Wilson and Plum withdraw from USA FIBA World Cup; Citron and Iriafen called up

Breaking: Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson will no longer compete for Team USA at the upcoming FIBA Women's World Cup due to health reasons, USA Basketball announced. The Mystics' Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron have been named to the roster in their place.

A'ja Wilson has helped the US win two Olympic gold medals and two World Cups. She's played deep into the playoffs, including four Finals appearances, since 2019. And still, when I report that she's not playing in this World Cup for health reasons, I have people in the mentions questioning it.

😰 Team USA just took a HUGE hit days before the World Cup. A’ja Wilson is out for health/rest reasons and Kelsey Plum is out with a leg injury. Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron will replace them. We’re still loaded with talent, but losing the reigning World Cup AND Olympic MVP sucks #FIBAWWC #WNBA

Transitioning to point guard at any level is hard. But Sonia Citron has made it look easy in her minutes there for the Washington Mystics. For @theixsports.bsky.social, I talked with her and others about her approach and looked at the stats on how successful she’s been. #WNBA

Gabby Williams, Marine Johannes, and Pauline Astier have arrived in Berlin for FIBA 2026 World Cup. 🇫🇷 #WNBA

A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum have been replaced by Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron on the FIBA roster. "Superstar" / "6th POY" Sophie Cunningham isn't even a backup option for her country.

Canada tops Argentina to move to 8-0 in FIBA World Cup qualifying. They’re World Cup bound.

Story here on A'ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum missing the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup. They are replaced by the Washington Mystics' duo of Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen: www.usatoday.com/story/sports...

“By the sweat of your face you shall eat USA Basketball, til you return to the #WNBA. For out of the W you were taken and to the W you shall return (but NOT YET).” Then she covered them in garments of red, white, & blue. -Kara Lawson puts her remaining FIBA squad on notice, aired in Genesis 3:19.

1. I think the critique of A'ja Wilson pulling out of the FIBA World Cup is a little much, as it's perfectly normal for players to prioritize their health for the remainder of the WNBA season over a few weeks of international play. and 2.:

With the FIBA World Cup Break officially here, here's an updated look at the WNBA standings with roughly a handful of games left in the regular season. Games will resume Sept. 17, with the regular season ending Sept. 24 and the WNBA Playoffs beginning Sept. 27.

A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum will MISS the FIBA World Cup due to injury with Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron replacing them. How does this change the roster and lineups? What impact does it have on the WNBA season? @tylerdeluca.bsky.social breaks it down youtu.be/R6f7DEIfYX8

Thrilled for Sonia and Kki. I think Citron should be someone that Team USA should have marked as a regular contributor going forward. Also happy that A'ja is going to rest and recover for two weeks.

A’ja certainly can (and should!) prioritize her own health. But to me, her decision highlights the fact that the FIBA World Cup isn’t as high on the priority list. In comparison, it is inconceivable to imagine a soccer player skipping the FIFA World Cup if they still had the option to play.

One of my pet peeves is #wnba commentators erasing the accomplishments of international players. Even the Dream did this when they announced Rhy and Angel as “the only 2 players in the team going to FIBA”. The USA is not the only team playing in the World Cup and Atlanta has 4 players going.