Bird is the managing director of the women's national team, and she chose Bueckers to play in the upcoming FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament.
The United States will be taking a touch of Connecticut with it to the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament next month.
On Wednesday, USA Basketball revealed the 12-player roster and the coaching staff for the event, to be held March 11-17 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It’s a roster put together by former UConn great and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member Sue Bird, who is the managing director for the women’s national team.
The roster includes a mix of newcomers and players with repeat senior national team experience.
One of those first-time players is another UConn product, Paige Bueckers, who is heading into her second WNBA season with the Dallas Wings after being named league rookie of the year in 2025.
Joining Bueckers as a new headliner is Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, the WNBA’s top rookie in 2024. Other newcomers are Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics), Kiki Iriafen (Mystics) and Angel Reese (Chicago Sky).
Kara Lawson, the head women’s basketball coach at Duke, will lead the team in the tournament Sept. 4-13 in Berlin. The U.S. will be looking to win a fifth consecutive World Cup gold medal and its 12th overall.
She is happy to have the senior team rookies on the squad.
"They're really bringing something new to our sport, a kind of excitement, but also fan communities that follow them everywhere they go,” she told the FIBA website.
"And that's great. We have a great generation of young, very talented players coming up, and I'm looking forward to working with them.
"It will be good to have them in a position to play with Team USA this time and see how they jell with everyone, since there's already so much talent."
UConn guard Paige Bueckers celebrates in the second half during the national championship of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament against South Carolina in Tampa, Fla. Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesReturning senior team members
Coming back are 2024 Olympic gold medalists Kahleah Copper (Phoenix Mercury), Chelsea Gray (Las Vegas Aces), Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles Sparks) and Jackie Young (Aces). Dearica Hamby (Sparks) and Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream) won the 3x3 bronze medal at those same Olympics in Paris.
Plum won World Cup championship in 2018 and 2022; Copper and Gray were her teammates on the latter team.
Aliyah Boston (Fever) will rejoin Team USA for the first time since she played in the 2024 FIBA Women’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Belgium.
Three-time Olympic and world champion Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty) will take part in a training camp in Miami on March 7-8 but will not travel to San Juan.
The United States already has qualified for the World Cup, but the tournament will give Lawson a chance to work with potential team members. Bird also will have the opportunity to evaluate players before she finalizes the World Cup roster.
Lawson’s assistant coaches will be Natalie Nakase (Golden State Valkyries), Nate Tibbetts (Mercury) and Stephanie White (Fever). Jose Fernandez (Wings) and Tia Jackson (Duke) will serve as scout coaches in San Juan.
In the tournament, the United States will play Senegal (March 11), Italy (March 14), New Zealand (March 15) and Spain (March 17).
Other qualifying tournaments will be held in Istanbul; Lyon-Villeurbanne, France; and Wuhan, China.
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