What's Next for Team USA in FIBA World Cup After Czechia Win?
Team USA has officially concluded group play at the 2026 FIBA World Cup. The U.S. won Group D, which they had already done following a scare in a win versus Italy. They improved to 3-0 with a decisive victory over Czechia on Monday.
The tournament now moves to single elimination, with Team USA facing the winner of the Japan-Hungary game set for 11:45 am ET Tuesday. Their quarterfinal contest against the victor will take place on Thursday, September 10.
If the U.S. moves on they will then play in the semifinal on Saturday, September 12. The final is scheduled for Sunday, September 13.
All games are broadcast via TNT Sports (TNT and/or TruTV) and stream on HBO Max.
Who Are the Biggest Threats to Team USA?
Team USA is sitting well in the bracket. That's because if they are able to get by Japan or Hungary, their next matchup would come against the winner of Spain vs. Italy/Australia.
Spain could certainly pose a threat, but heavyweights like Belgium and France are on the other side of the bracket. France appears to present the biggest challenge, and they took Team USA down to the wire in the gold medal game during the Olympics in 2024.
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The U.S. and France cannot meet until the championship game.
What Does Team USA Still Need to Work Out?
The flat performance versus Italy was sandwiched by decisive victories over China and Czechia.
Coach Kara Lawson has experimented with numerous lineup combinations, including having Breanna Stewart share the floor in effective minutes with Team USA's young core players like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers. This proved effective.
The starting lineup of Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, Jackie Young, Napheesa Collier, and Stewart leans veteran heavy and the reserves have been more explosive and picked up the pace at times.
Which groups Lawson trusts in clutch situations is something that still needs to be determined, and she did close with most of the starters against Italy.
Team USA has not lost in the World Cup or Olympics since 2006. So the expectation is the gold medal.
Young currently paces Team USA in points per game, while Clark is leading in assists, and Stewart is grabbing the most rebounds. Rhyne Howard is averaging the most steals and Paige Bueckers is surprisingly tops in blocks per game. Clark leads the squad in plus/minus.
Regardless, it will take a team effort (all of Team USA scored against Czechia and China) to secure another gold.
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Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!
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