​There’s a reason Team USA head coach Kara Lawson didn’t spend a lot of time lamenting the losses of A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum after they were ruled out of the FIBA Women’s World Cup for health reasons.“We don’t have time to be worried about who’s not here,” Lawson said of the challenge ahead. “I think there’s no question that the world is improving at a rapid rate. … It’s going to be the most difficult World Cup to win that we’ve had because of that.” Wilson is the reigning FIBA World Cup MVP, an accolade she won as Team USA won its fourth straight title in 2022. The Las Vegas Aces star also led Team USA to Olympic gold as she won MVP of the women’s basketball tournament during the 2024 Paris games, which saw Plum win clutch 12 points in that close championship game.  Now, it’s on Team USA’s new-look roster to carry the weight of competing against the 15 other teams filled with most talented women’s basketball players in the world. That effort begins on Sept. 4, in Berlin, Germany.  Here are the top 10 players to watch based on their international resumes:   10. Han Xu, ChinaA 6-foot-9 center, Han Xu is a Chinese star who will make her third World Cup appearance after earning a Player of the Game nod against Brazil and 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds at the FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifier in Wuhan in March.  The art of the mid-range as told by Han Xu ✨#FIBAWWC x #WeOwnTheGamepic.twitter.com/Dy97epxRdX— FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWWC) May 30, 2026The 26-year-old is an impressive shooter at her size, and she won’t be Team USA’s biggest problem as the tournament favorite faces China in the opening round. Li Yueru, the Dallas Wings’ 6-7 center will also represent China along with 19-year-old Zhang Ziyu, who is listed at 7-2 and will be eligible for the 2027 WNBA draft.  They’re BIG on chemistry 🫶Zhang Ziyu (7’3″/220cm), Han Xu (6’9″/205cm), Li Yueru (6’7″/201cm) and Team China love the cameras 📸🇨🇳#FIBAWWC x #WeOwnTheGamepic.twitter.com/r9hp7QKuBV— FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWWC) March 10, 20269. Megan DiLeo, SpainFIBA’s power rankings released Tuesday, Sept. 1, listed Spain at No. 3. Megan DiLeo will be key to meeting that expectation. She was Spain’s leading scorer (18.0 points per game) and rebounder (9.3 rebounds per game) at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and she’s currently in the midst of the best WNBA season of her career with the Portland Fire.  Although this is also the 6-4 center’s World Cup debut, DiLeo will anchor young group that features Awa Fam and Maria Conde. Megan Gustafson scores 21 to earn TCL Player Of The Game as Spain qualify to the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup! #FIBAWWCpic.twitter.com/3IPDdji0KJ— FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup (@FIBAWWC) March 15, 20268. Julie Allemand, BelgiumAs important as Emma Meeseman will be to Belgium, 5-10 Toronto Tempo guard Julie Allemand is also worth watching. An impactful playmaker, Allemand enters