Team USA’s throne in women’s basketball will be under strain as they begin their campaign as defending champions at the FIBA World Cup in Germany. While they remain the most talented team in the tournament, A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum’s decision to withdraw could eventually cost the Americans, according to The Athletic’s WNBA reporter, Chantel Jennings.

“They played in the group stage in Tokyo. It was an 11-point game. They played in the gold medal game in Paris. One-point game. This is a team that is also building, and you have these last-minute shifts,” Jennings said on the No Offseason podcast.

“I’m not saying that it’s going to completely repeat itself, but… it’s not like you’re taking the sixth or seventh best player on Team USA who is still one of the best players in the world off of this roster. You are taking the best player in the world out of the picture.”

Team USA won the gold medal game against France in the 2024 Olympics in a nail-biting contest that ultimately ended 67-66 in USA’s favor. When the gold medal is at stake against one of the best teams in the world, a player like Wilson matters, and the USA national team finds itself in a similar situation two decades later.

“She occupies so much space for this team, and she provides so much, and she is their most reliable scorer and player in so many ways. I think of her as being sort of that level-steadying force… I think this is, even without A’ja, the most talented roster at this tournament. But when you take a player like A’ja Wilson away, that changes the calculus of everything,” Jennings added.

Wilson is arguably the best player in the WNBA on both ends of the floor. Her utter dominance on both ends has been unprecedented, and that gave the Americans an edge over every other team.

The Las Vegas Aces star is the most versatile scorer in the league and can score from anywhere on the floor. She is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. Take her away from that roster, and Team USA doesn’t have a player who could fulfill both responsibilities at the same time.

Additionally, Kelsey Plum’s decision to pull her name from the roster is also significant for the team. She is one of the best scorers in the world, and the team could have utilized her as an answer against the best defensive teams in the tournament. Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron have been named replacements for Wilson and Plum.

Meanwhile, Team USA’s coach Kara Lawson has also made adjustments to her strategy. Speaking to the media on September 1, the coach expressed that despite Wilson and Kelsey Plum pulling out, she wasn’t wondering about what could’ve been.

“We don’t have time to be worried about who’s not here. We’ve got to really focus on ourselves,” Lawson told reporters, as per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou.

Two years after the 2024 Paris Olympics, the threat is even more real for Team USA this year. The French team is now in a better position to challenge the Americans’ hegemony, and it starts with Dominique Malonga. At the Paris Olympics, Malonga was the youngest player on the team. Two years later, she is an experienced player who has played against every player on the Team USA roster. She can be a big trouble for everyone on both ends.

In her second season in the WNBA, Carla Leite has shown massive growth, emerging as one of the best players on the Portland Fire. With Gabby Williams and Janelle Salaun, the French team seems to be ready for the Americans.

Team USA features big stars like Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Angel Reese. While Stewart and Collier have seen it all, players like Clark and Reese haven’t played for the senior national team at such a big stage, especially on foreign soil.