By Doug Feinberg Associated Press
September 2, 2026 - 11:34 am
BERLIN — The U.S. women’s nationalist squad is abbreviated connected signifier clip heading into a large contention wherever thing little than winning a golden medal is considered a failure.
The Americans volition person to jell rapidly if they anticipation to triumph a 5th consecutive FIBA women’s World Cup. The tourney begins Friday, erstwhile the U.S. plays China successful 1 of 8 games successful Berlin.
The Americans already person had a mates of practices successful Berlin since their staggered arrivals, marking the archetypal clip that the 12 players connected the squad were unneurotic arsenic a team. The U.S. is moving successful a clump of young, caller players similar Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, with fractional the roster making its World Cup debut.
Having small signifier clip is thing caller to the Americans.
“It’s bully to get the radical together. It’s a caller group. The beneficial happening astir america is that adjacent though we haven’t practiced with each different much, but we cognize our games truly good due to the fact that we scout each different each azygous time (in the WNBA),” said seasoned defender Chelsea Gray of the Las Vegas Aces. “So we cognize people’s strengths. I deliberation hoops players, we compartmentalize amended than anyone. So this is nary different, we’re going to person to larn connected the fly.”
They’ll person little clip to get acceptable due to the fact that this World Cup format is antithetic from the 2022 one. With 16 teams competing successful Germany alternatively of the 12 they had 4 years ago, each state volition play lone 3 games successful the preliminary round, down from 5 successful Australia. That gives the U.S. less games to fig retired rotations and enactment connected its on-court chemistry, but it does springiness them much remainder time.
“It’s conscionable much of being truly focused and locked successful erstwhile we bash person our clip together, and we cognize that there’s a batch of accusation to install,” manager Kara Lawson said. “I don’t deliberation it’s changed the mode I would usually coach. It’s conscionable being precise nonstop with what we privation done, and they were large contiguous successful signifier astatine picking up a batch successful a abbreviated play of time.”
If the Americans bash triumph their group, which besides includes China, the Czech Republic and Italy, they’ll person 2 days disconnected earlier the quarterfinals. Gray doesn’t caput having less games.
“It’s little connected our bodies honestly, particularly with the intermission successful the WNBA season,” the 33-year-old Gray said. “I similar a small spot of a break.”
Usually the World Cup begins close aft the WNBA play finishes. This time, the league is pausing for 2 weeks due to the fact that of the planetary competition.
“It’s decidedly different,” said Breanna Stewart, who has helped the U.S. triumph the past 3 World Cup golden medals.
English (US)·