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This past weekend, USA Basketball Women’s National Team hosted training camp at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and 17 of the country’s top women’s basketball players participated. Players are currently battling for roster spots for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup, which will take place in September next year in Berlin.
Here was the full list of attendees at the Duke camp:
Ten of the 17 players were first-time senior camp participants: Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, Veronica Burton, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, Kiki Iriafen, Rickea Jackson, Lauren Betts, and JuJu Watkins. Watkins is out with an ACL tear, but remained a part of the weekend, while Betts marked the only active college player in participation.
Additionally, 7 senior camp returners participated in the weekend. Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, and Jackie Young were all on the Paris Gold Medal team, while Dearica Hamby won a 3×3 bronze medal in Paris. Brionna Jones is a 2022 FIBA World Cup champion, while Aliyah Boston has participated in various junior and senior competitions.
Duke head coach Kara Lawson led training camp and was assisted by WNBA coaches Natalie Nakase (Golden State Valkyries), Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix Mercury), and Stephanie White (Indiana Fever).
Throughout the weekend, USA Basketball shared scrimmage clips on social media, with the camp’s youngest players oftentimes matched up against the more veteran group.
Attending camp is not a prerequisite to competing in upcoming USA Basketball competitions. In fact, several near shoe-ins — like Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, and Napheesa Collier — were not in attendance due to other commitments, despite all being critical members of the Paris Olympics Gold Medal team. Several of the US’s top young players — like University of Connecticut stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong — were not invited. Final rosters are expected to be announced in the coming months.
While the national team camp is a precursor to World Cup competition, it also provides some insight into who could lace up for the US team in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The US women have won 8 straight Olympic Gold Medals and 4 straight World Championships.
