When Team USA plays at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026
When Team USA plays at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026
Kristie AckertMon, August 31, 2026 at 1:06 AM UTC
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Caitlin Clark will make her debut at the FIBA senior World Cup on Friday, Sept. 4. If you want to catch it, however, you're going to have to set your alarm. Team USA begins play in Berlin at 8:15 a.m. ET.
Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese will team up with Clark making their FIBA senior World Cup debuts. The three of them will spend Sept. 4-13 in Berlin next to A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart, on a team Sue Bird picked and Kara Lawson will coach, defending a title the United States has held since 2010 and a streak that runs deeper than that.
The Americans have not lost a World Cup game since 2006, when Russia beat them 75-68.
The tournament around them has changed, however.
FIBA cut the field to 12 teams for Sydney in 2022 and has now put it back at 16, in four groups, with a play-in game bolted on. Win your group and you go straight to the quarterfinals. Finish second or third and you play an extra game to get there. Finish fourth and you go home after three.
Belgium won EuroBasket last year. Australia won the Asia Cup, Nigeria won AfroBasket, and China lost the last final to the U.S. Germany is hosting and never finished better than 11th.
FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Groups -
Group A: Germany, Spain, Japan, Mali
Group B: France, Nigeria, Korea, Hungary
Group C: Australia, Belgium, Puerto Rico, Turkey
Group D: USA, China, Italy, Czechia
Schedule of games
All times Eastern
FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026: Full schedule - Group A -
Friday, Sept. 4, 5:30 a.m. - Japan vs Mali
Friday, Sept. 4, 11:45 a.m. - Spain vs Germany
Saturday, Sept. 5, Noon - Germany vs Japan
Saturday, Sept. 5, 5:30 a.m. - Mali vs Spain
Monday, Sept. 7, 11:50 a.m. - Japan vs Spain
Monday, Sept. 7, 11:50 a.m. - Germany vs Mali
FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026: Full schedule - Group B -
Friday, Sept. 4, 3 p.m. - Hungary vs France
Friday, Sept. 4, 8:30 p.m. - Korea vs Nigeria
Saturday, Sept. 5, 8:15 p.m. - Nigeria vs Hungary
Saturday, Sept. 5, 2:45 p.m. - France vs Korea
Monday, Sept. 7, 8:30 p.m. - Hungary vs Korea
Monday, Sept. 7, 8:30 p.m. - Nigeria vs France
FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026: Full schedule - Group C -
Friday, Sept. 4, 11:30 a.m. - Belgium vs Turkey
Friday, Sept. 4, 5:30 a.m. - Australia vs Puerto Rico
Sunday, Sept. 6, 11:45 a.m. - Puerto Rico vs Belgium
Sunday, Sept. 6, 5:30 a.m. - Turkey vs Australia
Monday, Sept. 7, 5:30 a.m. - Belgium vs Australia
Monday, Sept. 7, 5:30 a.m. - Puerto Rico vs Turkey
FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026: Full schedule - Group D -
Friday, Sept. 4, 8:15 a.m. - USA vs China
Friday, Sept. 4, 2:15 p.m. - Czechia vs Italy
Sunday, Sept. 6, 2:45 p.m. - Italy vs USA
Saturday, Sept. 5, 8:30 a.m. - China vas Czechia
Monday, Sept. 7, 2:45 p.m. - USA vs Czechia
Monday Sept. 7, 2:45 p.m. - Italy vs China
Qualification Round
Eight teams come out of the group stage without a quarterfinal spot. They play for four spots.
Tuesday Sept. 8
PI-1: Group A runner-up vs. Group B third place, TBD
PI-2: Group B runner-up vs. Group A third place, TBD
Wednesday, Sept. 9
PI-3: Group D third place vs. Group C runner-up, TBD
PI-4: Group C third place vs. Group D runner-up, TBD
QuarterfinalsThursday Sept. 10
It's a single-elimination tournament from here on out. The winner haven't played since Monday, they will face a team that played its way through.
QF-1: Group A winner vs. PI-3 winner
QF-2: Group B winner vs. PI-4 winner
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QF-3: Group C winner vs. PI-1 winner
QF-4: Group D winner vs. PI-2 winner
Semifinals Saturday Sept. 12
QF-1 winner vs. QF-4 winner
QF-2 winner vs. QF-3 winner
Final and third-place gamesSunday, Sept. 13
Third-place game 10:30 a.m.
Final 2 p.m.
How to watch the FIBA Basketball Women's World Cup
TNT has the exclusive U.S. English-language rights. All 36 games stream on HBOMax. Seventeen air on TNT and truTV, including every U.S. game.
Lauren Jbara hosts the studio show with Renee Montgomery and Tina Charles. Candace Parker will drop in for select shows. Brendan Glasheen calls games with Sarah Kustok, and Allie LaForce works the sidelines.
Friday, Sept. 4: USA vs. China (8:00 AM ET) TNT, truTV
Sunday, Sept. 6: USA vs. Italy (2:30 PM ET) TNT
Monday, Sept. 7: USA vs. Czechia (2:30 PM ET) TNT
Tuesday, Sept. 8: Playoff Qualification Round truTV (select games)
Thursday, Sept. 10: Quarterfinals TNT or truTV
Saturday, Sept. 12: Semifinals TBS, truTV
Sunday,Sept. 13: Third-Place Game & Final TNT, truTV
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When Team USA plays at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026
Source: “AOL Sports”
