USA FIBA World Cup roster: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese headline star

The U.S. women's basketball team has long been considered the best in the world. It will look to maintain its place at the top of the totem pole at the 2026 FIBA World Cup.

Team USA is the most dominant team in the competition's history, winning 11 of its 19 tournaments. The Americans have trotted to the top of the podium on four straight occasions, cementing their status as the world's finest side.

After claiming a title in dramatic fashion during the 2024 Olympics, the Americans will attempt to retain their status in this year's tourney. They're calling the big guns to do so, with Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers all slated to get a chance to make their mark in their first senior international competitions.

With that, here's a look at Team USA's roster for the 2026 World Cup.

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USA FIBA World Cup women's basketball roster

Clark, Reese and Bueckers are the headliners of the 12-woman unit. They're joined by a handful of other notable talents, including three-time Olympic gold medalist Breanna Stewart and A'ja Wilson, the World Cup's MVP in 2022.

Here's how the rest of the U.S.'s roster shapes up.

Who coaches the U.S. women's basketball team?

The U.S. roster will be helmed by Kara Lawson, who took the reins of the side in 2025, replacing the outgoing Cheryl Reeve. Lawson has experience on the sidelines, serving as Duke's coach. She previously served as an assistant for the Celtics prior to joining the Blue Devils and featured on Reeve's 2024 Olympics staff as an assistant, helping guide the U.S. to gold.

Here's who will join Lawson on the U.S.'s bench during the 2026 World Cup.

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Team USA women's basketball World Cup history

The United States have tended to shine in international competition, particularly when World Cup glory is up for grabs. The U.S. women's team has been the competition's most successful side, draping its neck in gold 11 times.

That's not to say those outside the U.S. are not improving; France nearly upset the Stars and Stripes during the 2024 Olympic final. Nevertheless, Team USA has remained the preeminent force in international tournaments as of late. Given the firepower on display in Lawson's ranks, there's a good chance that reputation continues to shine through at this year's World Cup.

Here's a look at the U.S. women's outing

Team USA basketball 2026 World Cup schedule

Team USA qualified for the World Cup by winning the 2025 Women's AmeriCup. Lawson's team will start its campaign with a tilt against China on Sept. 7. The group stage will run from Sept. 4-7, with the field slimming from 16 to 12 ahead of the qualification round. Group winners will automatically gain entry into the quarterfinals, while group runner-ups and third-place teams will take part in the qualification.

Olivia Miles leads the list of notable absences from the U.S. ranks for the 2026 World Cup. The Lynx standout has emerged as an MVP candidate in her maiden campaign, averaging 19.7 points, 5.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds while leading Minnesota to the best record in basketball. Miles wasn't invited to December's training camp — unsurprising given that she was finishing her senior year at TCU — and wasn't included on U.S.'s qualifying roster in March, so it's not entirely surprising that she failed to make the grade on Lawson's side. Still, her performances thus far appear to indicate that she's ready to wear her country's colors in the primetime.

Sabrina Ionescu, Allisha Gray and Kelsey Mitchell can also count themselves unlucky to miss out on the roster. Ionescu was a part of the U.S.'s gold-medal winning rosters in the 2022 World Cup and 2024 Olympics. She has missed 12 games due to injury, although she has looked much improved since returning to action, averaging 20.7 points, 5.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds on 46.0/38.0/92.7 shooting splits since the start of July.

Gray garnered MVP consideration in 2025, anchoring the Dream to their best-ever record. She has put forth similar numbers in 2026 — albeit on slightly worse efficiency.

Lastly, Mitchell is arguably the WNBA's greatest pure scorer. The Ohio State alum has seen her numbers surge since Clark's arrival in Indiana. In 2026, she's averaging 24.0 points, the second-best mark in the league. Mitchell's scoring punch would likely sizzle on Lawson's talent-laden roster, although it could be argued that Kelsey Plum and Kahleah Copper offer more from an all-around standpoint than Mitchell.