For the 2026 USA Women’s National Team, the road to another gold medal begins with a familiar expectation — the gold standard.

The Americans arrive at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin with a roster loaded with experience, star power and a long resume of success on the international stage, each selected by USA Basketball Women’s National Team managing director Sue Bird.

Led by Kara Lawson (Duke University), the United States will set out for a 12th World Cup gold on Sept. 4 vs. China, and play up to seven games over ten days.

Lawson is joined by assistant coaches Natalie Nakase (Golden State Valkyries), Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix Mercury) and Stephanie White (Indiana Fever), all having worked together during USA training camps in December 2025 and April 2026, as well asthe 2026 World Cup Qualifying Tournament in March. Scout coaches Jose Fernandez (Dallas Wings) and Tia Jackson (Duke University) add another layer of preparation with decades of experience across college and international coaching.

The American Squad

The United States will take the court in Berlin as a roster that blends veteran stars of USA Basketball with a new wave of young standout talent stepping onto the senior international stage for the first time.

In a lineup that presents an abundance of size, versatility and scoring punch, Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx), Angel Reese (Atlanta Dream), Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty), Kiki Iriafen (Washington Mystics) and Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever) will fill the team’s depth in the frontcourt, while Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever), Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings), Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces), Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream), Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces), Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics) and Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury) will make up the backcourt group.

The 12-women roster features nine players poised to make their World Cup debuts: Boston, Bueckers, Citron, Clark, Collier, Howard, Iriafen, Reese and Young. The tournament will also mark the first USA appearance at a major international competition (World Cup or Olympic Games) for Boston, Bueckers, Citron, Clark, Iriafen and Reese.

Iriafen, who made her USA Basketball competitive debut at the Qualifying tournament in March, and her WNBA teammate Citron, stepped into the lineup in place of veterans A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum, as the two longtime USA Basketball stars are no longer available to compete in Berlin. Citron brings junior international experience, having won a gold medal at the 2021 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup.

Copper, Gray and Stewart are returning to the fold as key members of the USA’s gold medal winning team at the 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup held in Sydney. The trio, along with Collier and Young, also helped the United States’ capture gold at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with a 6-0 record and a thrilling title game win over France. Stewart was a major offensive force for the U.S. in Paris, putting up 16.3 points per game throughout the Olympic tournament, while Gray, meanwhile, served as the group’s floor general, dishing out a team-high 5.2 assists.

Stewart, who earned an All-Star Five honor at both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, will become one of only three players to represent the USA in at least four World Cups.

The U.S. enter the tournament with a combined 10 Olympic and five World Cup gold medals. They also pool together 49 WNBA All-Star appearances, six WNBA Rookies of the Year and 11 WNBA championships. Five players currently rank among the WNBA’s 10 leading scorers in the 2026 season.

The Path Ahead

The USA will embark on their quest to a fifth straight World Cup gold medal (12th overall) when they open Pool D play on Friday, Sept. 4. The Americans will play three games through Monday, Sept. 7, with their position in the group determining their path forward. A first-place finish would send the USA directly to the quarterfinals, while a second or third place finish in the group stage would require a win in a single-elimination qualification game to advance to the quarterfinals on Thursday, Sept. 10.

Lawson’s unit will tip off at 8:15 a.m. ET on Friday against China, an opponent that features two current WNBA players . Then on Sunday, the Americans will contest Italy, making their World Cup return for the first time in 32 years, in a 2:45 p.m. ET game. The group stage will conclude 24 hours later with a matchup against Czechia at 2:45 p.m. ET on Monday — the Americans are 5-0 all-time against Czechia.

If the USA win Group D outright, they would be slated to play the winner of a matchup between Group B’s second-place finisher and Group A’s third team in their next time out. A second- or third-place finish in group play would slot the United States into an elimination game on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

According to the FIBA World Ranking, the USA are the top team in the tournament, while France and Australia each rank first in their respective zones, just below the USA. At the last major international competition, the Olympic games in 2024, France were the runner-up, while Australia collected the bronze medal. China, who the U.S. will face first, are fourth overall in the world.

The World Cup champion will qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games, though because Los Angeles will be the host city, the United States have already received an automatic qualification.

USA By the Numbers

• The USA have made 16 consecutive World Cup appearances and hold the most gold medals of any country (11 total, earned in: 1953, 1957, 1979, 1986, 1990, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022)
• World Cup all-time record: 117-21; currently hold a 30-0 win streak (have not lost a game since 2006)
• Most points in a World Cup game: 145, set in 2022 against Korea
• Largest margin of victory: 76 points, 146-69 vs. Korea, 2022
• Most individual points: 35, Lisa Leslievs. Japan, 1996