Updated
Updated · KCCI Des Moines · Aug 7
Clark, Reese and Bueckers Make 2026 USA World Cup Team for 5th Straight Title Bid
Updated
Updated · KCCI Des Moines · Aug 7

Clark, Reese and Bueckers Make 2026 USA World Cup Team for 5th Straight Title Bid

3 articles · Updated · KCCI Des Moines · Aug 7

Summary

  • Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers were named to the 12-player U.S. women's roster for the Sept. 4-13 FIBA World Cup in Berlin, giving all three their tournament debuts.
  • A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper and Kelsey Plum headline the veteran core as the Americans chase a fifth consecutive World Cup gold.
  • Rhyne Howard and Aliyah Boston also will make World Cup debuts, while Sabrina Ionescu was left off a roster selected for the first time by managing director Sue Bird rather than a committee.
  • Kara Lawson will coach a team drawn from a deep talent pool that already won a World Cup qualifier in Puerto Rico in March and now faces China, Italy and the Czech Republic in pool play.
  • The tournament will pause the WNBA for nearly three weeks, underscoring the event's weight for a U.S. program that has dominated the competition.

Insights

Why did Sue Bird cut established superstars like Sabrina Ionescu to make room for World Cup rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese?
How will Kara Lawson manage the immense pressure of leading America's most deeply talented, yet highly scrutinized, basketball roster in Berlin?
Could blending untested rookies with seasoned veterans finally expose a vulnerability in Team USA's quest for a fifth straight world title?