Team USA was hit with two late, high-profile withdrawals, with both A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum pulling out of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. Yet rather than allowing these absences to cast doubt over their title hopes, the emerging stars, who the responsibility now seems to have fallen upon, appear ready to embrace the challenge. Angel Reese, in particular, seems to be approaching her World Cup debut with plenty of confidence, embodying the “next woman up” mentality that Team USA will need as it begins its pursuit of a fifth consecutive world title.
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Speaking in an exclusive interview published on the official FIBA website, Angel Reese made it clear that she does not feel any additional pressure because of the two absences. For her, even though Wilson and Plum take away two absolutely key pieces from the team, Reese does not believe their withdrawals should change the way the Americans approach the tournament. Instead, she fully trusts the talent that remains on the roster.
“I honestly don’t think so, because I think this team is so talented,” she said when asked if there might be any additional pressure. “Of course, A’ja brings a lot for us, for sure, her and KP. But we’re just trying to focus on who is here, figure that out, and make sure we’re all up to par and ready for the show.”
A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum were previously named among the 12-player roster set to represent Team USA in Berlin. However, they both withdrew from the roster just days before the tournament due to health reasons. Plum is dealing with a lingering lower-leg injury that has also ruled her out for the remainder of the WNBA season, while Wilson’s withdrawal came amid concerns surrounding her health and a back issue.
Of course, these are indeed two very key pieces in the American setup. Going by their performances in the last edition of this same tournament in 2022, it is safe to say the team has just lost a combined scoring production of 33.0 points per game. At the last FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2022, Wilson led Team USA with 17.2 points per game, while Plum added 15.8.
That came alongside their respective contributions in other areas, with Wilson averaging 7.5 rebounds per game and Plum handing out 4.2 assists per game during the tournament.
Those massive, championship-proven shoes are what some of the younger players, including Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark or Kiki Iriafen, and Sonia Citron, who replaced Wilson and Plum on the roster, might now have to help fill. Of course, the team is not entirely devoid of veterans now that Wilson and Plum are gone. Players like Breanna Stewart, Chelsea Gray, and Kahleah Copper are still very much around to shoulder the load and provide essential leadership. And, as Reese pointed out, she is very much excited to share the court with these veterans and experience the tournament alongside them.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Reese said. “We have a great group, and we’re looking to come here to win. There are a lot of great veterans who have come before us, and we’re still playing with a lot of great vets. I think Stewie is one who has paved the way for a lot of us.
“She has won a lot of gold medals, so I’m excited to be able to play with her and be here with her. But also, being one of the young ones – young and ‘turnt’ crew – and being able to come in here, soak it all up and have fun.”
And ff course, despite quite literally losing two of their biggest stars in Wilson and Plum, Team USA is still heading into this tournament as overwhelming favorites. In fact, A’ja Wilson was not around for the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament in March, and they still handled the assignment flawlessly.
The young squad that included Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers and Kiki Iriafen, making their senior national team competitive debuts, went 5-0 in San Juan to secure Team USA’s ticket to Berlin.
There’s no doubt that they’ll once again be able to lean on that depth. And with Reese embracing the challenge rather than fearing it, Team USA may have already found the mentality it needs to overcome the biggest absences on its roster.