As the countdown to September’s 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup ticks down, the four-time defending champion United States has learned its path to history: the powerhouse U.S. squad will square off against China, Italy and the Czech Republic in Group D as it chases an unprecedented fifth consecutive World Cup crown.
Hosted in Berlin from September 4 to 13, this year’s tournament will force the WNBA to pause its regular season for nearly three weeks to allow top American players to compete for their national team, a scheduling adjustment that underscores the global event’s growing prestige. The U.S. women’s program has dominated this competition for nearly 15 years, claiming gold at every World Cup since 2010; their last missed top spot came in 2006, when they walked away with bronze. Most recently, the U.S. defeated China to claim gold at the 2022 tournament hosted in Australia, a rematch that fans could see in this year’s group stage play.
This year’s tournament marks a historic milestone for women’s basketball: following the runaway success of the 2022 Australia World Cup, organizers have expanded the competing field to 16 teams for the first time since 2018, up from the 12-team format that was used for many years. FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis explained that the expansion is a direct reflection of the rapid growth of the women’s game across the globe. “We just finished qualifiers with 24 teams that had never happened before. We had played before with 16 teams,” Zagklis said. “Women’s basketball has grown a lot and 12 teams didn’t fit the quality we had. Sixteen represents what we believe is today’s standards for our women’s game.”
The U.S. roster this year is shaping up to be an exciting blend of veteran stardom and emerging young talent. Superstars A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart are expected to anchor the squad, while three of the most hyped young players in the women’s game — Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese — are already proven competitors at the international level. The trio helped lead the U.S. to victory at the World Cup qualifying tournament held in Puerto Rico last month, confirming their ability to perform on the global stage.
Tournament play will follow a clear path to the final: the top team from each of the four groups will earn an automatic spot in the quarterfinals, while the second and third-place finishers from each pool will compete in knockout matches to claim the remaining four quarterfinal berths.
The full group draw features a range of compelling storylines across all pools. Host nation Germany, which is competing in its first Women’s World Cup since 1998, highlights Group A alongside Spain, Japan and Mali. Group B is headlined by France, which fell to the U.S. in the gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and also includes Nigeria, South Korea and Hungary. 2022 host Australia leads Group C, where it will face Belgium, Puerto Rico and Turkey.