Women’s Basketball World Cup

stats at a glance
Berlin · September 4–13, 2026
🇧🇪
BEL

Belgium

Group C
World Cup appearances
2
Best: Fourth place (2018)
Olympic appearances
2
Best: Fourth place (2024)
How they qualified
EuroBasket
2025 continental champion
Fourth at the 2018 World Cup, fourth in Paris: Belgium have twice finished one game short of a podium. Their coach is American. Mike Thibault won the 2019 WNBA title with Emma Meesseman as Finals MVP, then took this job in 2025 and won EuroBasket at the first attempt.

Head coach

Mike Thibault
American, and a USA Basketball insider before he took this job: assistant coach for the United States at the 2008 and 2024 Olympics and at the 2006 and 2022 World Cups. Three-time WNBA Coach of the Year; won the 2019 WNBA title as Washington Mystics head coach, with Belgium's Emma Meesseman as Finals MVP. Left the WNBA after 2022, took the Belgium job in 2025, and won EuroBasket at the first attempt.

WNBA connection — 3 current players

PlayerPosWNBA team
Julie AllemandGTOR Toronto Tempo
Kyara LinskensCPHX Phoenix Mercury
Antonia DelaereFMIN Minnesota Lynx
Also: Julie Vanloo (former, NYL), Emma Meesseman (former, NYL).

Roster — provisional — 19-player pool

PlayerWNBA teamNote
Emma MeessemanFormer New York Liberty
Julie VanlooFormer New York Liberty
Julie AllemandTOR
Kyara LinskensPHX
Antonia DelaereMIN
Nastja Claessens
Maxuella Lisowa-Mbaka
Elise Ramette
Ine Joris
Billie Massey
Becky Massey
Alicia Courthiau
Laure Resimont
Bethy Mununga
Habibatou Bah
Jade Masogayo
Noor Devos
Louann Battisson
Marie Vervaet
A pool, not a squad — it will be cut to 12 before the tournament. Nothing here should be read as a confirmed selection.

Group C fixtures

Fri 4 Sepvs🇹🇷 Türkiye11:30 ET
17:30 CEST
Sun 6 Sepvs🇵🇷 Puerto Rico11:45 ET
17:45 CEST
Mon 7 Sepvs🇦🇺 Australia05:30 ET
11:30 CEST