USA Basketball announced on Monday, August 31, 2026, that A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum will miss the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup due to health reasons. Washington Mystics players Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen were named as their replacements on the national team roster. The tournament is scheduled to take place in Berlin from September 4 through September 13.
Wilson, a forward for the Las Vegas Aces and the 2024 Olympic MVP, has been managing back issues. According to a source with knowledge of the decision, she has missed only three regular-season games for the Aces this year. Plum, a guard for the Phoenix Mercury, has been limited to 17 games this season by a lower leg injury and announced on Instagram that she will also miss the remainder of the WNBA season. Mercury General Manager Nick U’Ren stated that the decision was made to prioritize Plum’s "long-term health."
The U.S. roster features several players making their World Cup debuts, including Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese. They will join veterans Breanna Stewart and Chelsea Gray as the U.S. attempts to win a fifth consecutive title. Citron is set to make her senior national team debut, while Iriafen previously played for the U.S. in the World Cup qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico earlier this year.
For WNBA fans and the Phoenix Mercury, the impact is centered on the loss of Kelsey Plum for the final stretch of the 2026 season. Plum had only appeared in five games for the Mercury following a trade deadline move. Fans of the Mercury, which is currently in a WNBA season that takes a hiatus until September 17 for the international tournament, will not see Plum return to the court until 2027. Plum is scheduled to become a free agent following this season.
The tournament features national teams divided into groups. The U.S. is in Group D and is scheduled to play its opening game against China on September 4, followed by games against Italy on September 6 and Czechia on September 7. Following the conclusion of the World Cup on September 13, WNBA regular-season play is scheduled to resume four days later on September 17.
What happens next: Team USA is scheduled to face China in its first group stage game on Friday, September 4, at 8:15 a.m. The tournament will conclude with the final on September 13. WNBA teams will return to their regular-season schedules on September 17.