A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum will not compete in the FIBA Women’s World Championship due to health reasons, Team USA announced Monday.
Plum will also miss the rest of the WNBA season with the Phoenix Mercury, the two-time WNBA champion announced on Instagram. Washington Mystics guard Sonia Citron and forward Kiki Iriafen will replace Plum and Wilson on the World Cup roster.
Wilson has been dealing with lingering back issues this season, and the FIBA schedule wouldn’t be conducive to her goal of returning to full health, according to a source with knowledge of the decision who spoke on condition of anonymity to protect the relationship. Even so, she was a rare scratch this WNBA season, missing just three regular season games for the Aces and the Commissioner’s Cup due to injury. Wilson was the MVP of the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2022 World Championships, with the USA winning gold in both. Plum, on the other hand, had an injury-plagued season, playing in just 17 games due to a calf injury. In Plum’s social media post, she said her focus is to get her body back to 100 percent.
“Kelsey is a competitor and wants nothing more than to be on the court with her teammates and compete for the Mercury,” Mercury general manager Nick U’Ren said. “We know how much it means to her to play and how much she means to our fans. Ultimately, it was about doing what’s best for Kelsey’s long-term health and making sure she has the time and support she needs to get back on the court at full strength.”
Plum, who was sent to the Mercury at the trade deadline, will be a free agent after this season and intends to go through the process. She played in just five games for the Mercury in 2026.
Citron will make his debut for the senior national team. She has been a constant presence in recent camps. This spring, Iriafen competed with the national team in the World Cup qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico. She averaged 5.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in five games.
The World Championship takes place in Berlin from September 4 to 13. The WNBA is on hiatus for competition until September 17.
The US women’s national team has won four consecutive World Cup titles and 11 in total. In 2006, it finished with a bronze medal.
This team marks the beginning of a new era for USA Basketball with young stars such as Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, Citron and Iriafen making their World Championship debuts. Aliyah Boston, Rhyne Howard, Jackie Young and Napheesa Collier will also compete in their first world championships.
The team will continue to have a large veteran presence with stars Breanna Stewart, Chelsea Gray and Kahleah Copper expected to carry a heavy load as they look to defend their gold at the 2022 World Championships.
