Team USA Begins Quest for Fifth FIBA Women's World Cup Title

Team USA’s chase for a fifth straight FIBA Women’s World Cup crown starts now, with all the weight of history on its shoulders and a new generation ready to carry it.

The Americans open Group D play against China on Friday, Sept. 4, in Berlin, the first step in a campaign that has become less about expectation and more about obligation. This is the standard: nine World Cup titles in the last 12 editions, four in a row, and a program that measures itself only in gold.

A new era, same demand: gold

Kara Lawson takes the helm of a roster that looks different, feels different, but carries the same uncompromising target. The spotlight falls squarely on rising stars Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers, who now step into a tournament long defined by American dominance and veteran firepower.

They arrive without two of the biggest pillars of that dominance.

Four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, the engine and MVP of the 2022 World Cup, is out for health reasons. Kelsey Plum, another proven big-stage scorer, also won’t suit up in Germany. For once, Team USA comes into a major tournament with genuine questions about how it will replace that production and leadership.

The answers will have to come quickly. Group D is no stroll. Italy and Czechia round out the pool alongside USA and China, and the margin for error in a short tournament is always thinner than it looks on paper.

China hit by a late blow of its own

China, a growing force in the women’s game, has its own disruption to manage. Center Li Yueru, a two-time Olympian with the Dallas Wings and a key figure in China’s run to silver at the 2022 World Cup, won’t play after a passport issue prevented her from traveling to Berlin. A document lost in the mail has turned into a major competitive blow.

Her absence strips China of size, experience and a familiar anchor in the paint just as it prepares to face the deepest frontcourt pipeline in the world, even without Wilson.

USA vs. China: When and where

The World Cup opener for Team USA comes early for fans back home:

• Date: Friday, Sept. 4
• Time: 8:15 a.m. ET (5:15 a.m. PT)
• Location: Max-Schmeling-Halle, Berlin

The Americans begin their title defense in Europe, but their presence will be hard to miss on U.S. screens.

How to watch USA vs. China

TNT holds the exclusive U.S. English-language rights to the tournament. All 36 games will stream on HBO Max, with 17 of those also airing on TNT and truTV, including every Team USA matchup.

• TV Channels: TNT, truTV
• Streaming: HBO Max

Every possession from here on counts. Every U.S. game will be under the microscope.

Team USA’s World Cup group schedule

Group D will move quickly, with the Americans playing three games in four days:

• Friday, Sept. 4: USA vs. China | TNT, truTV, HBO Max (8 a.m. ET)
• Sunday, Sept. 6: USA vs. Italy | TNT, HBO Max (2:30 p.m. ET)
• Monday, Sept. 7: USA vs. Czechia | TNT, HBO Max (2:30 p.m. ET)

Top spot in the group carries a premium. The winner of each group goes straight to the quarterfinals on Thursday, Sept. 10, avoiding the extra hurdle and risk of a knockout play-in. Finish second or third, and the path gets steeper: those teams drop into the Playoff Qualification Round on Tuesday, Sept. 8, fighting for the final four quarterfinal berths.

From there, the stakes sharpen.

The semifinals are set for Saturday, Sept. 12 (TBS, truTV), with the third-place game and the final closing the tournament on Sunday, Sept. 13 (TNT, truTV).

For Team USA, the mission hasn’t changed. The faces have. The question now is whether this new core can keep the gold-medal streak alive in a World Cup that suddenly feels more open, more fragile—and far more intriguing.