When the FIBA World Cup tips off in Berlin in September, many of the Las Vegas Aces’ best players will be tabbed with contributing their winning ways to their country.
On Thursday, Team USA officially announced their roster for the tournament, with A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray all getting the nod to represent the Americans once again.
The Aces are the only WNBA team to have three players featured on the team, while three others (Atlanta Dream, Indiana Fever, Phoenix Mercury) have two players apiece on Team USA.
Wilson has the most international experience among all of the three, boasting two Olympic gold medals and two World Cup gold medals. She is the current reigning MVP of the World Cup with 17.2 rebounds and 7.5 rebounds per game in 2022. Never losing a game across 30 FIBA contests, Wilson has averaged 15.1 points, 17.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
Another two-time Olympic gold medalist, Gray is back for her second World Cup after winning the 2022 World Cup alongside Wilson. In 31 international contests, Gray has averaged 6.6 points, 5.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game.
Although Young will be making her World Cup debut, she is a known quantity with Team USA, helping the Americans finish first in two qualifying tournaments. She has seen her international duties ramp up as of late, with the 2024 Olympics in Paris being her first with the five-on-five team. Even with that, Young has gone undefeated in international play across 14 games, averaging 8.1 points, 2.8 rebounds and two assists per game.
The trio will not be the only Aces headed to Berlin. Stephanie Talbot has already been named to Team Australia, while guard Mai Yamamoto is expected to be named to Team Japan.
Team USA begins their title defense on Sept. 4 against China, with the end goal being to secure another gold medal on Sept. 13.