It has been a season of exceeding expectations for the Washington Mystics and their players in the WNBA, and now there is more good news. Earlier in August, Sue Bird revealed a 12-player roster for Team USA for the FIBA World Cup in Berlin, Germany. However, the initial squad has seen some changes in recent days, as Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson have been dropped for health reasons, paving the way for the inclusion of Mystics guard Sonia Citron and Forward Kiki Iriafen.
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Per USA Basketball’s announcement on August 31, the final squad now includes Aliyah Boston, Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Rhyne Howard, Kiki Iriafen, Angel Reese, Breanna Stewart and Jackie Young.
A’ja Wilson has been dealing with a recurrent back issue over the last week and apparently did not want to exacerbate it, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. Wilson is the reigning WNBA MVP and was also the MVP at the 2022 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics. She is averaging 26.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game this season, leading the league in scoring.
Kelsey Plum has been dealing with a calf issue for the majority of the season and did everything to make it to the World Cup squad, but could not meet the tight timeline.
“I did everything I could to be back on the court, but just ran out of time,” Plum wrote in an Instagram story on Monday. “After careful consideration and conversations with my family, team doctors, coaching staff, and front office, the decision has been made to shut it down through remainder of the season and focus on getting my body back to 100%… This is not an easy decision as I love to compete, but I know it’s the right one for the long term.”
Plum has been in fine scoring form, barring the time spent on the sidelines due to nagging injuries. In 17 games this season, she has averaged 21.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, playing for the Sparks and the Mercury.
Sonia Citron, the number three pick from the 2025 draft, will make her debut with the senior team. The guard out of Notre Dame was earlier part of the National team’s Training camp in December 2025, and now makes her full debut on the back of a stellar season with the Mystics, where she is averaging 16.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, leading the Mystics to playoff qualification. The team is currently seventh in the league with a 24-16 record. She leads the current Mystics team in points, assists, and steals.
Citron is joined by her teammate Kiki Iriafen, who made her debut with the USA Basketball team in the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, this year. The guard out of Stanford has also enjoyed a good season with the Mystics, averaging 15.3 points,9.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 0.7 steals per game across 37 games.
Since their surprise 2006 loss to Russia in the semifinals, Team USA has won the gold medal at every World Cup. The current USA team now relies heavily on its core young talent to get the job done, now that two more veterans, A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum, have pulled out.
Fans are also excited to see what the combination of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will look like, playing on the same team.
The FIBA World Cup will take place from September 4 to September 13 in Berlin, Germany.
Team USA, in Group D, will play its first game against China on September 4, having last played in the final in Australia in 2022. They will face Italy on September 6 and Czechia on September 7, and will look to have a strong start as they make their bid for a fifth consecutive Women’s World Cup crown.