Full Breakdown
USA Opens 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup with Dominant Win Over China
9/6/2026, 9:34:18 PM
Tournament Overview
The 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup runs from Sept. 4-13 in Berlin, Germany, with 16 national teams. Group D, drawn by FIBA rankings, includes the United States (rank 1), Czechia, Italy and China. The group-winner advances directly to the quarterfinals on Sept. 10; the second- and third-place teams enter a qualification round.
USA Roster and Coaching Staff
Team USA fields 12 current WNBA players, the deepest American roster in Berlin. Notable names include Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Rhyne Howard, Kiki Iriafen and Angel Reese, alongside veterans Breanna Stewart and Jackie Young.
Head coach Kara Lawson leads a staff that includes assistants Natalie Nakase, Nate Tibbetts and Stephanie White, with former WNBA head coaches Mike Thibault and Corey Gaines also on the bench.
Opening Game Highlights
On Sept. 4 the United States faced China in the tournament opener. Without four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and 2024 Olympic gold-medalist Kelsey Plum, the USA posted a 94-61 victory, extending its World Cup streak to 31 consecutive wins.
Caitlin Clark came off the bench to record 14 points and 11 assists—the most assists by an American woman in a World Cup game since Dawn Staley’s 12 in 1998 and a new benchmark for a debut performance. Clark and Bueckers each logged the game-high 14 points; Gray, Young, Copper, Collier and Stewart also scored in double figures. All 12 players logged at least 10 minutes and every roster member scored.
Official Reactions
China’s 7-foot-3 center Zhang Ziyu emphasized a collective defensive approach.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Being surrounded by five people that have won a gold medal before at the highest level, you just try to follow their lead and take every bit of wisdom that they can give you,” — Caitlin Clark, USA guard.
- “Caitlin was terrific coming off the bench, changing the tempo of the game, her playmaking,” — Kara Lawson, USA head coach.
Schedule and Next Matchups
Following the opening win, the United States’ next group game is against Italy on Sept. 8 (2:45 p.m. ET), with the final group-stage matchup versus Czechia on Sept. 9. If the USA finishes second or third in Group D, it will compete in the qualification round on Sept. 8 or 9, with a quarterfinal slot awaiting on Sept. 10.
A fire alarm on Sept. 4 awakened some players from other national teams at 2 a.m.; the United States, housed elsewhere, reported no disruption before its Italy game.
