USA BEGIN WORLD CUP TITLE DEFENCE AS YOUNG STARS LEAD NEW-LOOK SQUAD IN BERLIN

The 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup gets underway in Berlin, Germany, with 16 national teams competing for the biggest prize in international women’s basketball. The tournament runs from September 4 to 13 and comes at a particularly significant moment for the sport, with several of the WNBA’s biggest young stars preparing to make their mark on the international stage.

The United States enter the competition as the leading favourites and will attempt to claim a record-extending 12th World Cup title. Victory would also give the Americans their fifth consecutive championship, although their campaign comes with a noticeably different look after several established stars became unavailable.

Among the most prominent absentees are A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum, who will miss the tournament for health reasons. Their absence has created additional opportunities for a younger generation of American players to take on greater responsibility at a major senior international competition.

That new generation includes Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese, all of whom are expected to attract enormous attention throughout the tournament. The trio will be joined by players such as Aliyah Boston, Rhyne Howard, Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron as the United States attempt to maintain their dominance despite having a relatively inexperienced squad by their usual standards.

Seven members of the American roster are making their debuts at a major senior 5-on-5 international tournament. Four of those players  Howard, Boston, Clark and Bueckers have previously been No. 1 selections in the WNBA Draft and have won Rookie of the Year honours, underlining the depth of talent available to coach Kara Lawson.

Clark arrives in Berlin with considerable expectations after becoming one of the WNBA's most influential players. Bueckers, meanwhile, has also established herself among the league's leading young stars, while Reese brings a powerful rebounding presence. Their ability to adapt quickly to FIBA basketball could be one of the major factors determining how smoothly the United States negotiate the tournament.

The Americans already gained valuable experience together during the World Cup qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico earlier this year. Several members of the final squad featured in that competition, giving Lawson an opportunity to assess how the younger players could operate within the senior national team structure.

Lawson has nevertheless warned that winning this World Cup could be more difficult than previous editions. The U.S. coach believes the international game has continued to improve rapidly, leaving the Americans with less room for error despite possessing what remains arguably the deepest player pool in the competition.

The tournament also provides an important opportunity for teams outside the United States to challenge the established order. Sixteen nations from North America, Europe, Asia and Africa will compete in Berlin, creating a wide range of styles and tactical approaches across the tournament.

For the United States, however, the objective remains straightforward: extend their remarkable World Cup reign. With established stars absent and a group of younger players stepping into the spotlight, the tournament could mark the beginning of a new era for American women's basketball.

The opening round begins on September 4, with the United States starting its title defence against China. The competition will continue through September 13, when the next world champion will be crowned in Berlin.