The WNBA has entered a new era, featuring plenty of bright, young players like Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky, and Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings, who have helped the league reach new heights in popularity.
It looks as though Team USA is going to lean on that popularity – and skill, of course – with their 2026 World Cup roster.
WNBA Rivals Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers Unite for 2026 World Cup
Team USA’s roster for the 2026 World Cup was released on Wednesday and features some of the most exciting (and in several cases, youngest) players in the league.
The team’s 12-member roster will represent the country at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from March 11-17, 2026.
The roster showcases a mix of veterans like Kelsey Plum of the Los Angeles Sparks, joining the likes of Clark, Reese, and Bueckers.
Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever, who was the 2023 Rookie of the Year, was also named to the team.
The FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament takes place March 11-17 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The 🇺🇸 #USABWNT has already qualified for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin by winning the 2025 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup.https://t.co/MgaVW7PYIc
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) February 11, 2026
The Phoenix Mercury’s Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young of the Las Vegas Aces, and Plum are coming off a gold medal in the 2024 Olympics. Copper, Gray, and Plum won gold in the World Cup in 2022, and Plum was also on the 2018 World Cup team that took home gold.
Dearica Hamby of the Sparks and the Atlanta Dream’s Rhyne Howard competed for Team USA’s 3×3 squad during the 2024 Olympics, earning a bronze.
Boston is looking for her first medal, while Bueckers, Clark, Reese, the Washington Mystics’ Sonia Citron, and Kiki Iriafen will be making their first appearance on Team USA’s senior squad.
The team will be coached by Duke’s Kara Lawson and features Golden State Valkyries’ Natalie Nakase, the Mercury’s Nate Tibbetts, and Fever coach Stephanie White on the staff.
Breanna Stewart, most recently of the New York Liberty, and a three-time Olympic and World Cup Champion, will also be joining Team USA for a pre-competition training camp March 7-8 in Miami.
Clark, with the help of Reese and Bueckers, has really helped put women’s basketball on the map as of late, despite their various injuries and other issues, and seeing the three of them on the court together before they face off against each other is certainly an exciting prospect.
Team USA will get things underway on March 11 at 3:00 p.m. ET against Senegal. They are set to take on Puerto Rico on March 12 at 6:00, Italy on March 14 at 3:00, New Zealand at noon on March 15, and Spain at 3:00 on March 17.
