Let's get one thing out of the way: Team USA has always dominated women's basketball. No one is disparaging former teams, no one is saying anyone is better or worse, but the fact remains that this year's roster is the culmination of years, perhaps even decades, of planning, processing, nurturing, and training — and the FIBA World Cup might just be the first time we get to see the results.
The World Cup, which takes place in Berlin from September 4-13, will see the senior level debuts of Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese and Jackie Young. They'll be led by a veteran core made up of Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart, and A’ja Wilson, players who have won before and fully intend on winning it again.
As reported by The Athletic, Stewart is making history this year. She'll become the third player in the history of the American national team to play in at least four World Cups; her fellow UConn alumni Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi played in five and four, respectively.
Bird will still be at the World Cup this time around, albeit in a very different role: managing director. That job has required her to make a lot of tough calls, like leaving Sabrina Ionescu off the team. Bird has made it clear that this year's World Cup team selection process was "not a reflection of who they are as players," and her focus was on putting together a roster that will "win a gold medal and complement each other."
The World Cup roster is also not the final roster for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
But before we get to 2028, it's imperative that we focus on 2026, and what's likely to unfold in Berlin. This year's Team USA is bringing together a stunning combination of veteran leadership and young blood, players who are genuinely exciting to so many people around the world. Those are all things Team USA has always been known for, but this year's World Cup team is different for another reason.
This year's World Cup will likely see higher viewership numbers than those of the past; this is the first one since Clark and Reese were drafted in 2024 and Bueckers in 2025. The U.S. women's team has won the gold medal four times in a row — a time period that spans 16 years — and they've seen a lot of challengers come and go.
This year's tournament will be difficult, but with this roster, Team USA is more than ready.
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