The 2026 USA Basketball team announced its roster for the FIBA Women's World Cup, which will tip off next month in Berlin, Germany. The roster includes some of the WNBA's biggest stars, including two former South Carolina Gamecocks.Â
On Thursday, USA Basketball announced that center A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces has made the roster, as well as Indiana Fever star Aliyah Boston. This will mark Boston's third time representing Team USA in the FIBA World Cup, as she helped the stars and stripes take home gold medals in 2018 in Spain and in 2022 in Australia.Â
For Boston, this will mark her first time representing Team USA in the FIBA World Cup. She will join fellow first timers in her Fever teammates Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings, the Minnesota Lynx's Napheesa Collier, Rhyne Howard and Angel Reese of the Atlanta Dream and Jackie Young of Las Vegas.Â
Wilson is the reigning FIBA World Cup, Olympics and WNBA MVP, so she brings veteran experience to this group. Wilson also won MVPs for USA Basketball at the U-19 World Cup and U-18 Americas Championship, also run by FIBA. She will be excited to team up with her Aces teammate Jackie Young, as the pair recently made history as the first WNBA duo to each score 25-plus points in the same game 10 times.
She will team up with Boston for one of the first times, outside of WNBA All-Star competition. Although they both played under Dawn Staley in Columbia, the two former Gamecocks never played with each other at South Carolina. Wilson left in 2018, and Boston was there from 2019-2023.Â
A pair of Gamecocks 🤙 https://t.co/6yNn3aa7r3
— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) August 6, 2026
The 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup will take place from Sep. 4-13. The United States will open group play on Sept. 4 against China, then play Italy on Sept. 6 and Czechia on Sept. 7. The remaining 12 teams will then be split into three groups, with the top team advancing to the quarterfinals starting on Sept. 10. The semifinals will be played on Sept. 12 with the final set for Sunday, Sept. 13. Â
"I'm so excited to announce the 2026 USA Basketball Women's National Team," USA Basketball Women’s National Team managing director Sue Bird said in the official release. "This is an incredibly talented group that has earned the opportunity to compete in Berlin. Wearing a USA jersey is a privilege, and I know these 12 players will embrace that responsibility as we go after another gold medal. I can't wait to see what this team accomplishes together."
The United States has dominated the FIBA World Cup in recent years. The team will be seeking its fifth consecutive gold medal, and 12th gold medal overall. During the FIBA World Cup, the WNBA regular season will pause from Aug. 30 and resume Sept. 17, as the playoff standings begin to heat up. The team will be led by Duke women's basketball head coach Kara Lawson.
Congrats to Wilson and Boston on making the FIBA World Cup Roster for Team USA! We can't wait to see what you do in Berlin.
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