The U.S. women's national basketball team hasn't lost a FIBA World Cup game since September 2006, a dominant stretch that has resulted in four consecutive World Cup gold medals. The Americans are vying for their fifth consecutive gold in Berlin, Germany, with a team mix of veteran and newbies.
Team USA is headlined by veteran Breanna Stewart, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time World Cup gold medalist that'll join Sue Bird (5) and Diana Taurasi (4) as the only American women to appear in at least four World Cups. Aside from Stewart, only Kahleah Copper and Chelsea Gray have previously competed in red, white and blue at the World Cup. Everyone else is a newcomer.
"We have nine first-time players in the World Cup, so only three of
our players have ever played in a World Cup before," Team USA head coach Kara Lawson said on Tuesday, Sept. 1. "There's a lot of newness to our roster... What is my message to the young players? Be yourself. Your play and your confidence is what brought you here."
Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese, Jackie Young, Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron are set to make their FIBA World Cup debuts. Here's who the USA will face in 2026 FIBA women's World Cup group phase:
Which World Cup group is Team USA in?
The U.S. women's national team is in Group D at the 2026 FIBA World Cup alongside China, Italy, Czechia.
FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 groups
- Group A: Germany, Spain, Japan, Mali
- Group B: France, Nigeria, Korea, Hungary
- Group C: Australia, Belgium, Puerto Rico, Turkey
- Group D: USA, China, Italy, Czechia
How to watch the FIBA Basketball Women's World Cup
TNT has the exclusive U.S. English-language rights. All 36 games stream on HBOMax. Seventeen of those games air on TNT and truTV, including every U.S. game.
Team USA FIBA women's World Cup schedule
- Friday, Sept. 4: USA vs. China | TNT, truTV, HBO Max (8 a.m. ET)
- Sunday, Sept. 6: USA vs. Italy | TNT, HBO Max (2:30 p.m. ET)
- Monday, Sept. 7: USA vs. Czechia | TNT, HBO Max (2:30 p.m. ET)
The winner of each group will automatically advance to the quarterfinals on Thursday, Sept. 10 (TNT, truTV). The second- and third-place finishers of each group will play in the Playoff Qualification Round on Tuesday, Sept. 8 (truTV) to determine the final four quarterfinal spots. The semifinals will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12 (TBS, truTV), followed by the third-place game and final on Sunday, Sept. 13 (TNT, truTV).
Team USA 2026 World Cup Roster
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will USA play in 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup group phase? Full schedule
