Paige Bueckers, the absolute star guard for the Wings, is officially headed to Berlin as part of Team USA’s roster for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup. USA Basketball dropped the news Thursday, confirming Bueckers as one of six guards rounding out a lineup that’s just ridiculously stacked. We’re talking Caitlin Clark, Chelsea Gray, Rhyne Howard, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young all in that guard room. Talk about a tough squad!
The Rising Star Hits the World Stage
This isn’t just another game for Bueckers, this is her debut at a major international competition. She’s no stranger to gold, though. This phenom already has four youth and junior gold medals under her belt, snatching them up at the 2017 Americas U16 Championships in Buenos Aires, the 2018 U17 World Cup in Minsk, the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, and the 2019 U19 World Cup in Thailand. That’s a serious trophy case before even hitting the big time! USA Basketball Women’s National Team managing director Sue Bird put it perfectly, calling this an “incredibly talented group that has earned the opportunity to compete in Berlin.” She knows wearing that USA jersey is a privilege, and this team is absolutely embracing that responsibility as they chase another gold.
The roster they’ve assembled for Berlin is seriously elite, boasting a combined 14 Olympic and nine World Cup gold medals already. Plus, we’ve got Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson, the 2022 tournament MVP, running it back after that epic 83-61 win over China in the finals. Coach Kara Lawson has her work cut out for her, but what a problem to have! Wings coach Jose Fernandez will even be there, serving as a scout coach on Lawson’s staff.
WNBA Pauses as Bueckers Shines
The FIBA World Cup is going down from September 4-13, meaning the WNBA season is hitting pause, just like it did for the 2024 Olympiad. Bueckers will play her last WNBA game on August 30 at home against the Connecticut Sun, then it’s off to Berlin. Her next WNBA game back home against the Los Angeles Sparks won’t be until September 17. The grind is real, but the opportunity is bigger.
Right now, as of August 6, Bueckers is sitting at seventh in the WNBA in scoring with 20.1 points per game and also seventh in assists with 5.9 dimes per game. She’s putting up numbers, she’s a leader, and now she gets to showcase that talent on the ultimate international stage. Team USA has won the last four World Cups, including that historic run in Sydney that marked the first time any team had snagged four in a row. Can they make it five? With this squad and Bueckers making her major debut, you just know they’re coming for that gold.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mavs Moneyball.
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