FIBA announced that the 2030 Women’s Basketball World Cup will be held from November 27 to December 8 — a shift with significant implications for international players competing in the WNBA. It’s a long-awaited scheduling alteration offering international WNBA players long-overdue peace of mind —replacing sacrifice with possibility, and conflict with clarity.
“I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t know that happened,” Melbourne shared with The Next after the Mystics’ season-opening victory over the Dream at CareFirst Arena on Friday, May 16. “That’s some pretty cool information. … This is encouraging for many international players, who get to play their WNBA season with no disruptions, and then we’ll be able to prepare with our national teams to play in the World Cup.”
“I didn’t know that,” Fiebich told The Next before the Liberty’s season opener against the Aces at Barclays Center. “Well, that’s news.”
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FIBA has not yet named a host for the 2030 tournament, but the bidding process is expected to open later this year. A decision could be made before the Times Square ball drops.
Several WNBA players have already embraced the move, as The Next recently spoke with them for this story. The rise of the women’s game has become one of the most influential forces in basketball, captivating audiences and reshaping the sport’s global landscape, which led to the decision to hold this showcase event later in the year.
“It’s amazing,” Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb said of the news. “It’s a huge event. I thought it already had its global platform. It’s a massive deal. It’s an incredible event to be a part of. Everybody wants to be a part of this. So, if this impacts the nature of the game, how big it is and how global it is, that’s an incredible step.”
Still, short-term scheduling issues remain. The 2026 FIBA tournament is slated for September 4–13 — putting many players in the difficult position the 2030 change aims to resolve.
“It’s a huge deal because, in 2026, it’s supposed to be in September, and that means people are either going to leave their teams right before the playoff push or expected to leave their teams before then,” Liberty forward Breanna Stewart told The Next. “It’s putting the players in a tough spot because you want to represent your country, but also you want to fight for a playoff spot or a championship run with your team that you’ve been playing with all year.”
Looking ahead to 2030, the new structure could ease long-standing tensions for international players navigating dual commitments. It offers a future where representing one’s country no longer conflicts with a WNBA season while expanding the global reach of the women’s game, enhancing the positive energy already surrounding the sport’s surging popularity.
“This decision might free up more [international] players to come here and play,” Melbourne shared. “Because right now, I know many European teams hold their players because of the disruption during the WNBA season to practice and keep them in camp and their country and stuff. I’m fortunate in Australia that my WNBA team will release me for tournaments. They encourage us to be over here because that’s where they know the development is. So, in 2030, hopefully, it gets to a point where people are taking offseasons, and we’re playing more games in a WNBA season. Then it allows us to take time off before preparing for a World Cup.”
Previously, the world championships have been played immediately following the WNBA season. In 2022, just days after delivering the Las Vegas Aces their first WNBA title on September 18, A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray and Kelsey Plum shifted gears to lead Team USA to gold at the FIBA World Cup, which tipped off on September 22.
The Aces beat Connecticut, which also had Alyssa Thomas and Brionna Jones compete for Team USA during the world championships. Those were five of the 12 members of the national team who played in the WNBA Finals. There was no time to recover — only time to perform. Wilson capped the run by earning tournament MVP honors.
While not a perfect solution, the shift to a later tournament date offers something many players have long craved: peace of mind. There will be no more scrambling from a grueling postseason into national team duties.
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“It’s not easy,” Los Angeles Spark guard Julie Allemand said. “I’m playing in Europe, then I’m playing with the national team and then I’m trying to play in the W. We never stop, and I’m not sure we can keep going like this. It’s sad because only the women have to endure this. For the men, it is so different. They don’t have to choose. We have to do everything. And that’s a lot.”
No more impossible choices between loyalty to a WNBA team and pride in representing one’s country. Choosing between two dreams should never come at a cost. The change lifts a quiet, constant pressure that has taken a mental toll on international players for years.
“As a player, it just helps because now we don’t have to think about making a choice, which we have to think about all the time,” Phoenix Mercury forward Monique Akoa Makani said to The Next pregame before a game against the Sparks. “Sometimes, it’s a tough choice to make. Mentally, we should not have to think about it anymore.”
For many athletes, representing their country isn’t just a dream — it’s a calling. That’s why Golden State Valkyries rookie Juste Jocyte, the No. 5 overall pick, recently announced she will delay her WNBA debut to compete in EuroBasket with the Lithuanian national team. Her decision reflects the type of commitment players have long had to make — until now.
Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello applauded the long overdue shift.
She expressed to reporters, “It’s just unfortunate that it’s during the year. It shouldn’t be, but at least FIBA got it right. We can move it to where it should be. We have the Olympic break. We don’t need two breaks every two years.”
Brondello was referring to the current scheduling conflicts that players have to navigate that include Olympic breaks in which the WNBA takes a one-month break and, in some seasons, compress the schedule in order to accomplish its goal of playing its desired number of games.
For some, it’s a matter of logistics. For others, it’s deeply personal.
“When we started, nobody knew us,” Allemand said. “We were just little Belgium. People didn’t know where Belgium was on the map. We started to show who we are. And it’s crazy how we could see the difference in Belgium already. It’s a big difference; Now, we are even more popular than soccer. It means a lot for us, especially for women, because we know we’re fighting for it every time. … This is especially important to show [young girls] that they can do it. We didn’t have a lot of examples before. When you’re young and dreaming, you’re like, can I achieve it? Now, we have examples. We’re doing so much for the young girls. And I’m so happy about that.”
The hope is that the 2030 change is more than a scheduling adjustment — it’s a statement that the women’s game matters and that its players deserve the same respect, rest and resources as their male counterparts. It’s a step toward a future where excellence doesn’t require sacrifice and the sport’s global momentum can shine. This decision can unlock greater sponsorship opportunities, deepen fan engagement and expand viewership.
More than anything, the 2030 shift isn’t just about rest — it’s about showcasing what’s possible for today’s players and the young girls watching. One change won’t solve everything, but it’s a bold move toward giving the women’s game the space it needs to breathe and keep blooming.
The Next’s Jesse Morrison, Howard Megdal and Jackie Powell contributed reporting to this story.
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