FIBA Women's World Cup 2026 Team USA: What is the United States Women's National Basketball Team roster?
Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Breanna Stewart headline a 12-player squad chasing another gold medal in Berlin
Team USA will arrive in Berlin without A’ja Wilson or Kelsey Plum , but the United States still has the kind of roster depth that makes anything short of another gold medal feel like a disappointment.
The Americans open the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup against China on Friday, September 4, beginning their pursuit of a fifth consecutive title.
They have won nine of the past 12 editions of the tournament and remain the standard everyone else is trying to catch.
The final roster blends established champions such as Breanna Stewart, Chelsea Gray and Napheesa Collier with a younger group led by Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese .
Wilson and Plum were ruled out shortly before the tournament because of health reasons, leading USA Basketball to add Washington Mystics teammates Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen .
“The makeup of this roster is pretty straightforward,” USA Basketball managing director Sue Bird said. “I wanted to have a mixture of people with experience, a good mixture of people with youth.”
Bird added: “That sets us up for the future, as well. But also a team that complements each other and can go on the court and win gold. That is always the north star in all of these decisions that I've made.”
Team USA roster for 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup
Paige Bueckers — Dallas Wings
Caitlin Clark — Indiana Fever
Chelsea Gray — Las Vegas Aces
Rhyne Howard — Atlanta Dream
Sonia Citron — Washington Mystics
Jackie Young — Las Vegas Aces
Kahleah Copper — Phoenix Mercury
Angel Reese — Atlanta Dream
Breanna Stewart — New York Liberty
Kiki Iriafen — Washington Mystics
Aliyah Boston — Indiana Fever
That construction gives Team USA considerable flexibility. Clark and Gray provide elite playmaking, Bueckers can operate on or off the ball, while Howard and Young give the Americans size and shooting in the backcourt.
Stewart and Collier bring championship experience and two-way versatility, Reese adds rebounding and physicality, and Boston gives the roster a reliable interior presence.
Team USA’s path through Berlin
The United States has been drawn into Group D with China, Italy and Czechia .
Group play runs through September 7, followed by quarterfinal qualification games on September 8 and 9. The quarterfinals take place September 10, with the semifinals scheduled for September 12 and the medal games on September 13.
The WNBA paused its season from August 31 through September 17 to accommodate the tournament.
Wilson ’s absence removes the MVP of the 2022 World Cup, but Team USA still has more high-end talent than virtually any opponent it will face.
The more interesting question is how quickly that talent comes together.
With Clark, Bueckers and Reese stepping into larger international roles alongside veterans such as Stewart, Gray and Collier , this tournament could offer both a title run and a preview of the next era of USA Basketball.
