The United States of America (USA) Women’s Basketball National Team has announced the names of 18 players that will be part of their upcoming training camp scheduled from December 12 to 14 at the Duke University campus in Durham, North Carolina.
Among the 18 players, ten players will make their senior camp debut, including names like Lauren Betts, Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers, Veronica Burton, Sonia Citron, Caitlin Clark, Kiki Iriafen, Rickea Jackson, Angel Reese, and JuJu Watkins. In addition to that, six Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) veterans—Brittney Griner, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Kahleah Copper, Jackie Young, and Dearica Hamby—are taking part.
The other two names in the list are former WNBA player Aliyah Boston, who has represented the USA in several junior and senior-level competitions and camps, and 2022 FIBA World Cup champion Brionna Jones is also part of it. Besides Jones, Copper and Gray are also 2022 champions. Meanwhile, Plum and Griner are two-time World Cup champions. Plum was part of the 2018 and 2022 editions, and Griner in 2014 and 2018.
Meanwhile, Iriafen will be making her debut for USA Basketball. Watkins won’t participate on the court as she continues to recover from an ACL injury suffered in March. However, she will be in attendance and have the chance to learn about the women’s national team program.
Players like Clark, Bueckers, Watkins, Brink, Betts, Burton, and Citron have won gold medals for the USA team as juniors. On the other hand, players like Betts, Boston, Burton, Jackson, and Reese have already played for Team USA in the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup.
Former player Sue Bird, the new managing director of the USA Women’s National Team, will be evaluating the talents to make a team for the 2026 FIBA World Cup scheduled for next year from September 4 to 13 in Berlin. Team USA will look forward to winning their fifth consecutive World Cup title.
The training camp will be led by the new USA Basketball Women’s National Team and current Duke University head coach Kara Lawson. She will be assisted by WNBA court coaches, including Natalie Nakase (of the Golden State Valkyries), Stephanie White (of the Indiana Fever), and Nate Tibbetts (of the Phoenix Mercury). In the 2025 season, White led the Fever to 24 wins. Meanwhile, Tibbetts led Phoenix in the 2025 WNBA Finals. Nakase was named 2025 WNBA Coach of the Year and will make her debut for the USA.
(Inputs sourced from Yahoo Sports)
