5 WNBA Teams That Could Be Impacted Most by the FIBA World Cup
The FIBA World Cup will take place in Berlin in early September—right before the final stretch of the regular season and the beginning of the playoffs. Many WNBA players will compete in the tournament, playing extra minutes and risking injuries while other players will get to enjoy a break.
Some teams will be more impacted by their players’ national team honors than others.
Las Vegas Aces
A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray all made the Team USA roster. No other team has three members of Team USA on its roster this season. One of the Aces’ biggest weaknesses this season has been a lack of depth. Wilson, Young, and Gray carry the team’s offense. If any of them come out of the World Cup injured or not 100% ready for a deep playoff run, it could derail the Aces’ plans of repeating as champions.
On top of that, Stephanie Talbot, who also starts for the Aces, made Australia’s roster for the World Cup.
Atlanta Dream
The Dream tend to win and lose with Rhyne Howard’s ability to make shots and be one of the best perimeter defenders in the W. They also have no depth
behind her except for rookie Isobel Borlase. So, Howard averages 34.5 minutes per game—the most of any WNBA player. Playing for Team USA in Berlin will only add to that minute load and increase the risk of her being worn out or even hurt right before the playoffs.
Angel Reese, who will play alongside Howard at the World Cup, also averages over 30 minutes per game and is a key player Atlanta needs to be ready to show out in her first playoff action. Borlase, one of the few backup guards who has been pretty productive off the bench, will play for Australia.
Indiana Fever
Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston have both been banged up this season and missed some games due to injuries and load management. Both will play for Team USA, making their debuts on one of the biggest international stages. The Fever need both to play their best basketball in the playoffs and cannot afford any injuries.
New York Liberty
If there’s one thing the Liberty cannot afford, it’s another injury. They’ve already been without Satou Sabally for most of the season, Leonie Fiebich is out, and Sabrina Ionescu missed the first few weeks. They most definitely wouldn’t be able to survive an injury to Breanna Stewart.
But that’s not the only concern with Stewart representing the U.S. Stewart has played the fifth-most total minutes in the WNBA this season, and the Liberty’s offensive and defensive ratings plummet when Stewart isn’t on the court. They will only have to ask her to do more when the playoffs start, and she will undoubtedly also play a big role for Team USA, adding to her already Herculean workload throughout the season.
Moreover, Marine Johannes, Pauline Astier, Marine Fauthoux, Raquel Carrera, and Han Xu are all expected to suit up for their respective national teams, although France, Spain, and China haven’t finalized their rosters yet. Leonie Fiebich, who is still working her way back from a foot injury, shared with the New York Post that she’s anxious not to miss playing for the German national team. Satou Sabally’s status is still up in the air.
Golden State Valkyries
Neither France nor Italy has officially confirmed their twelve-player rosters for the World Cup yet. Still, it seems fair to assume that Gabby Williams and Janelle Salaün will play for France and Cecilia Zandalasini will suit up for Italy. All three are incredibly important to the Valkyries’ success, and they need them healthy and ready to “empty the tank,” as Natalie Nakase likes to say, in the playoffs.
After last season’s historic playoff appearance and subsequent first-round sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Lynx, the next step for the Valkyries is to win a series. That will be much more difficult to accomplish if they don’t have their full roster 100% healthy and available after the World Cup break—especially their two leading scorers in Williams and Salaün.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.