The last time Team USA suffered a women’s basketball tournament defeat was 20 years ago, when they lost to Russia in the semifinals of the 2006 World Cup. So, it does seem quite clear that the gap in quality between the U.S. national team and other top nations around the world has been wide. However, anyone who watched the 2024 Paris Olympics final against France and thought that gap in quality was shrinking would not be wrong. And right now, it feels quite difficult to dismiss the thought that the gap could be even smaller heading into the 2026 FIBA World Cup without A’ja Wilson.
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For WNBA reporter Annie Costabile, something is missing beyond just A’ja Wilson’s high-volume scoring, even though they will also miss that. The bigger question now is who will bring the leadership, stability, and experience that Wilson has added to this team throughout the years she has been a part of it.
“When you look back at recent tournaments and what she’s provided, it’s a little concerning just because she’s led the team and they’ve relied so heavily on her,” Costabile said on Thursday’s episode of the No Offseason podcast.
“And then especially when you consider how close it was during Olympic play, specifically their game against France. This is a different era and an era that’s been dominated by Asia.”
“So, you know, I don’t want people to create, you know, an overwhelming sense of concern, but I think this is going to be the most interesting tournament to gauge where the United States still is globally without, you know, their leading scorer. And because it’s not just that they’re without A’ja, but it’s also that at this current moment in its history, they’re transitioning from the old guard to the new in such a considerable way. And A’ja is a bridge to that,” she added.
The way Annie Costabile sees it, beyond just scoring, A’ja Wilson has been one of the players Team USA could turn to when the pressure mounted. She provided leadership and the kind of reliability that can settle a team in the biggest moments. Apart from that, she also served as a bridge between the established stars who have carried Team USA for years and the younger generation now coming through.
A’ja Wilson, who was the reigning MVP of both the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics, indeed qualifies as a bridge connecting Team USA’s old guard with its new generation. Having debuted internationally a decade ago, she is young enough to relate directly to the incoming college and WNBA stars. She is also experienced enough to carry the torch from retired legends like Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi. And with nine players making their senior FIBA World Cup tournament debut for Team USA, it does seem like having such a steadying presence on the team is more needed now than ever.
Although the quality and contributions A’ja Wilson brings to the team are quite undeniable, the U.S. team is still quite formidable without her, with several veterans like Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, and Chelsea Gray who can assume a leadership role.
For Costabile, she even sees Breanna Stewart as the next person to step up in that A’ja Wilson role, as a reliable veteran presence and a bridge between the established generation and the newer faces on the roster. Stewart already has extensive international experience, and Costabile believes that experience could become particularly valuable in Berlin. She would also need to replicate the level of dominance she has shown in the WNBA if Team USA is going to absorb the loss of its leading scorer.
The team will kick off its campaign on Friday against China. And just as Costabile said, that game does feel like an important early measuring stick, one that could reveal how far Team USA still stands above the rest in terms of quality and how much closer the other top international teams have become.