Kelsey Plum has a clear message for Team USA. France may be their biggest rival at the international stage.

Speaking with her former Las Vegas Aces teammate, Candace Parker on January 27th, Plum answered with a candid breakdown of Team USA’s strongest rival from the Olympics.

"I think France is super skilled, athletic, fast. They have players in the W that play overseas. They've growing tremendously as a basketball country. I mean the men's side as well. I think a lot of people are growing but I would say France is something that I mean in the gold medal game, it was a possession from being a different outcome."

There's some history between the sides. At the 2024 Olympics, Team USA narrowly defeated France. The game ended in a thrilling 67-66 win to get an 8th consecutive gold, but it was far from easy.

France's defense kept the Americans going till the last second. France outscored them 16-10 in the second quarter, leaving the score at 25-25 heading into halftime. Plum's free throws helped to achieve a 65-61 edge before they sealed the deal.

Now, in 2026, their squad continues to be a big part of the WNBA. Names like Dominique Malonga, Gabby Williams, Iliana Rupert, and more are making big moves in the league.

That raises one important question: will Team USA be ready at the FIBA World Cup? Well, Plum has revealed her insights from the training camp that took place after the WNBA season.

KP's international experience insights

The camp had a lot of younger talent like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers.

“My whole USA basketball experience I was like the young buck,” Plum said. “So it was weird like being at camp and being like, ‘where is everyone?’ It just shows like United States basketball is just unbelievably talented… the talent just keeps pouring in”, the gold medalist said.

Plum was one of the few veterans at the camp, but even a relatively young squad with players like Clark, Reese, and Bueckers can prove important in a long World Cup campaign. While the final results from the training camp aren't out yet, Team USA will be ready for the challenge.

Written by

Fatema Kapasi

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar