US stars A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum to miss the FIBA Women’s World Cup

A'ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum will miss the FIBA Women's World Cup for health reasons and will be replaced by Washington teammates Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron, USA Basketball confirmed Monday.

Key points

• She was voted the most outstanding player of the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2022 World Cup.
• Plum has been dealing with a calf injury for most of the WNBA season and it still hasn't 100% healed.
• In an official note posted Monday to Instagram, Plum remarked: I did everything I could to be back on the court, but just ran out of time.

What happened

Wilson, the four-time WNBA MVP, has shouldered quite a workload in the first part of the season for the Las Vegas Aces and needed a break to rest and obtain ready for the playoffs. She was voted the most outstanding player of the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2022 World Cup. She will be sorely missed by the United States.

Plum has been dealing with a calf injury for most of the WNBA season and it still hasn't 100% healed. She was a catalyst in the Paris Games gold-medal contest against France and sparked the Americans to the one-point victory.

In an official note posted Monday to Instagram, Plum remarked: "I did everything I could to be back on the court, but just ran out of time. After careful consideration and conversations with my family, team doctors, coaching staff, and front office, the decision has been created to shut it down through (the) remainder of the season and focus on getting my body back to 100%. This is not an straightforward decision as I love to compete, but I know it's the right one for the long term."

The bottom line

In short, US stars Aja Wilson and Kelsey Plum to miss the FIBA Womens is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.