Howard, Reese Make Dream History with USA Basketball World Cup Selections
Published on August 6, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Atlanta Dream News Release
ATLANTA - Atlanta Dream stars Rhyne Howard and Angel Reese have been selected to represent the United States on the 2026 USA Basketball Women's National Team, USA Basketball announced today. The pair helped Team USA qualify for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup during the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in March and have now earned spots on the 12-player roster that will compete for a world championship this September in Berlin, Germany.
Howard and Reese make franchise history as the first two Atlanta Dream players to simultaneously represent the United States in a 5-on-5 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup or Olympic Games. They also become just the second and third players in franchise history to represent the Dream on Team USA at either a FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup or Olympic Games.
Howard returns to the USA Basketball Women's National Team after helping the United States qualify for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in March, where she averaged 10.0 points per game as Team USA posted a perfect 5-0 record. Howard has been a fixture within the USA Basketball pipeline throughout her career, winning three gold medals across U18, U19 and AmeriCup competitions while also capturing bronze at the 2024 Olympic Games in 3x3 basketball. The four-time WNBA All-Star is enjoying another outstanding season with Atlanta, averaging 17.0 points per game while ranking among the league leaders in three-pointers made and leading the WNBA in steals.
Reese earns her first USA Basketball Women's World Cup roster selection after helping the United States qualify for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in March, where she averaged 6.8 points and a team-high 8.0 rebounds. Reese has represented the United States at multiple levels throughout her career, earning a silver medal at the 2023 FIBA Women's AmeriCup before making her senior national team debut earlier this year. The three-time WNBA All-Star has elevated her game to another level in her first season with the Dream, averaging a league-leading double-double while pacing the WNBA in rebounding and double-doubles. Since arriving in Atlanta, Reese has also become the fastest player in WNBA history to reach both 1,000 career rebounds.
Team USA has been drawn into Group D for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, where it will face Czechia, Italy and China in group play. The tournament will be held September 4-13, 2026, in Berlin, with the United States seeking its fifth consecutive FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup title.
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