Paige Bueckers performs through the recreation on the 2026 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Match between USA and Senegal in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on March 11, 2026, at Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot. (Picture by Edgardo Medina/NurPhoto by way of Getty Photographs)
Group USA has gained the final 4 FIBA Ladies’s Basketball World Cups and 9 of the final 12. The US owns a world-leading 11 general World Cup titles and has been essentially the most dominant staff throughout the globe for the previous two-plus a long time.
But, that streak is on the road beginning this week in Berlin.
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Not solely does a brand new period of younger WNBA stars make their World Cup debut, however the league’s most dominant participant gained’t be suited up for the primary time since 2014.
And to make the strain even larger, France’s 2024 Olympic gold-medal recreation efficiency tells us that they could have what it takes to knock out the People.
The 2026 FIBA World Cup suggestions off Labor Day weekend in Berlin, Germany, with preliminary spherical video games. Quarterfinals are scheduled for Sept. 10, with semifinals on Sept. 12 and the gold-medal recreation on Sunday, Sept. 13.
Three former UConn ladies’s basketball stars will characterize Group USA, whereas one other former Husky will play for France and one other for Hungary. One Connecticut native will swimsuit up for Puerto Rico, and two members of the Connecticut Solar may also play for France and Turkey.
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Right here’s what you might want to know concerning the event:
Who’s enjoying
Three former UConn stars will take the court docket for Group USA: Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier and Paige Bueckers. Bueckers and Collier will make their World Cup debuts. Whereas Collier performed for Group USA within the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, this can be Bueckers’ first look for the U.S. in a significant worldwide competitors.
Stewart, who helped lead the U.S. to gold within the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups, turns into simply the third Group USA participant and third former Husky to take part in 4 or extra World Cups. The others are Sue Fowl with 5 and Diana Taurasi with 4.
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The Huskies are joined on Group USA’s roster by Aliyah Boston, Sonia Citron, Caitlin Clark, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Grey, Rhyne Howard, Kiki Iriafen, Angel Reese and Jackie Younger.
Citron and Iriafen have been late additions Monday morning after Kelsey Plum and four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson pulled out resulting from well being causes. Group USA gained the 2018 and 2022 World Cups with Wilson, as she was named the 2022 World Cup MVP and the 2024 Olympic MVP.
Fowl, USA Basketball’s Ladies’s Nationwide Group managing director, chosen the roster for the World Cup and Group USA’s teaching employees.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 01: United States’ Breanna Stewart holds the trophy in entrance of team-mates through the 2022 FIBA Ladies’s Basketball World Cup Remaining match between USA and China at Sydney Superdome, on October 1, 2022, in Sydney, Australia. (Picture by Steve Christo – Corbis/Corbis by way of Getty Photographs)
Duke coach Kara Lawson will lead the U.S. and is assisted by Natalie Nakase (Golden State Valkyries head coach), Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix Mercury head coach) and Stephanie White (Indiana Fever head coach). Dallas Wings head coach Jose Fernandez and Duke affiliate head coach Tia Jackson will function scout coaches.
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The Huskies may also have illustration on the rosters of Group France and Group Hungary. Gabby Williams will make her World Cup debut after having performed for France in each the 2020 and 2024 Olympics. Dorka Juhász, who turned the youngest participant to win EuroLeague MVP this spring, may also make her World Cup debut for Hungary.
The Connecticut Solar can be represented by LeĂŻla Lacan on Group France and Kennedy Burke on Group Turkey as each make their World Cup debuts. Connecticut, together with the remainder of the WNBA, is on a league-wide break for the World Cup that runs by means of Sept. 16. Video games resume on Sept. 17 with the Solar enjoying at Atlanta at 7:30Â p.m.
New London native India Pagan, a two-time Olympian for Puerto Rico, may also make her World Cup debut this week in Berlin.
In whole, 16 international locations will compete within the World Cup: Japan, Spain, Germany, Mali, Hungary, South Korea, Nigeria, France, Belgium, Australia, Puerto Rico, Turkey, United States, Czechia, Italy and China.
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Learn how to watch Group USA and former Huskies
All 36 video games of the event can be streamed on HBO Max, whereas U.S. video games will air on TNT and truTV. Playoff seeding can be established on the conclusion of preliminary video games. The playoffs are single-elimination. Groups that end high of their group after their preliminary video games will advance routinely, whereas the second- and third-place finishers in every group will compete within the playoff qualification rounds.
Group USA is in Group D together with China, Italy and Czechia.
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Friday, Sept. 4: USA vs China at 8:15 a.m. ET on TNT and truTV
Friday, Sept. 4: Hungary (Juhász) vs France (Williams and Lacan) at 3 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 6: USA vs Italy at 2:45 p.m. ET on TNT
Monday, Sept. 7: USA vs Czechia at 2:30 p.m. on TNT
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Tuesday, Sept. 8: Playoff Qualification Spherical on truTV (time TBD)
Thursday, Sept. 10: Quarterfinals on TNT and truTV (time TBD)
Saturday, Sept. 12: Semifinals on TBS and truTV (time TBD)
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Sunday, Sept. 13: Third-place recreation at 10:30 a.m. and World Cup remaining at 2 p.m. on TNT and truTV
France’s #15 Gabby Williams holds the ball in entrance of USA’s #11 Napheesa Collier within the ladies’s Gold Medal basketball match between France and the USA through the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games on the Bercy Enviornment in Paris on August 11, 2024. (Picture by Damien MEYER / AFP by way of Getty Photographs)
What’s on the road Â
Group USA goes for its fifth consecutive World Cup gold in Berlin. And much more spectacular, america hasn’t misplaced a single recreation in both the World Cup or the Olympics since falling to Russia within the 2006 World Cup semifinals.
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Within the World Cup alone, that’s 30 consecutive victories (a program document) throughout preliminary spherical play and playoffs. Group USA owns a 117-21 general document within the World Cup and has completed undefeated in every of the final 4 World Cups. If the People do win gold this month, it’ll tie the occasion’s longest consecutive gold-medal streak — at present held by the Soviet Union, which gained 5 straight titles from 1959 to 1975.
In the newest World Cup, the U.S. set a World Cup document for many factors scored and an American staff document for largest win margin with a 145-69 victory over Korea
The latest scare? Narrowly edging France, 67-66, within the 2024 Olympic Remaining. Williams’ buzzer-beater 3-point try for the upset win was dominated a two-point shot as her foot was on the road, giving the U.S. the victory.
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Led by Williams, Lacan, Seattle Storm star Dominique Malonga and New York Liberty star Marine Johannès, France will once more be Group USA’s largest menace within the World Cup. Whereas France put up a combat within the Olympics, successful silver, it hasn’t had as a lot luck within the World Cup. The French final medaled within the World Cup in 1953, incomes bronze. Since then, its greatest end was fifth place in each the 2018 and 2006 World Cups.
