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The 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup roster is here.
On Thursday, USA Basketball revealed the players for the World Cup set to compete Sept. 4-13 in Berlin, Germany. Headlined by a swath of stars including A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark, the 12-player roster has a wealth of experience including 14 Olympic gold medal wins and nine World Cup golds as well. The team, which is a mix of veterans and new talent, includes seven athletes set to make their World Cup debuts.
“What I love about this team, it’s got experience ― internationally, WNBA, you name it ― it also has youth. You need both those energies,” USA Basketball women’s national team managing director Sue Bird said. “You need some old heads. You need some young’uns. It kind of brings out the best on both sides, but for the young players, especially, they’ll get really good experience.”
The USA is seeking its 12th overall and fifth consecutive World Cup gold medal. USA TODAY Sports Studio IX breaks down what each player will bring to the World Cup.
Here’s a deeper analysis of the 12 players on the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup roster:
Backcourt
Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
Caitlin Clark was named MVP at the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament in March, helping Team USA cruise to a 5-0 record. She averaged 11.6 points and 6.4 assists per matchup. Despite her fantastic outing earlier this year, the Indiana Fever guard is likely to come off the bench behind Chelsea Gray, who has been handling point guard duties. Clark should be a nice complement to Gray, as both have impeccable vision and can score at will. Clark is also excellent at executing a two-man game that manipulates defenses and produces quick points.
Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings
Paige Bueckers made her debut with the World Cup qualifying team earlier this year, averaging 10.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists in five games. Her best game came against Puerto Rico, where she scored 16 points in 21 minutes while adding four rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block. Like Clark, Bueckers will also likely come off the bench, providing needed guard depth. The best part about having Bueckers on the roster is that she can do a little bit of everything, including unleashing a hard-to-guard midrange shot.
Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces
Chelsea Gray is one of the best floor generals in the WNBA. Her vision alone is worth a roster spot because few players can share the ball and find scorers like Gray. She’s also a formidable offensive threat who shouldn’t be underestimated, especially when working alongside her Aces teammates Jackie Young and A’ja Wilson. Though she had meager production in five FIBA contests earlier this year (5.6 points and 4.8 assists per game), her deep experience in the WNBA and internationally with Team USA will help the young roster, which has several new faces.
Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces
Jackie Young is one of the grittiest two-way players in the WNBA and on Team USA’s guard-heavy roster. On the offensive side of the ball, Young is a talented three-level scorer who can strike at any time. She’s also an underrated facilitator, who currently boasts 6.8 assists per matchup, good for fifth in the WNBA. Defensively, Young is a high-pressure pest who has zero problem guarding any position. Additionally, while not a mass-rebounder, the timing of her crashing the boards should be appreciated.
Rhyne Howard, Atlanta Dream
Rhyne Howard should be a nice utility player for this Team USA roster. She’s a volume scorer who is lethal from beyond the arc and leads the WNBA in total 3-pointers (91). She can also serve as an additional facilitator if asked and showed that ability with in the March FIBA tournament. Howard is also one of the better defenders in the WNBA, using her pressure and closing speed to frustrate opponents. At roughly 10 points per game in five FIBA contests this year, Howard should get plenty of playing time.
Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury
There are few players with Copper’s speed and quickness. She perhaps has one of the fastest steps in the WNBA. Her ability to get downhill and change direction, sometimes mid-play, is something head coach Kara Lawson should covet. Copper is currently ranked fifth in the league in points per game (21) and should provide an impeccable boost to the rotation when her number is called. During the qualifying tournament, the Phoenix Mercury guard averaged a team-high 12.8 points during four matchups.
Kelsey Plum, Phoenix Mercury
Despite playing 14 games this season due to injuries, Plum is averaging 23.3 points and 6.1 assists per game. The veteran has deep national team experience, and in international play, that matters with so many young players. At just 5-foot-8, Plum is a smaller guard, but she plays much larger than her size. She can attack the basket from three levels and works well in a two-man setup, picking apart defenses one play at a time.
Frontcourt
A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
Wilson is the bedrock of Team USA and was the 2024 Paris Olympics MVP and 2022 FIBA World Cup MVP. Her dominance on both ends of the floor can not only be felt at the international level, but it has also surpassed many of her WNBA peers. The reigning WNBA MVP currently leads the league in points per game (26.6) and blocks per game (2). Wilson is third in rebounds per game (9.6) and top 15 in steals (1.5).
Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty
Stewart is a two-way terror, and there was never a doubt that she wasn’t making the World Cup roster. Time and time again, the New York forward has answered the call, making clutch baskets, timely steals and pivotal blocks when Team USA has needed it most. It was Stewart who took over the 2024 Summer Olympics with Wilson, steamrolling teams along the way, and it will be the veteran again in Berlin. Stewart is averaging 21.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.
Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx
Due to injury, Collier did not make her 2026 season debut until July 24. Despite not playing basketball for roughly 10 months, Collier is averaging 18.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals. That sort of post production is needed on the roster and was a big asset during the Summer Olympics two years ago. Like Wilson and Stewart, Collier is a nightmare on both sides, and Team USA will need every bit of it during the World Cup, especially if it faces France, which nearly won gold in Paris.
Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream
Reese’s motor and ability to track rebounds at an elite rate are worth the roster spot. Still, the Atlanta Dream forward is so much more. Reese is also a terrific facilitator who doesn’t get enough credit for assists and her ability to be a defensive anchor that can disrupt. This season, Reese is averaging a career-high 16 points per game and is tied for first in rebounds per game with 11.7.
Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever
Perhaps the most sneaky good piece on the roster is Boston. She’s a player who covers so much ground on both ends of the floor that it’s often hard to understand how much she’s doing. Boston is a force offensively, who is averaging a career-high 16.9 points and has deepened her bag with a dependable 3-ball. The Fever center even expertly leans into her quickness in pick-and-roll situations, leaving defenders in the dust. Defensively, Boston is wonderful in one-on-one matchups and uses her length and frame to prevent opponents from executing at a high level.