FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Draw Principles Set, Full Seedings, Pots Revealed

FIBA set out the ground rules ahead of the Women's Basketball World Cup draw on April 21.

The 16-team field is set for September's tournament, and they're split equally across four pots. Host country Germany is in Pot 1 and will be automatically placed into Group A.

FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 Pots

Pot 1

• Germany
• United States
• France
• Australia

Pot 2

• China
• Belgium
• Spain
• Nigeria

Pot 3

• Japan
• Puerto Rico
• Italy
• South Korea

Pot 4

• Turkey
• Czechia
• Mali
• Hungary

Beyond the pot procedure, FIBA has further restrictions on which teams can fall where. Only two European countries can be drawn into the same group, and up to one country from each of the Africa, Americas and Asia/Oceania regions can wind up together.

The United States has won the past four World Cups. Its international dominance is even more pronounced in the Olympics, where 1992 is the last year Team USA failed to earn gold.

The gap between the U.S. and the rest of the world is closing a bit. France nearly forced overtime in the final of the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Still, the Americans will head to Berlin as the heavy favorites. Nobody else can match the depth of talent available to coach Kara Lawson.

Having already punched a ticket for the World Cup, the United States rolled through its five games in March's qualifying tournament. The run ended with an 84-70 victory over Spain, a contest in which the U.S. led by as many as 22 points.

Lawson didn't even have three of her best players. A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier were all absent in Puerto Rico, and they're locks for the World Cup as long as they're healthy.

The event is also likely to be Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers' first major tournament for the senior squad. Both have won gold medals for the United States at the youth level.

Regardless of its road through the group stage, a gold medal will be the expectation for Team USA.