Team USA FIBA World Cup Primer: How to Watch, Roster, Format
The WNBA season has officially been put on pause for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. There are a lot of exciting things happening in the league, which has some frustrated about this several-week break.
But the good news is that women's basketball fans get to watch many of the sport's biggest stars represent their home countries in Berlin, Germany—especially on Team USA, which has plenty of must-see talent.
Here is everything you need to know about Team USA's upcoming FIBA World Cup tournament.
How to Watch Team USA at the FIBA World Cup
Every FIBA World Cup game is available to watch in the United States. Fans who want to stream games can do so through HBO Max, and all 37 games of the tournament will be available there.
17 games, including every Team USA contest, will air live on TNT and truTV for those who want to tune in through cable.
Team USA FIBA World Cup Schedule
Here's what Team USA's schedule looks like at the moment:
- Group Stage Game 1: USA vs. China: Friday, September 4 at 8:00 a.m. ET
- Group Stage Game 2: USA vs. Italy: Sunday, September 6 at 2:30 p.m. ET
- Group Stage Game 3: USA vs. Czechia: Monday, September 7 at 2:30 p.m. ET
- Knockout Rounds: September 8–13, with the final on Sunday, September 13 at 1:45 p.m. ET
Team USA FIBA World Cup Roster
The Team USA FIBA World Cup roster looks different today than it was expected to look 24 hours ago, as both A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum pulled out due to injury concerns. Therefore, here's the complete roster:
• Aliyah Boston
• Paige Bueckers
• Caitlin Clark
• Napheesa Collier
• Kahleah Copper
• Sonia Citron
• Chelsea Gray
• Rhyne Howard
• Kiki Iriafen
• Angel Reese
• Breanna Stewart
• Jackie Young
Team USA Coaching Staff: Kara Lawson (head coach), Natalie Nakase, Stephanie White, Nate Tibbetts (assistant coaches).
FIBA World Cup Format
The FIBA World Cup features 16 teams that are divided into four groups of four (Groups A, B, C, and D). Team USA is in Group D with China, Italy, and Czechia.
Each team plays the other three squads in their respective group in a round-robin format. Each team that wins its group advances directly to the quarterfinal round, while the second-and third-place teams go to a qualification round across groups, with the winners of those single-elimination games moving on to face the group winners. The last-place team in each group is eliminated after round-robin play.
The FIBA World Cup features 16 teams that are divided into four groups of four (Groups A, B, C, and D). Team USA is in Group D with China, Italy, and Czechia.
Each team plays the other three squads in their respective group in a round-robin format. The team that wins its group advances directly to the quarterfinal round, while the second-and third-place teams go to a qualification round across groups, with the winners of those games moving on to face the group winners. The last-place team in each group is eliminated after round-robin play.
The tournament becomes single-elimination beginning with the qualification to quarterfinals round on September 8. The quarterfinals follow on September 10, with the semifinals on September 12 and the championship and third-place games on September 13.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
Follow GrvntYoung