USA Basketball turned a lot of heads with its focus on young players during its first training camp with new head coach Kara Lawson earlier this month. Of course, one big reason for the influx of new talent was that many veteran stars didn’t necessarily need to attend the training camp to have a shot at a spot on the national team. Nevertheless, fans should be able to see some new faces on Team USA soon enough.
How many exactly will come down to veterans’ decisions about the 2026 World Cup, which will, in turn, be impacted by the CBA negotiations and the 2026 WNBA schedule.
The World Cup will take place in Berlin, Germany, from September 4-13 . If the WNBA season starts as usual and doesn’t experience significant delays, the World Cup would happen just before the start of the playoffs. That would be bad timing for veteran stars hoping to lead their teams on deep playoff runs. So, some of them may choose to opt out of the World Cup rather than risking injuries or tiring themselves out right before the most important part of the WNBA season, freeing up spots for younger stars whose teams may not even be in playoff contention.
However, if the WNBA season starts a lot later than usual or doesn’t take place at all because the players decide to go on strike, veteran stars should be more inclined to suit up for the national team. In that case, the opportunities for young stars to make the roster would be limited.
There is a lot of competition for the national team
USA Basketball’s first training camp under Lawson was stacked with young talent. Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, Aliyah Boston, Rickea Jackson, Kiki Iriafen, and Sonia Citron were all part of the training camp. Fans are thrilled to see those young stars take the international stage as part of Team USA.
However, roster spots are limited. With veterans like A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Napheesa Collier, Jackie Young, Kelsey Plum, Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, and Brittney Griner still in the mix, there will only be a handful of spots left for new players to join—unless several veterans opt out of the World Cup.
Wilson, Gray, Young, Stewart, Ionescu, Collier, and Copper are all expected to compete for a championship next season and might choose to prioritize the W over international competition.
Meanwhile, some of the younger players may not get a chance to compete in the playoffs quite yet—namely Bueckers, Citron, Iriafen, and Reese—and could afford to take part in a tough and exhausting international tournament. Even the ones likely headed to the playoffs, like Clark and Boston, should be more excited to play in the World Cup during the season than some of the older veterans.
While some players’ willingness to play in the World Cup and the final roster are still up in the air, one thing is for certain: Team USA has a ton of talent and will field an exciting roster.