As the WNBA season pauses following Sunday’s regular-season games, three former UConn women’s basketball players are traveling to Berlin, Germany, to compete for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup. The tournament runs from Sept. 4–13, with the WNBA regular season scheduled to resume on Sept. 17.
Team USA Roster and UConn Connections
Guards and forwards Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings, Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx, and Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty were named among the 12 players selected for the national team roster. They are joined by Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Rhyne Howard, Kelsey Plum, Angel Reese, A’ja Wilson, and Jackie Young.
The U.S. squad will be coached by Duke coach Kara Lawson. The team opens tournament play against China on Sept. 4, pursuing its fifth consecutive World Cup title and 12th overall. Team USA carries a 30-game World Cup winning streak that dates back to 2010, capped by an 83–61 victory over China in the 2022 gold medal game.
International Experience and Milestones
Breanna Stewart returns after winning the 2022 World Cup title and capturing an Olympic gold medal in Paris in 2024 alongside Napheesa Collier. This marks Stewart’s fourth World Cup appearance, placing her alongside former UConn stars Sue Bird (five appearances) and Diana Taurasi (four appearances) as the only U.S. players to reach that mark.
Collier returns to major international competition after an 11-month rehabilitation following surgery on both ankles, having played her first WNBA game back on July 22. Meanwhile, Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark will both make their senior national team debuts at a World Cup event. Bueckers previously won gold at FIBA junior competitions, while Clark enters the roster following public attention surrounding her omission from the 2024 Olympic team.
Global Competition and Rival Standouts
France presents a primary challenge to American dominance, featuring eight WNBA players on its roster. The French side features former UConn standout Gabby Williams, who plays for the Golden State Valkyries and led France in points, assists, and steals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. France narrowly lost the 2024 Olympic gold medal game to the U.S. by a 67–66 margin after Williams’ final-second jump shot landed just inside the three-point line.
Williams will be joined in Berlin by Connecticut Sun guard Leila Lacan, who has averaged 11.6 points and 4.6 assists this season and also played for France in Paris. The French team opens group play on Sept. 4 against Hungary, a squad that features former UConn and Minnesota Lynx player Dorka Juhasz.
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