Sabrina Ionescu Reacts to Snub From USA's 2026 Women's FIBA World Cup Roster

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu expressed some disappointment at not being part of the Team USA roster for the 2026 FIBA World Cup.

Asked about her omission on Saturday, Ionescu told reporters she was "disappointed" while being excited to watch the new players get their chance to shine on the world stage.

"Disappointed, of course," Ionescu said. "That's obviously something I wanted to participate in, but I think it's just maturity. I understand how difficult it is. I'm excited for a lot of the new faces that get to go and have the opportunity to do the World Cup."

The 12-person roster was unveiled on Thursday with Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Rhyne Howard, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young as the guards.

Seven of the 12 women on the squad are making their FIBA World Cup debut. Ionescu was part of the gold-medal winning American team at the 2022 World Cup and 2024 Olympics. She averaged 5.5 points and 3.3 assists in six appearances during the Paris Games.

Sue Bird, in her role as senior manager of USA women's basketball, was asked about Ionescu missing the cut during her appearance on NBC's Today.

"For Sabrina, for really all players who received calls, I just wanted to reiterate that this is a very tough roster to make," Bird said (h/t USA Today's Mitchell Northam). "I don't view it as a reflection of their play."

One potential explanation is Team USA automatically qualifies for the 2028 Olympics as the host nation, so getting new players experience on the international stage now can prepare them for future participation without the added pressure of trying to secure a spot in the Los Angeles Games.

Ionescu, Diana Taurasi, Jewell Loyd, Alyssa Thomas and Brittney Griner are members of the 2024 Olympic team not on the FIBA squad. Taurasi is the only one from that group who has since retired.

Given her history with USA Basketball, it would seem extremely likely Ionescu will be part of the 2028 team. But it does speak to how deep the guard spot is for America right now that Ionescu could be left off the World Cup roster.

The 2026 FIBA World Cup will be held from Sept. 4-13 in Germany. Team USA will open play against China in Group D. The U.S. has won four consecutive World Cup titles dating back to 2010.