February 12, 2026
FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament roster and coaching staff announced
World Cup champions Kelsey Plum, Kahleah Copper and Chelsea Gray will lead Team USA
The 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament is right around the corner, and USA Basketball has announced the final roster and coaching staff that will represent the country in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from March 11-17.
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The players representing the U.S. include:
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The roster is full of players with experience playing for USA Basketball at all levels. Copper, Gray, Plum, and Young helped lead their squad to a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics. Hamby and Howard clenched a bronze medal while participating in the 2024 3×3 games in Paris. In addition, Plum has won two World Cup Championships in 2022 and 2018, and Copper and Gray won a title in 2022.
For Bueckers, Citron, Clark, Iriafen, and Reese, this will be their first time competing with the senior national team.
The staff leading the team includes:
Lawson’s USA Basketball career began in 1998 when she won a bronze medal at the USA World Youth Games. She won a gold medal at the 2001 World University Games, 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, and 2008 Olympic Games. Recently, she served as the head coach of the 2025 USA Women’s AmeriCup Team and led the team to a 7-0 record and a gold medal. Lawson, head coach at Duke, also led the inaugural U.S. Olympic 3×3 Women’s Basketball Team to a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. In 2024, she was an assistant coach for the Women’s National Team at the Olympics in Paris and won a gold medal.
Nakase is the head coach of the Valkyries. After making her WNBA head coaching debut in 2025, she won the WNBA’s Coach of the Year Award and led the team to a 23-21 record. Before becoming a head coach, she was an assistant coach for the Las Vegas Aces and helped lead the team to championships in 2022 and 2023.
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Tibbetts made his USA Basketball coaching debut in 2011 when he served as the head coach of the USA Men’s Pan American Games. He became head coach of the Mercury in 2023 following a 10-year stint coaching in the WNBA and NBA G League. He also served as an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
The USA Basketball team will begin its World Cup Qualifying competition on March 11 against Senegal. They will then play Puerto Rico on March 12, Italy on March 14, New Zealand on March 15, and Spain on March 17. The 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup is set to take place from September 4-13 in Berlin.
