USA Basketball Names 2026 World Cup Roster; Clark, Bueckers, Reese Set for Debuts in September

Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese are heading to the FIBA Women’s World Cup — they usually’re doing it as members of one of the dominant packages within the historical past of crew sports activities. USA Basketball introduced its 12-player roster for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup on Thursday, sending three of the sport’s brightest younger stars right into a event the U.S. has gained 4 consecutive instances.

The full roster contains Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Rhyne Howard, Kelsey Plum, Angel Reese, Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, and Jackie Young. The event runs Sept. 4–13 in Berlin.

Newcomers Enter a Program Built on Dominance

Four gamers — Boston, Bueckers, Clark, and Reese — are showing at a senior worldwide championship for the primary time, becoming a member of a crew that has not misplaced a World Cup or Olympic sport since falling to Russia in 2006, in response to FIBA. That unbeaten run has included some slim escapes: an 81–79 victory over Belgium on the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament and a 67–66 win over France within the Paris Olympic gold medal sport.

The newcomers should not with out worldwide expertise. Clark and Bueckers had been each a part of the U.S. crew that gained the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico earlier this 12 months, per FIBA, and Boston, Bueckers, Clark, Collier, Howard, Plum, Stewart, and Wilson all gained gold medals with USA Basketball at FIBA junior competitions earlier of their careers. (USA Basketball)

The Veterans They’re Joining

The roster is anchored by gamers who’ve already gained at this degree. Five — Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, and A’ja Wilson — return to defend their 2022 World Cup title. Napheesa Collier and Jackie Young, each Paris Olympic gold medalists, spherical out a core that may look to assert their second main worldwide title in three years.

The 12-player group combines for 14 Olympic gold medals and 9 World Cup gold medals, together with 58 WNBA All-Star alternatives, 16 WNBA championships, and 6 MVP awards shared between Stewart and Wilson, in response to USA Basketball. The U.S. is in search of its fifth consecutive — and twelfth total — World Cup title.

Bird and Lawson Build the 2026 Team

The roster was chosen by nationwide crew managing director Sue Bird and accredited by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.

“This is an incredibly talented group that has earned the opportunity to compete in Berlin,” Bird mentioned, per USA Basketball. “Wearing a USA jersey is a privilege, and I know these 12 players will embrace that responsibility as we go after another gold medal.”

Kara Lawson, a 2008 Olympic gold medalist, will coach the crew, with Natalie Nakase, Nate Tibbetts, and Stephanie White serving as assistants. All three served on employees on the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament and had been court docket coaches at each USA Women’s National Team coaching camps main into the event.

“It’s been a long process to whittle it down to 12 players, and I think that speaks to just the talent we have in our country across the board,” Lawson mentioned. “I know what they’re capable of, and I know that this is a group that’s ready for the challenges that are ahead.”

The Road to Gold in Berlin

The U.S. opens group play in opposition to China on Sept. 4, adopted by Italy on Sept. 6 and Czechia on Sept. 7, in response to USA Basketball. The Americans are 8–0 in opposition to China on the World Cup, with their most up-to-date assembly a dominant 83–61 victory within the 2022 closing. The U.S. is 1–1 in opposition to Italy, with the 2 nations final assembly in 1979, and a pair of–0 in opposition to Czechia.

The high crew in every of the 4 teams will advance on to the quarterfinals on Sept. 10. The different eight advancing nations will compete for the remaining quarterfinal spots on Sept. 8 and 9. The semifinals are scheduled for Sept. 12, with the championship sport set for Sept. 13.