overtime victory over Louisville. The No. 13 Blue Devils overcame a late deficit to defeat the No. 12 Cardinals in the first overtime title game in 17 years.

Duke's Taina Mair earned tournament MVP honors with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Delaney Thomas put up 19 points of her own. Riley Nelson finished with 12 points plus the game-winner.

Louisville led 60-58 with seconds remaining in regulation, before Thomas converted a layup with four seconds left to tie the game at 60. Mair then blocked a Louisville shot at the buzzer to force the game into overtime.

Duke seized control in the extra period, as Thomas gave the Blue Devils the lead for good with another layup. Nelson then buried a corner 3-pointer with six seconds remaining to seal the victory. The shot came as the shot clock expired.

Imari Berry led Louisville with 18 points, while Mackenly Randolph recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds over 45 minutes of playing time.

Duke finished the season 24-8 overall and 16-2 in conference play. The Blue Devils started the season 3-6 before turning things around under coach Kara Lawson, going on to win 21 of their final 23 games heading into Selection Sunday on March 15th.

Ending on a 27-7 over all record, Louisville now awaits its NCAA Tournament seeding.

The 2026 ACC Tournament also named its all-tournament first team, with Mair, Nelson, Berry, Randolph, and Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo making the cut. Duke's Toby Fournier, Delaney Thomas, and Ashlon Jackson earned second-team honors alongside Louisville's Laura Ziegler and Syracuse's Uche Izoje.

Duke is racing up the NCAA women's basketball Top 25, rising six spots to No. 11 in Monday's AP Poll after extending their winning streak to 15 games.

Buoyed by Thursday's upset win over No. 9 Louisville, the Blue Devils also claimed the ACC's top spot last week, climbing the conference standings after flipping the script on what was a concerning 3-6 season start.

"Now we're just locked in on getting better," Duke head coach Kara Lawson said, after the Blue Devils turned their early-season struggles into one of the NCAA's hottest runs. "In my experience, when you do that consistently, you get consistent results."

Elsewhere in Monday's AP Poll, UConn remained the unanimous No. 1, tallying all 31 first-place votes after a week that saw the Huskies defeat DePaul by 46 points and Butler by 32. 

UConn has now won 20 straight games by at least 25 points — the longest 25-point margin-of-victory streak by any Division I team in more than 25 years.

No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 South Carolina, and No. 4 Texas also held steady behind the Huskies, with the Bruins remaining undefeated in Big Ten play after eking out a narrow win over No. 7 Michigan on Sunday.

On the other hand, No. 15 Iowa experienced the poll's biggest stumble, dropping five spots after suffering a three-game losing streak.

How to watch Duke basketball in action

The No. 11 Blue Devils will next face in-state rival No. 21 UNC, with the Tar Heels visiting Durham at 1 PM ET on Sunday, airing live on ABC.

2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 14

1. UConn (25-0, Big East)
2. UCLA (23-1, Big Ten)
3. South Carolina (24-2, SEC)
4. Texas (23-2, SEC)
5. Vanderbilt (23-2, SEC)
6. LSU (22-3, SEC)
7. Michigan (20-4, Big Ten)
8. Ohio State (22-3, Big Ten)
9. Louisville (22-4, ACC)
10. Oklahoma (17-6, SEC)
11. Duke (18-6, ACC)
12. Baylor (21-4, Big 12)
13. Michigan State (20-4, Big Ten)
14. Ole Miss (19-5, SEC)
15. Iowa (18-5, Big Ten)
16. Texas Tech (22-3, Big 12)
17. TCU (21-4, Big 12)
18. Kentucky (18-7, SEC)
19. West Virginia (20-5, Big 12)
20. Maryland (19-6, Big Ten)
21. North Carolina (20-5, ACC)
22. Tennessee (15-6, SEC)
23. Alabama (20-5, SEC)
24. Princeton (19-2, Ivy)
25. Washington (18-6, Big Ten)

The ACC women's basketball title race is heating up, as No. 17 Duke earned a one-game conference lead by upsetting No. 6 Louisville 59-58 on Thursday night.

The Blue Devils' defense clinched the win while Duke sophomore forward Toby Fournier led all scorers with 15 points and nine rebounds on the night — with a missed free throw from Louisville sophomore guard Imari Berry sealing the deal in the game's final seconds.

"They were physical and we shied away a little bit from it instead of just going into them and drawing fouls," Cardinal senior forward Laura Ziegler said postgame.

After a slow season start, Duke has blazed through the ACC, with the Blue Devils now riding a 14-game winning streak to an undefeated conference record.

As for the Cardinals, Thursday's loss broke Louisville's own 14-game winning streak just days after the team reached their highest AP Poll ranking in four years.

That said, Louisville has an arguably lighter slate across their final six regular-season games than the Blue Devils, with the Cards fiercest foe coming from their Sunday clash with ACC third-place team Syracuse.

Meanwhile, Duke's final docket includes intrastate foe and fourth-place ACC squad NC State, as well as a pair of games against rival No. 25 UNC — though the Blue Devils are banking on ending on an upswing.

"Our goal has always been to be the team that grows the most during the season," said Duke head coach Kara Lawson. "And if each individual buys into that and the team buys into that, we will like where we are at the end of the year."

How to watch Duke and Louisville in ACC basketball action this weekend

Both Louisville and Duke will continue their ACC schedules on Sunday, with the No. 6 Cardinals taking on Syracuse at 12 PM ET before the No. 17 Blue Devils host SMU at 2 PM ET.

Both conference clashes will air live on The CW.

Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark is back in action, joining her fellow WNBA standouts at last weekend's USA Basketball training camp at Duke University in North Carolina.

Sidelined since July 15th with a groin strain, Clark told assembled media that she's feeling "100% healthy" as she tackles her first senior national team camp.

"I've been working out and playing pickup and stuff like that, but to be in an environment like this, it's really fun," she said. "Obviously, [I] need to knock off a little bit of rust and get my lungs back, but my body feels really good."

"I was a little nervous, not because anything [health-wise], but just because I haven't been out here in a while, so certainly fun to lace them up and be in a competitive practice," the 23-year-old added.

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One of several uncapped hopefuls called up to the 18-athlete December camp, Clark looked to impress Team USA head coach Kara Lawson as she starts honing the player pool for next September's 2026 FIBA World Cup.

Notably, "the way [Clark] stayed engaged" throughout her recovery impressed new USA Basketball managing director Sue Bird.

"I think that really shows her maturity," noted the five-time Olympic gold medalist.

The early 2025/26 NCAA basketball season will heat up over the long holiday weekend, with No. 2 South Carolina, No. 3 Texas, No. 4 UCLA, and Duke tipping off the high-stakes action in the 2025 Players Era Championship in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

The non-conference mini tournament will see the Longhorns take on the Bruins in the season's first Top-5 matchup, with the Gamecocks playing the Blue Devils in Wednesday's second semifinal.

The four teams will then rotate opponents on Thursday evening, when Wednesday's two winners battle for the championship prior to a second tilt to determine the third-place team — a switch that guarantees a Top-5 matchup for the Gamecocks before the week is over.

While there were hopes that preseason-No. 7 Duke would also be in the Top 10 this week, upset losses to No. 15 Baylor, No. 21 West Virginia, and unranked South Florida have seen the Blue Devils fall out of the AP Top 25 entirely.

"We just need to be more consistent," said Duke head coach Kara Lawson. "It's supposed to be hard, and our schedule is unrelenting…. You have to handle it, and you have to take your licks, and you have to keep fighting."

How to watch the 2025 Players Era Championship this week

The four NCAA titans will take the 2025 Players Era Championship court on Wednesday, with No. 3 Texas facing No. 4 UCLA at 2 PM ET before Duke takes on No. 2 South Carolina at 4:30 PM ET.

Thursday's title game will tip off at 8 PM ET, followed by the third-place matchup at 10:30 PM ET.

All tilts will air live on truTV and HBO Max.

USA Basketball dropped its 18-player December roster on Monday, selecting both standout vets and fresh faces for the national team's final training camp of 2025.

Taking place at Duke University from December 12th until the 14th, five 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalists — Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young — will anchor the Team USA lineup.

Notably, a full 10 players will join the senior team for the first time next month, as young WNBA superstars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and Cameron Brink earn their first call-ups.

A pair of NCAA stars will also attend the December camp, with the national governing body tapping both UCLA senior center Lauren Betts and USC junior guard JuJu Watkins on the roster — though Watkins will not participate in on-court activities as she continues to rehab an ACL tear.

Along with the full camp roster, USA Basketball also dropped its December sideline leaders, with current WNBA head coaches Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix Mercury), Natalie Nakase (Golden State Valkyries), and Stephanie White (Indiana Fever) comprising the assistant coaching staff for the previously announced senior national team head coach Kara Lawson.

December's camp is the team's first step toward the World Cup qualifiers in March, when the US will compete despite having already qualified for the 2026 FIBA World Cup by winning the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup in July.

Overall, the clock starts now for USA women's basketball managing director Sue Bird, who is in charge of cultivating the best team for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

The USA Basketball December Training Camp Roster

NCAA basketball is officially back in action, and the reigning champion No. 1 UConn Huskies will tip off their 2025/26 season against the No. 20 Louisville Cardinals in the recently relocated Armed Forces Classic on Tuesday afternoon.

The clash will make history as the first-ever women's edition of college basketball's military-site showdown, as UConn opens their season against a ranked opponent for the first time since 2017.

"It's going to be a lot of learning with five new players," Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma said earlier this week. "There's a lot of exciting things that are ahead of us… and I want to help them overcome some of those challenges we're going to have."

Despite losing 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick Paige Bueckers to the WNBA last April, the Huskies enter the season with a healthy roster and more depth than recent years, centering the team around returning starters like top-ranked sophomore forward Sarah Strong and grad student guard Azzi Fudd.

"I have to learn how to sub again," Auriemma joked about having a complete bench to draw from. "We've had three or four years in a row there where there's nobody to sub."

Staying atop the NCAA rankings won't be easy, however — a lesson the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils learned after suffering the 2025/26 NCAA season's first top-ranked upset to the No. 16 Baylor Bears on Monday.

"I think you can learn a lot from the first game of the season, especially when you're playing a good team, because they expose a lot of things about you on both ends," said Duke head coach Kara Lawson about the 58-52 loss.

How to watch UConn vs. Louisville in the Armed Forces Classic

The No. 1 UConn Huskies will tip off the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season by taking on the No. 20 Louisville Cardinals at the US Naval Academy at 5:30 PM ET on Tuesday.

The clash will air live on ESPN.