Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese to make FIBA World Cup debuts with U.S. women’s national team

The U.S. women’s national team roster is set for the FIBA World Cup in Berlin from Sept. 4-13, and seven of the team’s 12 players will be making their World Cup debuts.

Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese and Jackie Young are all first-timers at the FIBA World Cup, while the rest of the roster is filled out with veterans Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson returning to the stage.

Stewart will make history as just the third player in national team history to appear in at least four World Cups, joining Bird (five) and Diana Taurasi (four). She is the only member of the New York Liberty on the U.S. roster, with Sabrina Ionescu notably absent, but will likely see her international teammates on the World Cup stage.

“We’ll probably have more than half of our team going to the World Cup,” Stewart said Wednesday ahead of the Liberty’s win over the Seattle Storm.

The national team roster has a combined 14 Olympic and nine World Cup gold medals among the players.

“This is an incredibly talented group that has earned the opportunity to compete in Berlin,” USA Basketball women’s national team managing director Sue Bird said in a statement. “Wearing a USA jersey is a privilege, and I know these 12 players will embrace that responsibility as we go after another gold medal. I can’t wait to see what this team accomplishes together.”

Bird was named the first managing director of the national team last May and has been responsible for identifying the coaching staff and players for the 2028 Olympic cycle, including competitions leading up to it. The USA Basketball Board of Governors approved her selections.

The team will be coached by Duke head coach Kara Lawson, who will be assisted by Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase, Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts and Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White.

Dallas Wings head coach Jose Fernandez and Duke assistant coach Tia Jackson will serve as scout coaches for the national team.

“It’s been a long process to whittle it down to 12 players, and I think that speaks to just the talent we have in our country across the board,” Lawson said in a statement. “These 12 have earned it through their play and their consistency. I couldn’t be more excited about working with each of them, and I’ve had a good experience with each of them.”

The U.S. women’s national team won its fourth consecutive World Cup gold medal in 2022, beating China 83-61 in the championship game.

The national team opens group play against China on Sept. 4 before facing Italy on Sept. 6 and Czechia on Sept. 7. The top team from each of the four groups advance to the quarterfinals on Sept. 10. Meanwhile, a play-in round for the other eight national teams takes place on Sept. 8 and 9.

The semifinals will be played on Sept. 12 and the World Cup final on Sept. 13.

The WNBA season will pause from Aug. 31 to Sept. 16 for the World Cup. The Liberty will have four games remaining in the regular season when they resume action on Sept. 18 against the Minnesota Lynx.

“It’s really not that many days of practice,” Stewart said of the turnaround from the WNBA to the World Cup. “Going against the best teams in the world is no joke. I think the World Cup is the harder competition between that and the Olympics just from a schedule standpoint. When we get together, we’ll be ready.”