Team USA is entering the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, which officially kicks off in nine days on September 4, as the overwhelming favorites. They have claimed 11 World Cup gold medals and have not lost a single game at the tournament since 2006, winning the last four consecutive editions. And with the roster assembled for this campaign, they’re expected to bring home a fifth consecutive title, but analyst Rachel DeMita doesn’t think that this will be an easy campaign for the defending champions.
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“Just today, the French team was also announced for the World Cup. And this is where it gets very interesting because, as we saw in the Paris Olympics, for both the men’s and the women’s final, it was USA versus France. That seems to be the country that produces the best basketball talent in the world. It seems to be one of the only countries that can really compete with Team USA.”
“On this team, you have Gabby Williams, Marine Johannès, Dominique Malonga, Pauline Astier, Carla Leite, Leïla Lacan, Janelle Salaün, and Valériane Ayayi. This team is a real threat to the USA, and I think this will be a really great basketball game,” DeMita said on Tuesday’s episode of her Courtside Club podcast.
As DeMita pointed out, France appears to be the premier threat to Team USA’s dominance, sitting at number two in the world rankings directly behind the Americans. The 2024 Paris Olympics final game between USA and France became a nail-biter, with the hosts pushing Team USA to the absolute limit and coming agonizingly close to pulling off an upset before losing 67-66.
At one point in the second half, the hosts led by as many as 10 points. Although Team USA mounted a comeback and built a three-point cushion, Gabby Williams nearly leveled the playing field with a three-point attempt. Had her foot not been inches inside the three-point line when she released the ball, Williams would’ve forced the game to overtime.
All of the players DeMita mentioned actually play in the WNBA, so they are very familiar with Team USA’s biggest stars. In fact, the WNBA analyst couldn’t help but admire their performance this season.
“You guys know Marine Johannès is one of my favorites. Dominique Malonga, Janelle Salaün have been insane. Carla Le has been great this season.”
In the past, France has never made it to the FIBA World Cup finals, with their best finish being bronze in 1953. In the last three editions, they placed seventh in 2014, fifth again in 2018, and seventh in 2022. But with the talent they are bringing to this 2026 tournament, DeMita believes they may end up having a deeper run this time around.
Both nations will kick off their World Cup campaigns on September 4; Team USA facing China in Group D, and France taking on Hungary in Group B. If or when the two teams end up meeting, whether in any of the knockouts or the final, it does seem like it will be a spectacle.