The US women's national basketball team is preparing for the FIBA World Cup in Berlin with limited practice time ahead of the tournament. ^[1] The United States women's basketball team will debut at the World Cup in Berlin on September 4 without players A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum. ^[2] Half of the US women's national team roster, including 12 players total, are making their World Cup debut. ^[3] The US women's national team aims to win a fifth consecutive gold medal at the FIBA World Cup. ^[4] The US women's national team has had only a couple of practices in Berlin since their staggered arrivals. ^[5] Head coach Kara Lawson will lead the team and must find solutions to compensate for the absence of Wilson and Plum. ^[6] The USA team aims to win its fifth consecutive world title and twelfth overall title in its history. ^[7] Caitlin Clark has averaged over 22 points per game, over 8 assists per game, and almost 5 rebounds per game this season. ^[8] Dan Agulto, a writer for Story by Story, reported that a WNBA analyst claimed fans 'do not really care about winning' behind Caitlin Clark's MVP buzz. ^[9] Caitlin Clark will face her first major championship with the US national team and will be a primary offensive weapon alongside Paige Bueckers and Kahleah Copper. ^[10] Team USA head coach Kara Lawson went viral for criticizing Caitlin Clark's late-game mistakes in a 109-102 loss to the New York Liberty on August 22, 2026. ^[11]