What's happened
USA Basketball has announced its 12-player roster for the Berlin World Cup, led by Breanna Stewart and a mix of veterans and first-time World Cup players. Sabrina Ionescu has been left off the squad, a decision that executives say weighs multiple factors as the team shifts toward a post-Olympic era.
What's behind the headline?
Analysis
- The roster signals a strategic pivot toward youth without discarding elite experience. Breanna Stewart remains a cornerstone, while first-timers like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are poised to shoulder leadership roles on the global stage.
- The omission of Sabrina Ionescu is framed around roster balance and future plans, but the exact rationale is not publicly detailed, leaving room for interpretation about injury status vs. strategic fit.
- This development will accelerate the U.S. program’s transition toward a “new guard” ahead of Los Angeles 2028, with possible adjustments in training camps and international scheduling.
- The timing matters: Berlin hosts the World Cup in September, giving the team weeks to integrate newcomers before tournament play.
How we got here
The U.S. roster decision follows the 2024 Olympic team and the 2022 World Cup victory, with Sue Bird guiding the selection process. Several veterans will not return for Berlin, while seven first-timers join the team, signaling a transition ahead of Paris 2028.
Our analysis
- The New York Times Business reports on Ionescu's omission and Bird's strategy for Berlin. - The New York Post provides context on the roster composition and the host nation’s lineup. - NBC’s Today Show announced the roster alongside commentary from USA Basketball leadership.
Go deeper
- Will Sabrina Ionescu regain a roster spot by Paris 2028?
- Which first-time World Cup players are most equipped to lead the team this fall?
- How will the absence of Ionescu affect team dynamics and on-court rotations?
More on these topics
-
Berlin - Capital of Germany
Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3,769,495 inhabitants make it the most populous city proper of the European Union. The city is one of Germany's 16 federal states.
-
Sabrina Ionescu - American basketball player
Sabrina Elaine Ionescu is an American professional women's basketball player for the New York Liberty of the Women's National Basketball Association. She played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks.
-
Caitlin Clark - American basketball player
Caitlin Clark is an American college basketball player for the Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten Conference.
-
Diana Taurasi - American basketball player
Diana Lorena Taurasi is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association. She was drafted by Phoenix first overall in the 2004 WNBA draft.
-
Napheesa Collier - American basketball player
Napheesa Collier, nicknamed "Phee", is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association. Collier is also a founder of the Unrivaled basketball league along with Breanna Stewart.
-
Kahleah Copper - American basketball player (born 1994)
Kahleah Copper ( kə-LEE-ə; born August 28, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Rose of Unrivaled. She was drafted with the seventh overall pick by the Washington Mystics in 2016, and was traded to the Chicago Sky the next year. After three years as a bench player with the Sky, she was elevated to a starting role in 2020. She emerged as a star player in 2021, being named a WNBA All-Star for the first time. Copper led the Chicago Sky during the 2021 playoffs, being named WNBA Finals MVP as the team won their first title in franchise history. Copper won an Olympic Gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
-
Rhyne Howard - American basketball player
Rhyne Howard is an American college basketball player for the Kentucky Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference. She graduated from Bradley Central High School located in Cleveland, Tennessee in 2018.
-
Chelsea Gray - Professional basketball player
Chelsea Nichelle Gray is a professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association. She was the eleventh pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft. She missed the 2014 WNBA season due to injury, but she made her debut with t
-
Aliyah Boston - American basketball player
Aliyah Boston is an American college basketball player for the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Southeastern Conference. She plays the power forward and center positions.
-
Paige Bueckers - American basketball player
Paige Bueckers is an American basketball player who attended Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota. A five-star recruit and the number one player in the 2020 class, she is committed to play college basketball for UConn.
-
Breanna Stewart - American basketball player
Breanna Mackenzie Stewart is an American professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association.
-
Alyssa Thomas - American basketball player
Alyssa Thomas (born April 12, 1992) is an American professional basketball forward for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for the Laces of Unrivaled. She played college basketball for the Maryland Terrapins. The New York Liberty drafted Thomas 4th overall in the 2014 WNBA draft, and immediately traded her to the Connecticut Sun along with Kelsey Bone and a 2015 first-round draft pick in exchange for Tina Charles. Thomas is the University of Maryland's all-time leader in scoring, rebounding and double-doubles for the women's program, and one of nine athletes in NCAAW history with six career triple-doubles. Thomas is the WNBA's career leader in triple-doubles. She is the only player to record 15+, 15+, 10+ with 0 turnovers in WNBA history. She won gold medals for Team USA at the 2022 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Summer Olympics. Known as "AT", Thomas's nickname is "The Engine".
-
Brittney Griner - American basketball player
Brittney Yevette Griner is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association. She played college basketball for the Baylor Lady Bears in Waco, Texas. She is the only NCAA basketball player to
-
New York Liberty - Basketball team
The New York Liberty is an American professional basketball team based in the New York metropolitan area, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association.
-
USA Basketball - Non-profit organization
USA Basketball is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States Olympic & Paralympic
-
Los Angeles - Sport
Test cricket is the form of the sport of cricket with the longest match duration, and is considered the game's highest standard.
-
Sue Bird - American-Israeli basketball player
Suzanne Brigit Bird is an Israeli-American professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association. Bird was drafted by the Storm first overall in the 2002 WNBA Draft. She held a front office position for the NB
-
Jewell Loyd - American professional basketball player
Jewell Loyd is an American professional basketball player for Perfumerias Avenida of Spain's Liga Femenina de Baloncesto and the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association.
-
New York Post - Newspaper
The New York Post is a daily newspaper in New York City. The Post also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com and the entertainment site Decider.com. The modern version of the paper is published in tabloid format.
-
Angel Reese - American basketball player
Angel C. Reese is an American college basketball player for the LSU Tigers of the Southeastern Conference. She attended Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore, Maryland, where she was awarded with McDonald's All-American honors in 2020 and was ranked the numb