With a couple weeks off from the WNBA, four Aces players are representing their countries in Berlin for the 2026 FIBA World Cup.
While A’ja Wilson’s withdrawal from Team USA meant losing one of the Aces contingent, the defending WNBA champions are still well-represented for the tournament. Friday marked the first day of round robin play for the three nations rostering Las Vegas players, with all of the teams getting victories to start their tournament off right.
Here is how the Aces performed for their countries as they opened the World Cup.
Team Australia (Stephanie Talbot) vs Team Puerto Rico
While the last stretch of games marked the best performances of Talbot in an Aces uniform to date, Team Australia’s opener showcased the version of the Aussie wing that made head coach Becky Hammon covet her in the offseason.
Talbot dominated the Puerto Ricans as the Opals took a 70-54 victory, leading all scorers with 19 points (four-of-six from three-point range). The Team Australia veteran also added eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. The all-around performance lead Talbot to being named Player of the Game, marking an excellent individual start for her.
Australia’s next game will be against Türkiye on Sept. 6 at 2:30 a.m. Pacific time on HBOMax.
Team USA (Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray) vs Team China
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers may have gotten the headlines in their international debuts, but Young and Gray still made their presences felt as the Americans opened tournament play.
With both Aces in the starting lineup, Team USA coasted to an impressive 94-61 victory over China. Young’s all-around skillset shined through with 12 points, three rebounds and three assists, while Gray added five points and two assists. While no American exceeded 14 points (Clark, Bueckers, Rhyne Howard), they showcased their spectacular depth with all players scoring and only one player not getting 12 minutes on the court (Kiki Iriafen clocked in for 11:54).
Team USA is right back at it Sept. 5 against Italy at 11:45 a.m. PST on TNT.
Team Japan (Mai Yamamoto) vs Team Mali
Yamamoto was dominant in a preseason showing against the Aces, but she played more of a supporting role against Mali.
In Team Japan’s thrilling 102-97 comeback victory, Yamamoto chipped in 10 points, three assists, a steal and a block. It was teammate Saki Hayashi who helped Japan steal the victory with 27 points, including going a whopping 9-for-15 from deep. Hayashi’s performance is not only good for the record of the most threes made by a single player in a game, but Team Japan’s 20 triples are a team record in a single game, showcasing the dynamic offense that Aces fans got to see firsthand from head coach Corey Gaines’s squad.
Japan will be hoping for a much smooth second game, but that may be a tough task when they face host nation Germany Sept. 5 at 9 a.m. PST on HBOMax.