The 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup will open in Berlin, Germany, bringing together 16 nations in a competition that has become a showcase for the sport’s rising global profile.
Team USA enters the tournament with a 14‑year unbeaten streak in World Cup play, a run that began after their 2010 title and has never been broken, the last defeat coming at the hands of Russia in 2006.
Star‑Studded Debut
This year’s roster will feature a wave of fresh talent, as Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese make their senior World Cup debuts. They will be joined by veterans A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and coach Kara Lawson, who together aim to preserve the United States’ dominance.
The United States opens its campaign against China on September 4 at 8:15 a.m. ET, a match that will be televised live on TNT and streamed on HBOMax, with additional U.S. games also airing on truTV.
Format and Broadcast
The field is divided into four groups, and a play‑in round will award extra quarterfinal spots before the single‑elimination knockout stage culminates in the final on September 13. All 36 games of the tournament will be streamed on TNT and HBOMax, ensuring broad exposure for the growing audience.
Germany, the host nation, has never finished higher than eleventh in the history of the Women’s Basketball World Cup, underscoring the challenge facing the home side as they seek to surprise the traditional powerhouses.
Beyond the on‑court action, the event reflects a broader momentum for women’s sports, with increased media investment and a expanding fan base that promises to reshape the landscape of international basketball.