The WNBA is in the midst of more than a two-week break from action ahead of its pivotal final stretch of the 2026 season. The two-week gap may come as somewhat of a surprise to fans, but it's due to the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Berlin, Germany.
The stop in play runs from Monday, August 31, through September 16, and several of the WNBA's best players will be taking part in the FIBA World Cup. Group stage action tips off on September 4, and the U.S. women's national team enters the tournament in pursuit of its fifth consecutive World Cup gold medal.
While Team USA's roster will not feature the likes of A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum due to injuries, it still boasts a stellar group headlined by Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese,
Napheesa Collier, Jackie Young, Kaleah Copper, Breanna Stewart, Chelsea Gray, Aliyah Boston and Rhyne Howard. A pair of Washington Mystics teammates, Kiki Iriafena nd Sonia Citron, will replace Wilson and Plum.
Team USA, led by Duke coach Kara Lawson, will begin group-stage play against China. And they're just one of multiple countries featuring notable WNBA talent.
France will also boast a WNBA-led group headlined by Gabby Williams of the Golden State Valkyries. As The Athletic highlighted, the French national team has eight WNBA players, including Williams, Pauline Astier, Marine Johannes, Valeriane Ayayi, Carla Leite, Dominique Malong, Leila Lacan, and Janelle Salaun.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why are there no WNBA games this week? Explaining the league's break in play
