The 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup will be staged in Berlin, Germany, with the championship game set for September 13, featuring 16 national teams competing for the sport’s highest honor. The United States enters as defending champion, aiming to capture a fifth straight gold medal and cement its dominance in women's international basketball.
U.S. Women's Team Eyes Fifth Straight Gold
Leading the U.S. roster are three former UConn standouts: Paige Bueckers, the 2025 NCAA champion making her World Cup debut; Napheesa Collier, a three‑time All‑American returning after winning Olympic gold in Paris 2024; and Breanna Stewart, the most decorated Huskies player, who will appear in her fourth World Cup after gold medals in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
International contenders add depth and intrigue to the field. France’s Gabby Williams, a UConn alum who led her nation in scoring, assists and steals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, will represent the tricolor for the first time. Hungary’s Dorka Juhász earns her inaugural World Cup berth after being named to the All‑Star Five at the 2026 qualifying tournament.
Puerto Rico’s Brianna Jones, a former Georgetown player, brings World Cup experience from the 2022 edition, while Nigeria’s Grace Efosa, a Providence alumna, becomes only the second Providence player to compete in a FIBA World Cup.
The tournament format consists of a single round‑robin stage in which all 16 teams face each other, with the top eight advancing to a knockout phase that culminates in the September 13 championship match.
With the eyes of the basketball world fixed on Berlin, the 2026 World Cup promises compelling storylines, from the United States’ pursuit of historic dominance to the rise of new stars representing diverse basketball traditions.