The USA Women’s National Team roster is set for the FIBA World Cup in Berlin from September 4-13, and seven of the team’s 12 players will make their World Cup debut.
Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese and Jackie Young are all FIBA World Cup first-timers, while the rest of the roster is filled out by veterans Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and A’la’na Wija on the stage.
Stewart will make history as only 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 conspicuously absent, but will likely see her international teammates at the World Cup.
“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 has a total of 14 Olympic and nine gold medals at the World Championship among players.
“This is an incredibly talented group that has been given the opportunity to compete in Berlin,” USA Women’s Basketball Executive Director Sue Bird said in a statement. “Wearing the USA jersey is a privilege and I know these 12 players will embrace that responsibility as we go for another gold medal. I can’t wait to see what this team can accomplish together.”
Bird was named the first general manager of the national team last May and was responsible for identifying the coaching staff and players for the 2028 Olympic cycle, including the competitions that preceded it. The USA Basketball Board of Governors approved her selection.
She shared very little about her decision-making process other than emphasizing her desire for a roster with a mix of youth and experience.
Among the omissions, which included Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles, Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, Ionescu’s is perhaps the most notable given her experience with the senior national team and being in the prime of her career.
“It’s not a reflection of who they are as players,” Bird said. “It’s just not. There are so many players who have earned the right to be on this team. For Sabrina, a player who has been on this team before, she understands what it means to wear the jersey. It’s making choices for those who I think will be part of 12 to win a gold medal and complement each other.”
The team will be coached by Duke head coach Kara Lawson, assisted by Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase, Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts and Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White.
Dallas Wings head coach Jose Fernandez and Duke assistant coach Tia Jackson will serve as scouting coaches for the national team.
“It was a long process to get it down to 12 players, and I think that just speaks to the talent we have in our country around the world,” Lawson said in a statement. “These 12 have earned it with their play and consistency. I couldn’t be more excited to work 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 straight gold medal at the 2022 World Championships, defeating China 83-61 in the championship game.
The national team opens group play against China on September 4 before facing Italy on September 6 and the Czech Republic on September 7. The best teams from each of the four groups advance to the quarterfinals on September 10. In the meantime, the qualifying round for the other eight national teams will take place on September 8 and 9.
The semi-finals will be played on September 12, and the final of the World Cup on September 13.
The WNBA season will be on hiatus from August 31 to September 16 due to the World Cup. The Liberty will have four games left in the regular season when they resume action on September 18th against the Minnesota Lynx.
“There’s really not that many days of practice,” Stewart said of the turnaround from the WNBA to the World Series. “Against the best teams in the world is no joke. I think the World Cup is a tougher competition between that and the Olympics just from a scheduling standpoint. When we come together, we’ll be ready.”
