Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers was among the WNBA players picked to join the 2026 Basketball Women's National Team ahead of next month's FIBA World Cup tournament in Berlin, the program announced Tuesday.
Joining stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the team hopes to secure the program's 12th gold medal and fifth straight championship at the tournament.
During the World Cup, scheduled for Sept. 4-13 in Berlin, Team USA will compete against China, Italy, and the Czech Republic during pool play. To allow players to participate in the event, the WNBA season will pause for roughly three weeks.
The U.S. team qualified for World Cup play in March.
FIBA — or the International Basketball Federation — was established in Geneva in 1932 and oversees international competition standards. FIBA introduced a women's tournament in 1953.
In her second WNBA season, Bueckers is posting career-high averages of 20.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. Dallas is 19-12, the franchise's most successful run since its 22-win campaign in 2023. She also earned the highest vote total in the league to secure a starting spot in her second consecutive All-Star Game.
It's Bueckers' first appearance in the World Cup, though she previously earned gold in FIBA's junior competitions.
Dallas Wings head coach Jose Fernandez will also join Team USA in Germany as a scout coach.
Two other Wings players were also chosen to play for other countries.
The Dallas Wings placed Costanza Verona's contract on hold so she can join the Italian national team for World Cup training camps and exhibition games. Placing her contract on hold gives Dallas the flexibility to sign a developmental player in her absence.
Alanna Smith will also play in the tournament for Team Australia. Smith regularly represented the Australian Opals in international and FIBA competition. It's not clear if Smith’s contract with the Wings was also suspended.
Alexsis Jones is a reporter and producer for KERA News. Got a tip? Email Alexsis at ajones@kera.org.
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