Puerto Rico Basketball Federation calls 14 players ahead of Berlin World Cup after fifth straight Centrobasket title

The Puerto Rico Basketball Federation (FBPUR) announced on Monday, August 17, a 14-player preselection that will compete for the final 12-player roster representing the Island at the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, which opens September 4 in Berlin, Germany ¹. The group is led by Arella Guirantes, Pamela Rosado and Imani McGee-Stafford, alongside India Pagán, Tayra Meléndez, Trinity San Antonio, Jacqueline Benítez, Nina de León, Zaida González, Brianna Jones, Abeliz Rodríguez, Sofía Roma, Denise Solís and Franchesca Torres ¹. Before landing in the German capital, the team will travel first to Spain for a training camp and several tune-up games ¹.

The announcement lands just a month after the national team reaffirmed its regional dominance. From July 12-18, at the Alexis Argüello Sports Complex in Managua, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico beat Mexico 82-68 in the Centrobasket Femenino final to claim its fifth consecutive title in the tournament, a streak that began in 2010 and has continued in 2018, 2021, 2022 and now 2026 ³. McGee-Stafford was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, averaging 11.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per game (the second-best rebounding mark in the competition) with two blocks per game, while Zaida González and Jacqueline Benítez led Puerto Rico's offense in the final with 20 points apiece ³. The ticket to Berlin was actually sealed earlier, in March, when Puerto Rico hosted a qualifying tournament at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in San Juan against Italy, the United States, Spain, Senegal and New Zealand, from which only three national teams advanced to the World Cup.

The numbers framing the challenge in Berlin are demanding. Puerto Rico landed in Group C alongside Belgium (No. 5 in the FIBA world ranking), Australia (No. 3) and Turkey (No. 16), while the Island enters the tournament ranked 13th ⁴. The group-stage schedule has the Puerto Ricans debuting September 4 against Australia, facing Belgium on September 6, and closing out on September 7 against Turkey ²⁴. Under the tournament format, the top three teams from each four-team group advance: the group winner goes directly to the quarterfinals, while the second- and third-place finishers play a single-elimination crossover game against opponents from Group D ⁴. This will be Puerto Rico's third consecutive World Cup appearance, after reaching the quarterfinals in the 2022 edition.

What it means for you

For Puerto Rican fans, this marks the start of nearly three weeks of high-level basketball that can be followed from the Island: first the roster trim after the Spain tour, then the World Cup debut on September 4. It's also a showcase for players many Puerto Ricans already recognize from the WNBA and U.S. college programs, and a business opportunity for sports bars, streaming services and businesses planning promotions around the games. If you have kids in youth basketball programs, this call-up also serves as a real, close-to-home benchmark of what to aspire to within the FBPUR system.

How to do it / Checklist

1. Mark the key dates on your calendar: the trip to Spain (late August-early September), the debut against Australia (September 4), Belgium (September 6) and Turkey (September 7).
2. Follow FBPUR's official accounts and the women's national team on social media for the announcement of the final 12-player roster, expected after the tune-up games in Spain.
3. Check with your cable or streaming provider whether it will carry the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup before the tournament opens on September 4.
4. If you plan to follow the whole tournament, note the Berlin time difference (six hours ahead of Puerto Rico) so you don't miss the debuts.
5. Support local women's basketball by attending or following the upcoming Baloncesto Superior Femenino season, where many of these players compete when not with the national team.

What's next

The next milestone is the preparation tour in Spain, where the coaching staff will trim the 14-player preselection down to the 12 who will travel to Berlin. Then comes the group stage from September 4-7 against Australia, Belgium and Turkey, a trio that makes Puerto Rico the underdog on paper but with real upside if the team repeats the defensive level it showed at the Centrobasket in Managua. Advancing to the elimination round would require finishing among the top three in Group C, which would trigger a crossover game against a Group D opponent before a possible quarterfinal round. The full tournament wraps up September 13 in Berlin.