Team USA Keeps Rolling at AmeriCup

July 3: Team USA dominates in group play at AmeriCup, the Players Union rejects the WNBA’s first CBA offer, and EuroBasket ends with a flurry of surprise roster moves.

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☕️ Good morning, fellow women’s hoop lovers—

Just a quick note: we’ll be off Friday to celebrate the 4th of July. Enjoy the long weekend, stay safe, and we’ll see you back in your inbox on Monday!

What to Know About Women’s Basketball Today

1. Team USA Unstoppable at 2025 AmeriCup 🇺🇸

Group play wrapped up at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup in Santiago, Chile, with Team USA and Brazil topping their groups and heading into the quarterfinals undefeated.

Bonus scheduling twist: Team USA will face the Dominican Republic tomorrow—on the 4th of July. (FIBA)

WHY IT MATTERS: Both the U.S. and Brazil finished group play at 4-0 over a compacted five-day period. For Team USA, their roster is made up entirely of college talents since WNBA players don’t participate in summer competitions, and yet they’re still dominating.

  • Joyce Edwards (South Carolina) is leading the team in scoring (13.5 PPG)

  • Reagan Beers (Oklahoma) leads in rebounds (6.5 RPG)

Quarterfinal winners advance to the semifinals on July 5 and also secure a spot in a FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament. Next to the Olympics, the World Cup is one of the most prestigious international basketball tournaments in the world.

2. WNBA Player Union Rejects First CBA Offer from the League 🚫

Phoenix Mercury forward Satou Sabally, a WNBPA player rep, confirmed this week that the WNBA’s first collective bargaining agreement (CBA) proposal fell short of their requests and was officially rejected by the players’ union. (Front Office Sports)

WHY IT MATTERS: This was just the first proposal, and CBA negotiations almost never get settled on the first pass. But, the WNBPA made it clear that the offer fell significantly short, especially in two areas: player salaries and roster sizes.

The challenge: more teams and expanded rosters are great for opportunities, but they can dilute the salary pool. The union is fighting for a deal that balances both.

The current agreement expires October 31, 2025, so there’s time, and also pressure to make meaningful progress before then.

3. EuroBasket Ends—and the WNBA Roster Dominoes Fall 😬

With EuroBasket 2025 wrapped and Belgium taking the title, several WNBA teams are now making room for their returning international players. And that unfortunately means cuts. Lots of them.

  • Valkyries: waived Bree Hall, Chloe Bibby, and Julie Vanloo as Janelle Salaün and Cecilia Zandalasini returned

  • Sparks: waived Shey Peddy and Odyssey Sims as Julie Allemand returned

  • Wings: waived Haley Jones and Kaila Charles as Teaira McCowan and Luisa Geiselsöder returned

WHY IT MATTERS: The WNBA is home to some of the best international talent in the world. But when players step away midseason to represent their countries, it creates serious WNBA roster strain. They affect team chemistry, player livelihoods, and fan connection.

The most surprising post-EuroBasket move is the Valkyries cutting Julie Vanloo, a fan favorite and on-court spark. She was averaging 20 minutes, 4.6 points, and 4.1 assists across 9 games. And as regular attendees at Valkyries home games, we can attest that she brought incredible energy to Ballhalla.

OVERTIME ⏱️

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