The FIBA World Cup tips off on Friday with a 16-team field. More than 50 WNBA players, who are on a two-week break from the league, will take part in the competition as the United States seeks its fifth consecutive title, and 15 other federations attempt to dethrone the champs.Here’s what to know as play begins:What is on the line for the USA?It’s hard to overstate the Americans’ dominance in international competition. Since the creation of the WNBA, Team USA is undefeated in the Olympics — only three wins have come by single digits since 1996 — and it has lost only once in the world championships, which led to a third-place finish in 2006. The Americans have cleaned up at the four world championships since, with double-figure victories in every game but one during that stretch.Even without A’ja Wilson on this year’s roster, Team USA still has the best individual player in the tournament (whether you consider that to be Breanna Stewart, Caitlin Clark, Napheesa Collier or someone else, it’s an American) and the best collection of talent. It would be a considerable upset for the Americans to be beaten. Four of Team USA’s closest contests during the last 20 years, including the one loss, came to Russia, but that program has fallen off. Since its decline, no true basketball rival has emerged for the United States.USA Basketball heavily values international tournaments, from the youth level onward. It’s why the WNBA, which is the world’s premier basketball league, would take a break right before the postseason to accommodate the World Cup and why the best players in this league are eschewing a break of their own to compete. Success on the global stage matters.Here's what to know about the FIBA World CupSabreena MerchantHow will the young American roster look?For all of the skill Team USA brings to the table, it lost a lot of experience when Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) and Kelsey Plum (Phoenix Mercury) opted out of the tournament due to injuries. The pair have each competed in two Olympics and two World Cups, and Wilson has been the Americans’ leading scorer at the last three major international competitions.Without that duo, Team USA is left with three players with World Cup experience; Breanna Stewart is suiting up for the fourth time, while Chelsea Gray and Kahleah Copper both were on the 2022 roster. Only five players have represented the U.S. in five-on-five at a senior tournament (Rhyne Howard played 3×3 at the last Olympics). The team is so green that four players haven’t even appeared in a WNBA playoff game.Even the coaching staff is a little inexperienced at the international level. Duke coach Kara Lawson has come up through USA Basketball. She coached the inaugural 3×3 team in Tokyo, was an assistant during the last cycle under Cheryl Reeve and won the AmeriCup in 2025 with a roster of college players. But this is the first rodeo for the assistants: Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White, Phoenix coach Nate Tibbetts and Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase. It will be interesting to see how these coaches respond to game pressure; none has been the head coach of a WNBA or NCAA champion.During the qualifying tournament, the U.S. tended to start its veterans even though the minutes were relatively evenly distributed. Although Clark started one game, she played enough to earn MVP of the event. Lawson is expected to pick a more experienced starting five — something that includes Stewart, Gray and Copper plus one more guard and a center.