The 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup tips off in Berlin, Germany on Friday, Sept. 4 with an eight-game slate.
But before projecting winners for the opening day of games (which begin quite early for those based in the United States), it’s worth providing a reminder of the tournament format. All 16 national teams were drawn into four groups:
- Group A: Japan, Spain, Germany, Mali
- Group B: Hungary, Korea, Nigeria, France
- Group C: Belgium, Australia, Puerto Rico, Türkiye
- Group D: United States, Czechia, Italy, China
The winners of each of the four groups will advance directly to the quarter-finals. The second- and third-place teams must qualify for the quarter-finals by winning a single-elimination
game on Sept. 8 or 9, with the format scheduled to be:
- 3rd-place Group D vs. 2nd-place Group C; winner plays 1st-place Group A
- 2nd-place Group B vs. 3rd-place Group A; winner plays 1st-place Group D
- 3rd-place Group C vs. 2nd-place Group D; winner plays 1st-place Group B
- 2nd-place Group A vs. 3rd-place Group B; winner plays 1st-place Group C
From there, the tournament will follow a traditional bracket, with the quarter-finals on Sept. 10, two semi-finals on Sept. 12 and the championship final and a third-place game on Sept. 13.
Now, on to the opening games. In the United States, all games will be available to stream through HBO Max, with the exception of Team USA’s games, as well as a select few other games, which will be broadcast on TNT and/or truTV.
In the comments, be sure to give your prediction about Team USA and the rest of the field.
Group C: Australia vs. Puerto Rico (5:30 a.m. ET, HBO Max)
Australia is the last non-American team to win World Cup gold, triumphing two decades ago in the 2006 edition of the tournament.
In the 20 years since, however, the Aussies have sacrificed their status as the biggest challenger to the United States.
Nonetheless, with the frontcourt size of Alanna Smith and Ezi Magbegor, along with Chloe Bibby, Australia should have a clear advantage over a mostly undersized Puerto Rican side, although former WNBA player Imani McGee-Stafford is suiting up for Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico also might have the most explosive scorer in this game with another former WNBA player in Arella Guirantes.
The Opals ability to win this game with relative ease, as well as announce themselves as legitimate challengers for something brighter than a bronze medal, relies on a scoring threat emerging from their young backcourt. Will it be Jade Melbourne, who has yet to have a breakout moment in green and gold on the international stage? Or, maybe Isobel Borlase, who was the high-scoring WNBL MVP before joining the Atlanta Dream?
Group A: Japan vs. Mali (5:30 a.m. ET, HBO Max)
Expect Japan to play with their characteristic brand of high-execution basketball, with their skilled precision more than compensating for their size and/or athleticism limitations.
Mai Yamamoto will be leading the way, all with her signature smile, spunk and shooting.
To have chance, Mali must marshal their athletic advantages to test the Akatsuki.
At least trust a never-shy Sika Koné to showcase the eagerness and aggressiveness she always demonstrates during her short stints of playing time with the Dream. Sira Thienou, who played two seasons at Ole Miss before transferring to Auburn, also gives Mali another player with the potential to cause some trouble for Japan with her scoring pop.
Group B: South Korea vs. Nigeria (6:30 a.m. ET, HBO Max)
This is the first World Cup for Nigeria since 2018. In those intervening years, the D’Tigress have established themselves as a team that cannot be taken lightly.
After qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, they advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2024 Paris Olympics. They’ve also won five-straight AfroBasket titles, dating back to 2017.
Ezinne Kalu has been the engine for the D’Tigress. She will be supported by a number of players with WNBA and/or high-level NCAA experience, including Amy Okonkwo, who is now with the Portland Fire after multiple stops around the W in recent seasons.
Outside of Jihyun Park, who has spent this season with the Los Angeles Sparks, only Ji-Su Park has W experience for South Korea.
Group D: United States vs. China (8:15 a.m. ET, TNT/truTV)
A face familiar to Team USA will not be suiting up for China, as a lost passport is preventing Li Yueru from representing China.
Han Xu, however, is in Berlin for the Chinese, with the 6-foot-11 Han expected to share a frontcourt with 7-foot-3 Ziyu Zhang, who is just 19 years old.
The Americans can’t match the size of the Chinese. But with their skill and athleticism, they should not have a problem punishing the lack of mobility of China’s bigs.
Team USA can spam a number of pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop combinations, as the roster is flush with players capable of handling the ball, shooting off the dribble, popping for a 3, operating out of the short roll or rolling all the way to the hoop. The Americans can really cause the Chinese problems with double-drag actions where one screener pops and the other rolls, creating tons of movement in the offensive halfcourt that exploits China’s defensive limitations.
That’s if the United States needs to play in the halfcourt.
Oftentimes, transition offensive fuels Americans dominance, as Team USA turns up the defensive pressure, generates takeaways and scores with ease on the other end. This game shouldn’t deviate from that script.
Group C: Belgium vs. Türkiye (11:30 a.m. ET, HBO Max)
Last time most US-based women’s basketball fans watched Emma Meesseman, she had joined the New York Liberty for the stretch run of the 2025 season, envisioned as the ultimate difference maker as the Liberty chased back-to-back WNBA championships.
The Liberty flopped, with Emma never really finding her form or footing with New York.
But, discount FIBA Emma at your own peril!
She and the Belgian Cats, coached by longtime WNBA head coach Mike Thibault, might be the biggest threat to Team USA. The back-to-back EuroBasket Women champs, Belgium plays a connected, cohesive style modern basketball with a group of players sporting increasing WNBA experience.
Türkiye’s lone WNBA player is Kennedy Burke, although Sevgi Uzun, who spent time in the W during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, also is a key piece for the Turkish team.
Group A: Spain vs. Germany (11:45 AM, truTV)
Can homecourt advantage reverse Spain’s recent dominance of Germany?
In major competitions, the Spanish repeatedly have triumphed, most recently in last summer’s EuroBasket Women competition, where 20 points from Raquel Carrera led Spain to a nearly 20-point win. While Germany was without Nyara Sabally in that one, Spain also did not have Megan Gustafson DiLeo.
The likes of Leonie Fiebich and Frieda Bühner might need to hit all their shots for the home team to get a win.
And if the Awa Fam breakout happens, Germany really could be in trouble.
Group D: Czechia vs. Italy (2:15 p.m., HBO Max)
Italy has more names who are familiar to US-based fans, headlined by Golden State Valkyrie Cecilia Zandalasini and former WNBA player Lorela Cubaj, but Czechia has an edge in the all-time series between the two national teams, winning six of the eight matchups.
Most recently, Czechia won the EuroBasket Women qualifier played in Feb. 2025, 74-69.
Czechia’s Eliška Joklová, now of the Minnesota Lynx, played little in that win. We’ll see if she can contribute to another Czech victory.
Group B: Hungary vs. France (3 p.m. ET, truTV)
If France aims to threaten the dominance of the United States as much as they did at the Paris Olympics, winning this match in convincing fashion is a must.
While the French side is increasingly blessed with WNBA talent, Hungary comes down to Dorka Juhász.
And although FIBA Dorka is different, as she has proven as the reigning EuroLeague Women MVP and by leading Hungary into their first World Cup since 1998 with several monster performances in qualifiers, she is not different enough to overcome all the French can throw at the Hungarians. That’s especially true since Juhász has not rediscovered her best form since suffering an injury during the EuroLeague Women playoffs.
For France, the most excitement should come from whether or not Dominique Malonga throws down a dunk.
