SAN DIEGO – For La Jolla Country Day School alum Kelsey Plum (2013), a year in the life of women’s professional basketball is a grind.
Between the WNBA season, winter play in the Unrivaled league, and ongoing collective bargaining negotiations between the players’ union and league ownership, Plum arrived at the Team USA training camp in Miami needing a little rest ahead of the March 11–17 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“I just woke up from an incredible nap, which was very much needed,” Plum said. “It’s been a really physical and competitive [Unrivaled] season, but we’re in game shape and ready.”
The women’s national team has already secured a spot in the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin, making the upcoming San Juan tournament largely a formality. Still, the short windows in the FIBA system provide valuable opportunities to fine-tune the roster and build rhythm ahead of September.
“My objective is to win everything,” Plum said. “When you put on a USA Basketball uniform, you’re representing a lot more than yourself.”
Team USA opens the qualifiers against Senegal, followed by Puerto Rico, Italy, New Zealand, and closes against Spain on March 17. The Americans entered the tournament undefeated in World Cup qualifiers, having won both of their games in 2022, including a 16-point performance from Plum in a victory over Belgium and a decisive win against Puerto Rico in Washington, D.C., where the games were played in a bubble due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Plum emphasized the depth of talent on the national team.
“USA Basketball is always stacked with talent,” she said. “I’ve never had a chance to play with a lot of these players before, so it’s exciting to see new faces and compete alongside them.”
Joining Plum on a roster selected by USA Basketball managing director Sue Bird are Team USA veterans Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, and Dearica Hamby. Making their senior national team debuts are Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Rhyne Howard, and Kiki Iriafen.
Head coach Kara Lawson helped guide the U.S. to gold at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup and served as an assistant on the 2022 World Cup-winning team.
“One thing I’ve learned in this program is that you want to be a star in your role, but everyone’s role looks different and changes game to game based on what the team needs,” Plum said. “I’m coming in with humility and ready to do whatever the coach asks, and I plan to be a star in that role.”
Plum singled out Monique Billings as a teammate she is particularly looking forward to playing with.
“I haven’t played with her since I was 10 or 11 in Southern California,” Plum said. “So when I saw her, I was super excited. I love her, and I’m just excited to be her teammate.”
“I’m looking forward to competing,” Plum added, before quipping about the San Juan sun, “and getting some vitamin D.”
At La Jolla Country Day, Plum scored 2,247 points, leading the team to a 103–22 record, capturing four section titles and the 2012 CIF Div. IV state championship.
The 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup will be held in Berlin, Germany, from Sept. 4 to 13. Sixteen teams will compete in the quadrennial tournament, with Germany automatically qualifying as hosts. The United States enters as the four-time defending champion, having won the previous edition in 2022.
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