USA Basketball learned its path toward a fifth consecutive world title on Tuesday, as FIBA announced the group stage draw for the 2026 Women's World Cup in Berlin.
Team USA landed in Group D alongside China, Italy, and Czechia. Held every four year, the 2026 tournament marks the first FIBA World Cup with an expanded 16-team field, with the previous format featuring just 12 teams.
USA Basketball enters with dominant head-to-head records against all three group opponents. The US is 8-0 against China in World Cup competition while stand 2-0 against Czechia.
Italy presents Team USA's only competitive loss. The pair's head-to-head record is split 1-1, though they haven't faced each in World Cup play since 1979 —, when the US won 66-64.
Duke coach Kara Lawson leads USA Basketball as head coach. Managing director Sue Bird will oversee the 12-player roster selection.
The tournament features host Germany in Group A alongside Japan, Spain and Mali. Group B includes France, Hungary, South Korea, and Nigeria. Group C showcases reigning European champion Belgium alongside Australia, Puerto Rico, and Turkey.
The WNBA is planning a three-week regular-season break to accommodate top US and international players competing at the FIBA World Cup.
How to Watch USA Basketball at the 2026 FIBA World Cup
The FIBA World Cup tips off September 4th in Berlin, Germany, when USA Basketball opens group play against China. The game is a rematch of the 2022 FIBA World Cup Final, after the US dominated that title game 83-61.
Group-stage winners advance directly to the quarterfinals on September 10th, while second- and third-place finishers compete for the remaining four quarterfinal berths on September 8th and 9th.
The semifinals take place September 12th, with the championship game following on September 13th.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist A'ja Wilson will rejoin Team USA this weekend as USA Basketball announced its 15-player April training camp roster on Monday.
Fellow Olympic gold medalist Sabrina Ionescu and 3×3 champion Stefanie Dolson also earned call-ups to the camp. Lynx captain Napheesa Collier made the roster, but remains sidelined as she continues to recover from ankle surgery.
Monique Billings, Paige Bueckers, and Rae Burrell all return after leading Team USA's undefeated World Cup Qualifying run last month.
However, several notable names did not make the lineup, with Caitlin Clark, Breanna Stewart, Aliyah Boston, and Angel Reese were left off the roster.
Two college standouts feature on the national team roster. Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes and USC's JuJu Watkins both earned spots, while Watkins's activity will be limited as she continues her own injury return.
April's USA Basketball camp represents a crucial opportunity for players to earn their roster spots ahead of major international competitions. Wilson headlines a group that blends Olympic experience with emerging young talent.
New York Liberty star Ionescu brings her two-time Olympic gold medal pedigree to the roster, while Dolson adds 3×3 championship experience. The mix of veterans and college stars creates depth across multiple positions.
Bueckers continues her steady rise through the national team program after strong World Cup Qualifying performances, with Billings and Burrell additionally proving their value last month.
Duke head coach Kara Lawson will lead the camp, assisted by Notre Dame's Niele Ivey, Golden State's Natalie Nakase, Vanderbilt's Shea Ralph, Phoenix Mercury's Nate Tibbetts, and Indiana Fever's Stephanie White.
Training camp tips off April 1st in Phoenix, coinciding with the NCAA Women's Final Four.
USA Basketball April Training Camp Roster
A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces)
Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx)
Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty)
Stefanie Dolson (Washington Mystics)
Monique Billings (Dallas Wings)
Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings)
Rae Burrell (LA Sparks)
Cameron Brink (LA Sparks)
Veronica Burton (Golden State Valkyries)
Rickea Jackson (LA Sparks)
JuJu Watkins (USC)
Mikayla Blakes (Vanderbilt)
Brittney Sykes (Seattle Storm)
Azurá Stevens (LA Sparks)
Kayla Thornton (Golden State Valkyries)
USA Basketball is off to the races, with the women's national team capping a 5-0 run through the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament by handing Spain a 84-70 loss in Puerto Rico on Tuesday.
Guard Kahleah Copper led all scorers with 20 points, with fellow guard Kelsey Plum's 18 points on 3-of-4 shooting from behind the arc following just behind the Phoenix Mercury standout.
Fans also got a chance to see top WNBA prospect Awa Fam in action, as the 19-year-old Spanish phenom registered 10 points and five rebounds off the bench in the clash.
Tuesday's matchup marked the closest scoreline on US's five-game tournament docket, with the squad's second-tightest matchup ending with Team USA topping Italy by a dominant 34 points on Saturday.
Ultimately, the US finished as the World Cup Qualifying Tournament's only undefeated team behind a 42-point average margin of victory.
Along with the competition's top spot, USA Basketball guard Caitlin Clark took home tournament MVP honors in her senior team debut, averaging 11.6 points and a tournament-high 6.4 assists per game throughout the week.
USA Basketball will join 15 other qualified teams at 2026 FIBA World Cup
With the Puerto Rico tournament in the books alongside concurrent qualifying competitions in Turkey, France, and China, FIBA locked in its 16-team 2026 World Cup field on Tuesday.
Joining the previously qualified USA, Australia, Belgium, Nigeria, and host Germany at the championship event will be France, Spain, China, Korea, Italy, Mali, Czechia, Turkey, Japan, Hungary, and Puerto Rico.
The 2026 FIBA World Cup will tip off in Berlin on Friday, September 4th, with the title game set for Sunday, September 13th.
Superstar guard Caitlin Clark is back, returning to the court for the first time in 239 days to notch a 17-point, 12-assist double-double against Senegal in her Team USA debut on Wednesday.
Clark was one of several US debutants in the team's 110-46 blowout to open the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament, as Paige Bueckers, Rae Burrell, Angel Reese, Kiki Iriafen, and Monique Billings also logged their first minutes with the senior squad.
"I thought they played well, I don't think you would have noticed that it was their debuts," said USA head coach Kara Lawson. "I thought they came in and had the appropriate level of respect for the game."
Having already qualified for the 2026 FIBA World Cup, the US tested five-player substitute rotations while leaning on depth to wear Senegal down.
"We don't have a lot of time together, so every match is super important," said veteran guard Kelsey Plum. "We're really focusing on what we need to do to get better and grow as a team."
"The starting lineup is going to change, the rotation is going to change," Lawson said. "As a coach, I am still in fact-finding mode."
How to watch Caitlin Clark at the World Cup Qualifying Tournament
The US will next face tournament host Puerto Rico at 7:45 PM ET on Thursday, airing live on truTV.
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.
USA Basketball is stocking up, entering this weekend's FIBA 3×3 Champions Cup armed with an experienced women's roster showcasing extensive small-sided bonafides.
Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Allisha Gray leads the squad, with the Atlanta Dream guard and newly crowned 2026 Unrivaled champion joined by three other WNBA and Unrivaled standouts.
Fellow Dream guard Naz Hillmon and Gray's Mist BC teammate Veronica Burton (Golden State Valkyries) made the cut, with USA Basketball rounding out it's Monday lineup drop with forward Shakira Austin (Washington Mystics, Rose BC).
The exact same quartet won the 2025 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup, arriving to compete in the second-ever Champions Cup — and the first to feature the US women — with additional 5×5 experience at both the youth and senior team level in tow.
This year's FIBA Champions Cup runs from Friday through Sunday in Bangkok, with the Netherlands, Spain, Canada, Australia, Azerbaijan, Madagascar, and host Thailand joining Team USA on the 3×3 court.
Following two days of pool play, the top two teams in each group will advance to Sunday's knockout rounds.
Along with this weekend's trophy, the tournament champions will also qualify for the 2027 FIBA 3×3 World Cup, 2027 FIBA 3×3 Champions Cup, and the 2028 Olympic Qualification Tournament.
How to watch Team USA at the FIBA 3×3 Champions Cup
The US women's basketball team will open Champions Cup play against Madagascar at 10:20 AM ET on Friday before taking on the Netherlands and Australia on Saturday at 7:30 AM ET and 9:30 AM ET, respectively.
All games in the tournament will stream live on YouTube.
Caitlin Clark arrived in Puerto Rico this week for the FIBA Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament with USA Basketball, where she shared her appreciation for Puerto Rican culture while revealing one celebrity she wishes she could see during the trip — Super Bowl headliner Bad Bunny.
Clark told reporters she wishes Bad Bunny would perform during Team USA's time in Puerto Rico, after the 32-year-old pop sensation headlined the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show last month.
"I'm super excited. It's my first time in Puerto Rico. It's truly beautiful," Clark told El Nuevo Dia. "I wish Bad Bunny was at the game, I wish he were performing. I checked to see if he was going to be singing while we're here, but he's not. Maybe they should bring him."
Clark previously showed her appreciation for Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance by liking an ESPN Instagram post featuring screenshots of celebrities appearing in the show. The post included Lady Gaga, Jessica Alba, Ricky Martin, and Cardi B, among others.
The halftime performance sparked controversy because most of the music was in Spanish, with some questioning the decision while others praised the outspoken celebration of Puerto Rican culture.
Bad Bunny focused his nearly 15-minute performance on highlighting the island's identity, choreographing a life-sized block party honoring his home country.
Team USA opens FIBA World Cup Qualifying play in Puerto Rico this week, with Bad Bunny fan Clark expected to make her senior team debut on Wednesday against Senegal.
USA Basketball is refining its roster, shuffling in injury replacement players as the US women gear up for the 2026 FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Puerto Rico next week.
Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston and Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron will miss the trip after picking up recent injuries with their Unrivaled 3x3 teams, as Golden State Valkyries forward Monique Billings and LA Sparks guard Rae Burrell step up to join the squad in their stead.
Team USA will kick off training in Miami this weekend, as young stars like Fever guard Caitlin Clark, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers gear up to make their senior team debuts when the tournament tips off next Wednesday.
Even more, it just became easier for fans to catch those debuts, as TNT Sports announced on Thursday that the network's platforms will live broadcast all of the US's five World Cup qualifying games.
"We're excited to showcase these events across all of TNT Sports networks and platforms, bringing fans closer to the players and stories that define international basketball," said TNT Sports VP of content acquisitions Anthony D'Inverno.
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 the team's tournament docket.
Wednesday's game will air live on truTV.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame dropped its Class of 2026 finalists on Wednesday, with WNBA icons Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne leading the lineup of 21 women's and men's players, coaches, and referees.
Two-time MVP Parker retired in 2024 as the only WNBA player to win championships with three different teams, and remains the only player in league history to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season (2008).
Fellow retired two-time MVP Delle Donne became the first player in WNBA history to register a 50/40/90 season, doing so en route to claiming a first-ever league championship with the Washington Mystics in 2019.
Joining Parker and Delle Donne on the Hall of Fame finalist roster are fellow WNBA veterans and Team USA Olympic gold medalists Jennifer Azzi and Chamique Holdsclaw, as well as Molly Bolin-Kazmier, a prolific scorer and the first player signed to the sport's first-ever pro league in the US — the Women's Professional Basketball League (1978-1981).
Notably, Azzi is on the ballot twice, as her Olympic gold medal-winning 1996 US Women's National Team — whose roster also includes Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, and Dawn Staley, plus Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer — made the cut for helping to "elevate the global profile of women's basketball and [contribute] to the launch of the WNBA."
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame will announce the official Class of 2026 during the NCAA Final Four in early April, with the induction ceremony set for Saturday, August 15th.
USA Basketball is betting on the future, naming WNBA Rookie of the Year winners Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers to its 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament 12-player roster on Wednesday.
Making their competitive senior team debuts alongside Clark and Bueckers will be Angel Reese, Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriafen, with 2024 Olympic gold medalists Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young backing the fresh faces, among other international veterans.
Duke University head coach Kara Lawson will lead the team, with support from a trio of WNBA managers serving as assistants: Natalie Nakase (Golden State Valkyries), Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix Mercury), and Stephanie White (Indiana Fever).
"We have a great generation of young, very talented players coming up," Lawson said in Wednesday's USA Basketball announcement. "It will be good to have them in a position to play with Team USA this time and see how they gel with everyone."
While the US already booked a spot in Berlin's 2026 World Cup by winning the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup in July, next month's qualifiers will serve as a testing ground for September's main event.
Senegal, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, and Puerto Rico join USA Basketball managing director Sue Bird's hand-picked roster in San Juan from March 11th to March 17th, while simultaneous qualifying tournaments tip off in France and China.