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
- Lauren Betts (UCLA)
- Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever)
- Cameron Brink (LA Sparks)
- Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings)
- Veronica Burton (Golden State Valkyries)
- Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics)
- Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever)
- Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury)
- Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces)
- Brittney Griner (Atlanta Dream)
- Dearica Hamby (LA Sparks)
- Kiki Iriafen (Washington Mystics)
- Rickea Jackson (LA Sparks)
- Brionna Jones (Atlanta Dream)
- Kelsey Plum (LA Sparks)
- Angel Reese (Chicago Sky)
- JuJu Watkins (USC)
- Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces)
WNBA officiating is once again taking center stage, with multiple head coaches reportedly issued fines after criticizing referee conduct in the weekend's playoff action.
Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve earned an ejection and suspension for attempting to confront referees during the Lynx's Game 3 semifinals loss on Friday, with the WNBA later handing her a $15,000 fine for lambasting officials in her postgame interview.
"The officiating crew that we had tonight, for the leadership to deem those three people semifinals playoff worth is f—ing malpractice," Reeve told reporters last Friday.
Following Reeve's suspension, Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White and Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon voiced public support for Reeve and her concerns, with sources saying they each received a $1,000 fine for their comments.
"[Reeve] made a lot of valid points," White said on Sunday. "A lot of the same kind of conversations are happening. It's happening from every team, from every franchise, from every coach, from every player."
"From what I heard, she did not tell a lie," Hammon said of Reeve. "She said the truth. I think something has to change."
Officiating problems aren't new for the WNBA, but as the league's popularity explodes, refereeing disparities are now under an unprecedented spotlight.
"Every part of our league has gotten better, and that part has lagged behind, for whatever reason," White continued. "Oftentimes, it's infrastructure in terms of training, oftentimes, it's financial. And it's really investing in who we have as officials.... How do we keep them growing and getting better?"
The No. 6 Indiana Fever claimed the first series upset in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs on Thursday, ousting the No. 3 Atlanta Dream with an 87-85 Game 3 win to book the franchise's first trip to the semifinals since 2015.
Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell stole the show once again, scoring a game-high 24 points while Indiana finished off the come-from-behind victory on a 7-0 run.
"I can't put it in words," said Fever forward Natasha Howard postgame. "I'm just speechless right now, just how we fought through this whole game."
The win showcased Indiana's latent scrappiness, with the Fever forced to get crafty this year after multiple season-ending injuries coincided with midseason roster shakeups.
"This group is just really special," said Indiana head coach Stephanie White. "It's the resilience, the flexibility, the welcoming, inclusive nature of this team, their selflessness to pull for the 'we' over the 'me,' the ability to let each teammate be who they are and shine at their best and to lift them up."
"I give Indiana a lot of credit," Atlanta boss Karl Smesko added. "They fought all the way to the last seconds and, unfortunately, they were able to make the final play."
How to watch the Indiana Fever in the 2025 WNBA semifinals
Also punching their ticket on Thursday were the Fever's 2025 WNBA semifinals opponents, the Las Vegas Aces.
No. 6 Indiana will tip off their best-of-five semifinals series against No. 2 Las Vegas at 3 PM ET on Sunday, airing live on ABC.
The injury-riddled No. 6 Indiana Fever put on a show in their first home postseason game since 2016 on Tuesday night, handing the No. 3 Atlanta Dream a 77-60 defeat to force a deciding Game 3 in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs.
"This group has continued to show their heart and their character, night in and night out," said Fever head coach Stephanie White post-game.
Indiana guard Kelsey Mitchell led the charge once again, scoring a game-high 19 points to extend the Fever's playoff campaign.
The win marked Indiana's first postseason victory in nine years, as the Fever hopes to exceed expectations and make a deep playoff run despite carrying a lengthy injury report.
"Our backs were definitely against the wall in this, and we know that we've just been through so much this season," Fever center Aliyah Boston told reporters after Tuesday's victory. "Coming out with this win and then giving ourselves another chance in Game 3 — emotions are high."
How to watch the Indiana Fever vs. Atlanta Dream in Game 3
The No. 6 Indiana Fever will travel back to Atlanta to battle the No. 3 Dream in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs' first-round winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday.
The teams will tip off at 7:30 PM ET, with live coverage on ESPN2.
With their backs against the wall, the No. 6 Indiana Fever will face down both the No. 3 Atlanta Dream and potential elimination from the 2025 WNBA Playoffs when they host their first home postseason game in nearly a decade on Tuesday night.
"I think you give yourself an edge as the home team. When they punched us, they punched us hard," Indiana guard Kelsey Mitchell said after Sunday's 80-68 loss in Atlanta. "So we have to do the same thing."
"I would like to think that being back at home can kind of give us a sense of comfort, so hopefully we could use it for what it's worth and not take it for granted," she continued.
Mitchell will likely be the key to the Fever's survival, after an onslaught of season-ending injuries forced the three-time WNBA All-Star to step up as a scoring leader — with Mitchell dropping a postseason career-high 27 points in Sunday's Game 1.
"It's a lot of little things," said Indiana head coach Stephanie White following the weekend result. "I like where we are, I'm proud of our group for continuing to fight, and we're going to be better on Tuesday."
How to watch Atlanta vs. Indiana in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs
No. 6 Indiana will tip off against No. 3 Atlanta in Game 2 of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs at 7:30 PM ET on Tuesday, with live coverage airing on ESPN.
Just one ticket to the 2025 WNBA Playoffs remains, with the No. 7 Indiana Fever clinching their second straight postseason trip in a 94-65 win over the No. 10 Washington Mystics on Sunday.
Forward Natasha Howard led a balanced offensive effort for the Fever, with five players scoring in the double-digits to secure Indiana's first back-to-back playoff appearance since 2016.
"We never doubted ourselves," Indiana center Aliyah Boston said postgame. "We never doubted that we could be in the playoffs, even if things looked like it got harder."
With five Indiana players suffering season-ending injuries this year — including superstar Caitlin Clark — a season that was projected to finish in a deep playoff run seemed initially derailed as the team battled mounting adversity.
"With all the stuff that we've been through, most teams would have folded, and we just kept getting stronger," head coach Stephanie White said. "These women in the locker room deserve a lot of credit for their ability to stay resilient, to stay together, to stay hungry, and to stay the course."
As for the eighth and final spot in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs, both the No. 8 Seattle Storm and the No. 9 LA Sparks are still in the mix, with this week's WNBA slate set to determine a winner.
Seattle has the most control of their destiny, needing a win in their final game to book a postseason ticket, while the Sparks must walk away with victories in both of their final two games plus see the Storm falter in order to snag a playoff spot.
How to watch the deciding games in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs race
The No. 8 Seattle Storm will close out their 2025 regular season by hosting the No. 6 Golden State Valkyries at 10 PM ET on Tuesday, airing live on WNBA League Pass.
Meanwhile, the No. 9 LA Sparks must get past the No. 4 Mercury in Phoenix at 10 PM ET on Tuesday before hosting the league's final regular-season game on Thursday: a 10 PM ET showdown against the currently unbeatable No. 2 Las Vegas Aces.
Both of the Sparks' final two games will air live on NBA TV.
The No. 6 Indiana Fever are still in control of their playoff destiny, taking down the No. 8 Seattle Storm 95-75 behind star center Aliyah Boston's dominant 27-point performance on Tuesday night.
Also helping to offset Indiana's slate of high-profile injuries were guards Kelsey Mitchell and midseason hardship signee Odyssey Sims, who combined for 43 points in Tuesday's win.
"Every game at this point in the season is huge, and this one was a big one for us," said Fever head coach Stephanie White afterwards. "We knew that we had to come out and show some urgency."
"Going into this game, we talked about how this is a big game for us and an important game for us considering the standings," echoed Boston. "This is a great win for us before we head on the road."
After losing multiple guards to season-ending injuries this month, Indiana entered Tuesday's matchup having lost six of their last eight games as they await the return of sidelined superstar Caitlin Clark.
"[Boston] has been the one that's been most affected by all of our injuries, all of the point guards who can get her the ball," White continued. "She set the tone for us on both ends."
As for Seattle, Tuesday's loss dropped the Storm to eighth in the WNBA standings, sitting just above the postseason cutoff line with the No. 9 LA Sparks hot on their heels.
"There's no excuse for what happened today other than not matching the energy of the other team," said Seattle forward Nneka Ogwumike, who led her squad's scoring with 17 points on Tuesday.
How to watch the Indiana Fever, Seattle Storm this week
No. 6 Indiana hits the road this weekend, taking on No. 9 LA at 10 PM ET on Friday on ION before facing the No. 7 Golden State Valkyries at 8:30 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on NBA TV.
An uphill battle is on deck for No. 8 Seattle as the Storm gear up for an 8 PM ET clash against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx on Thursday, airing live on WNBA League Pass.
The No. 6 Indiana Fever are laughing in the face of adversity, pulling off the biggest comeback win in team history on Sunday despite guard Sophie Cunningham exiting with a right knee injury following a second-quarter collision.
As Cunningham joined fellow guards Caitlin Clark (right groin), Aari McDonald (broken foot), and Sydney Colson (ACL tear) on the injured list, the Fever overcame a 21-point deficit to down the No. 13 Connecticut Sun 99-93 in overtime behind guard Kelsey Mitchell's 38-point performance.
"We came in at halftime, we talked about chipping away, being resilient," said Indiana forward Aliyah Boston, who notched 14 points and 13 rebounds for her 15th double-double of the year in Sunday's win, setting a new single-season Fever record. "That's kind of been our story this entire season."
Amid the myriad injuries causing the beleaguered Fever to lose steam in the WNBA standings, Cunningham's knock — which will reportedly undergo an MRI assessment on Monday — is just the latest blow in an expected banner year for the 25-year-old franchise.
Seeing increased playing time since Clark's mid-July injury, Cunningham is averaging 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 46.9% from the field this season.
Looking to bolster their backcourt with Clark's return timeline still in question, Indiana signed veteran guard Odyssey Sims and rookie Kyra Lambert to hardship contracts last week.
"This group is tight.... They stay together," Fever coach Stephanie White told reporters following Sunday's game. "I think, for us, reiterating we've got to be where our feet are. We can't look too far behind us. We can't look too far in front of us. We've got to make sure that we're focused on one day at a time."
How to watch the Indiana Fever in this week's WNBA slate
Indiana will be thankful for a few days off this week, taking time to recover before hosting the seemingly unstoppable No. 1 Minnesota Lynx on Friday.
The Fever's clash with the league leaders will tip off at 7:30 PM ET, with live coverage airing on ION.
The No. 5 Indiana Fever rattled off a fifth straight win over the weekend, rolling through opponents to sit five games above .500 for the first time in 10 years — all while superstar guard Caitlin Clark remains stuck on the sidelines.
"This is a group that's been resilient all season long," Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White said following the Fever's fourth win in a row — an 88-78 victory over the No. 11 Dallas Wings on Friday.
Then on Sunday, the Fever added a close 78-74 road victory over the No. 6 Seattle Storm.
"While we don't like it, sometimes it can be a blessing in disguise," White added, referencing Clark's prolonged absence due to an ongoing groin injury. "Because everybody else finds themselves."
Aiming to push up the WNBA standings this week, Indiana is currently sitting just a half-game behind the No. 4 Phoenix Mercury — who lost ground by falling 95-72 to the No. 3 Atlanta Dream on Friday.
Notably, Mercury All-Star Satou Sabally exited the court in the second half of Friday's loss, with Phoenix head coach Nate Tibbets later telling reporters, "She didn't bring the energy that we needed.”
Elsewhere, the Storm and No. 7 Las Vegas Aces found themselves in a holding pattern over the weekend, with Seattle dropping two tight matchups while Las Vegas bounced back from Saturday's record-setting 53-point blowout loss to the No. 1 Minnesota Lynx with a 101-77 drubbing of the No. 8 Golden State Valkyries on Sunday.
Staring down the back-half of the 2025 WNBA season, teams crowded at the top of the table are starting to separate themselves from the pack — though they're not necessarily the squads that fans may expect.
The WNBA announced superstar lineups for the 2025 All-Star 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge on Tuesday, though the league will have to hope their best laid plans survive to see the weekend.
Along with the previously self-confirmed Sabrina Ionescu (New York) and Sonia Citron (Washington), Friday's 3-Point Contest roster will include Caitlin Clark (Indiana), Kelsey Plum (LA), and reigning event champion Allisha Gray (Atlanta).
Gray will also be defending her 2024 Skills Challenge title, with Natasha Cloud (New York), Skylar Diggins (Seattle), Erica Wheeler (Seattle), and Courtney Williams (Minnesota) looking to usurp the Dream guard on Friday.
Despite the WNBA's confirmation of Clark's long-awaited 3-Point Contest debut, her availability is now in question after the Fever guard appeared to re-aggravate a lingering groin injury, forcing her early exit from Indiana's 85-77 win over Connecticut on Tuesday night.
Fever head coach Stephanie White said afterwards that Clark "felt a little something in her groin," with further evaluation expected as Indiana travels to face New York on Wednesday.
This year's All-Star contingent already suffered one loss, with Atlanta guard Rhyne Howard sidelined with a left knee injury through the end of the month. In her stead, Minnesota guard Kayla McBride will step in, making her fifth career All-Star appearance.
Set to captain one of this weekend's All-Star squads, the WNBA is hoping that Clark is fully available for what's shaping up to be a huge celebration of basketball in Indianapolis.
How to watch the All-Star 3-Point Contest and Skills Challenge
The 2025 WNBA All-Star Skills Challenge and 3-Point Contest will take the Indianapolis court at 8 PM ET on Friday, with both competitions airing live on ESPN.