The2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup tips off in less than 24 hours.
On Friday, Sept. 4, Team USA will play China in its first group stage game in Berlin, Germany (8:15 a.m. ET, TruTV/TNT/HBO Max). The United States hopes to be playing for gold — it's fifth straight — when the tournament wraps on Sept. 13.
"Even getting to play here in the World Cup, that's special within itself, too," Team USA guard Caitlin Clark said in an interview with FIBA. "Sometimes this is an even harder competition than the Olympics. I think one of the most fun parts is the international game and talent is growing and growing. These competitions are only getting harder to win."
The U.S. will be down two veterans as A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum are sidelined with injuries.
Without the pair, U.S. head coach Kara Lawson will have to get creative with the starting lineup and rotations. The adjustment should keep players in their natural positions and provide a balanced team. With this in mind, USA TODAY Sports' Studio IX is projecting who the starting five will be in Berlin.
Here's who will likely take the floor first at the FIBA World Cup:
Team USA projected starting lineup for FIBA World Cup
- Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces (PG): Coach Kara Lawson will likely prioritize Chelsea Gray's experience with a young guard group that hasn't played in a World Cup or Olympics with the senior national team. What remains to be seen is how many minutes Gray will play as the starter and how much responsibility Lawson will give her as floor general. Gray, who saw limited minutes in five FIBA Qualifying Tournament games as the team evaluated players in March, had sparse production. She averaged 5.6 points and 4.8 assists per game.
- Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces (SG): Though Jackie Young has not previously played in a World Cup, she appears to be the most likely choice to start at shooting guard. Like Gray, she has experience others don't and she's one of the best two-way players on the roster. Her production on both ends of the floor as a three-level scorer, facilitator and defensive savant all but locks up her spot. When the Aces guard was part of the 2024 U.S. national team that went to Paris, she averaged 9.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and tied the team high in steals (1.5 per game).
- Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx (SF): Lawson will potentially ask Napheesa Collier to slide over from her usual power forward spot and hold down the small forward space for the tournament. Like Young, Collier has never played in a World Cup for the women's senior national team. However, her two-way prowess and experience on the USA Olympic rosters will likely earn her the nod. Collier was on the gold medal teams at the 2020 Tokyo Games and the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she averaged 6.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
- Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty (PF): Lawson could ask Breanna Stewart to play the power forward and slide over to center in a crunch. She has the most World Cup experience (three gold medals) on the roster and might be asked to lead the charge on paint production, rim protection and anchoring the defense. As a member of the 2022 World Cup squad, she averaged 12.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks during the run and was named to the tournament All-Star Five.
- Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever (C): Without A'ja Wilson on the floor, expect Aliyah Boston to get the start at center. Lawson will likely push Boston to dial up her superb defense in one-on-one matchups and use her agility and quickness in the paint to exploit opposing defenses. She was not on the 2026 World Cup Qualifying roster, as she withdrew before the competition, but she was on the 2024 Olympic Qualifying team, where she averaged 5.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks in nearly 23 minutes of play.
Team USA roster reserves for FIBA World Cup
It's unclear what the rotations will look like for Team USA. However, it's reasonable to assume that it could be the following players called off the bench early:
- Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever (in relief of Chelsea Gray)
- Paige Bueckers, Dallas Wings (in relief of Jackie Young)
- Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury (in relief of Napheesa Collier)
- Kiki Iriafen, Washington Mystics (in relief of Breanna Stewart)
- Angel Reese, Atlanta Dream (in relief of Aliyah Boston)
As mentioned above, it's unclear just how many minutes Gray might get in a starting role. That said, Clark should see plenty of time at the point guard position, bringing her elite court vision and three-level scoring. In March, Clark was named MVP at the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament. She averaged 11.6 points and 6.4 assists.
Next to Clark, Bueckers should get minutes behind Young. She brings two-play that should complement Young's production. Then, Copper may be the player behind Collier, which is a nice one-two punch. Other players to watch rotation-wise include Iriafen and Reese. Both should get ample time on the floor, but how Lawson uses each player is unclear. Reese could see time at center, a role she has been filling this season as the Dream battled injuries.
The roles for Rhyne Howard(Atlanta Dream) and Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics) are the hardest to nail down, but here's how it could pan out. Both are versatile players who thrive on both ends of the ball. Lawson could use them situationally for added 3-point production and backup facilitators if in a bind. She might also deploy them as defensive specialists.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will start for Team USA? Predicting the Women's World Cup starting lineup
