SEATTLE – In her first WNBA season, Flau’jae Johnson became the first rookie to accrue over 600 points, 200 rebounds, 100 assists, and 50 steals. 

That success has now led to the Seattle Storm guard being selected to represent Team USA on the 2026 FIBA AmeriCup 3×3 roster.

The backstory:

USA Basketball announced the selections for the men’s and women’s rosters on Friday for the 2026 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup, which is scheduled to take place from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 in San Salvador, El Salvador.

Johnson was one of four women selected to Team USA’s women’s roster, alongside Aziaha James, Aerial Powers and Sydney Taylor.

The selection marks Johnson’s second time representing the United States in FIBA competition within the last two years. In 2025, she won a gold medal as part of the women’s team that won the 5×5 FIBA AmeriCup tournament.

Christina Batastini will serve as the head coach. She won a gold medal coaching the 3×3 women’s AmeriCup team in 2025.

By the numbers:

Johnson put together a solid season in her first WNBA campaign, averaging nearly 15 points a game (14.9), to go along with 4.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists.

She also set multiple rookie records for the Seattle Storm, including points (626), 25+ point games (6), steals (58), field goals made (221), three-pointers made (60), and minutes played (1,204).

Johnson was drafted eighth overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft by the Golden State Valkyries before she was traded to Seattle later that night for Marta Suárez and a 2028 second-round pick.

What is the FIBA AmeriCup?

Dig deeper:

The FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup brings together national men’s and women’s basketball teams to compete in a 3-on-3 format.

FIBA stands for Fédération Internationale de Basketball, which translates to International Basketball Federation in English.

The event has been held annually since 2021 and features teams from the Americas, which includes North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. The event was held in Miami in 2021 and 2022 before it hosted by Puerto Rico in 2023 and 2024. Last year it was held in Mexico.

On the men’s side, Team USA has won gold every year except for 2023, when Puerto Rico took the top spot. The women’s team won gold in 2021, 2023, and 2025.

How to watch the FIBA AmeriCup

What’s next:

The event runs from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 and can be watched live on YouTube.

Johnson will take the court with Team USA on Oct. 31 after the qualifying rounds. 

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The schedule is set; pools are in place and so is the US Team for the 3×3 Women’s AmeriCup 2026. The defending champions are sending their best four for the tournament, all with WNBA experience, to San Salvador, El Salvador, to bring the title home. One of them tasked with the job is Flau’jae Johnson, who felt blessed with the opportunity. 

“Blessings All Glory To God,” Johnson wrote on X, replying to a post by the Seattle Storm’s social media page that broke the news to the WNBA fans. 

This is Flau’jae Johnson’s first time representing the US team in a 3×3 competition, but not in AmeriCup. Previously, she was part of Team USA that won a gold medal at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup.

The former LSU guard also just wrapped a successful rookie season with the Storm. The Golden State Valkyries selected the 2023 NCAA champion 8th overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft. She was traded the same night to the Storm, where she averaged 14.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 40.2% from the field. 

Head coach Sonia Raman showed deep trust in her rookie, inserting her in the starting lineup. Johnson didn’t disappoint. Flau’jae Johnson was second among all rookies in points and rebounds per game. 

The Americans have selected the ‌four players to shut down the latest challenge to their regional supremacy. The other three names on the list released by the US team serve their purpose of regional dominance in basketball. Aerial Powers, Sydney Taylor and Aziaha James were the other three names on the list.

James, the second-year guard from the Dallas Wings, will make her first appearance in a national team jersey. 11-year veteran and WNBA champion Powers is the oldest name on the roster and comes with ample experience. She was part of the 2026 women’s team at the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series. 

“Honored to represent my country at the 2026 AmeriCup,” Powers wrote in her IG Story after the official announcement.

Taylor also comes with a lot of international experience. She was part of the 3×3 national team at the 3×3 Women’s Series in back-to-back years in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, she was also part of the USA 3×3 Nations League Team.   

Christina Batastini, who led Team USA to a gold medal at last year’s 3×3 Women’s AmeriCup, will lead the team as ‌head coach. Batastini has led multiple national 3×3 teams to success in the past. This year, she led Team USA to a gold medal at the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Women’s World Cup. She also led the US team to a bronze medal at the 2026 FIBA 3×3 Women’s Champions Cup. Batastini has also coached the US team at the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series.

The US women’s team won gold medals in 2021, 2023, and 2025. A deeper roster with ample WNBA experience should give them an edge over their competitors. The Americans will have two more teams with them in Pool B. Aside from the Cayman Islands, the winner of Qualifying Draw A between Brazil, Uruguay and Colombia will be in Pool B. 

Last year, the US team defeated Brazil in the gold medal game for the third championship title. But it is Canada that remains the biggest threat to their regional dominance. In 2024, they lost to Canada in the gold medal game, and in 2022, the Canadians took them out in the semifinals.

The Americans will start their gold medal campaign at‌ 5:50 p.m. ET on Oct. 31 against the winner of Qualifying Draw A. They will then play the Cayman Islands at 9:20 p.m. ET on the same day.