A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum Both Ruled Out of FIBA World Cup Due to Health Reasons
USA Basketball has announced that two-time World Cup gold medalists Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson will no longer compete for Team USA at the upcoming FIBA Women’s World Cup, both withdrawing due to health reasons.
The bigger blow comes for Plum, whose absence extends well beyond the international tournament. She’ll also miss the remainder of the 2026 WNBA season as she continues recovering from a lower leg injury — meaning her season is effectively over, not just her World Cup availability.
Wilson’s situation carries slightly less clarity, though the timing lines up with recent injury concerns. The South Carolina alum and Las Vegas Aces star had already been dealing with a back issue that saw her downgraded to questionable ahead of a recent game against Toronto, and her World Cup withdrawal suggests that issue — or a related one — has persisted into the international window.
The loss of both players is significant for Team USA’s roster depth heading into the tournament, which runs September 4-13 in Berlin. Wilson in particular has been a cornerstone of the program in recent years, and her absence removes one of the sport’s most dominant two-way forces from the world stage this cycle.
No word yet on a specific recovery timeline for either player regarding a return to their WNBA teams, though Plum’s season-ending status is confirmed. Wilson’s Las Vegas Aces will need to navigate the stretch run of their playoff push without her if her health issue extends into the postseason — a situation worth monitoring closely given how central she’s been to the team’s success this year.
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