The United States women's national basketball team has long been regarded as the strongest team in international competitions.
However, at this tournament in Berlin, the growth of other countries' capabilities and the absence of key players are drawing attention alongside the United States' bid for the title.
The search term ‘world’ refers to interest observed in the U.S. search market, not to the tournament venue or the location of an event.
3-Line Summary
1. The Women's Basketball World Cup will be held in Berlin
2. The United States is seeking a 5th consecutive title
3. Even a strong roster must be assessed alongside absences and depth
The United States Has Not Lost at the World Cup Since 2006
The United States will begin this FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup with its opening game against China. FIBA is the International Basketball Federation, and this tournament is a world championship stage contested by national teams. According to reports, the tournament will be held in Berlin and continue through September 13.
The United States' record is exceptionally clear. The United States has won 14 gold medals in the past 15 Olympics and World Cups, and has recorded 8 consecutive Olympic titles. At the World Cup, it has reached the top in 6 of the past 7 editions. If it wins this time, it will be 5 consecutive World Cup titles.
Looking only at the World Cup, the United States has not lost since falling to Russia, 75-68, in the semifinals in 2006. It has since won 30 consecutive games, with figures also showing that it defeated opponents by an average margin of 32.1 points. Its past 23 games have all been double-digit victories.
That record, however, does not establish the outcome of this tournament. In the past four World Cup finals, the United States faced the Czech Republic, Spain, Australia, and China, respectively. The fact that its final opponent has continued to change also means that the group of teams chasing the United States has not been fixed around a single country.
Wilson and Plum Are Out, and Replacements Have Been Chosen
There have been changes to this roster. A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum decided not to participate in the tournament for health reasons. Wilson led the United States in scoring at the past three major international tournaments, so her absence can be viewed as a significant gap rather than a simple roster change.
The United States has added Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron in their place. The national team is led by Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, and Chelsea Gray, among others, but The Boston Globe reported that more than half of this roster is making its World Cup debut. Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese are included on that list.
A roster in which both experienced players and newcomers have a larger presence is a defining feature of this United States team. Rather than concluding that Wilson's absence has been completely filled by just the two replacements, it is more appropriate to watch who takes on the central role in scoring and defense from game to game.
The Breadth of the Chase Shown by France, Belgium, and Australia
United States head coach Kara Lawson said that the depth of talent in international women's basketball has grown. She particularly assessed that this World Cup could be the most difficult tournament because of the depth of the player pool. This is not a prediction of the champion, but the judgment of the United States national team coach.
France retained a substantial portion of the squad that nearly defeated the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Gabby Williams, Carla Leite, Pauline Astier, and Dominique Malonga are mentioned. Belgium, as European champions, has Emma Meesseman and Julie Allemand, while Australia won bronze medals at the 2022 World Cup and the Paris Olympics.
Host nation Germany will be without Satou Sabally, who is missing the tournament and the remainder of the WNBA season because of a head injury. Japan is introduced as strong in rapid offensive and defensive transitions and the use of perimeter spacing, while China is presented as having interior strength through Li Yueru and Han Xu. Nigeria is also a team that pushed the United States into a close game in Paris.
At this tournament, more than 50 active WNBA players are expected to participate across 15 of the 16 participating countries. Even if the United States has the largest concentration of WNBA players, this is a stage where league experience is spread across multiple national teams—a point that differs from the one-sided comparisons of the past.
The Schedule Changed as the WNBA Paused in September
Because of this World Cup, the WNBA will suspend league play during the tournament. The league will resume on September 17, and every team will play 4 games to complete the regular season. The New York Times reported that although the WNBA has previously taken a break because of the Olympics, this is the first time it has stopped because of the World Cup.
The 2022 World Cup began on September 22, and the WNBA regular season had 36 games at the time. In contrast, in 2026 the tournament begins earlier and the league schedule has been extended to 44 games, requiring adjustments. This is why the tournament affected not only national-team games but also the schedule of the North American professional league.
The 2030 World Cup is already scheduled to be held in November. However, this is a plan concerning the future schedule and should be distinguished from the competitive landscape of this Berlin tournament. What can be confirmed at this World Cup is the United States' pursuit of consecutive titles and the strength of the various national teams seeking to narrow its advantage.
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