BERLIN (Germany) - One of the most exciting elements of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2026 will be watching many of the best young talents in the global game showcasing their skills on the biggest stage of all.
Focusing on players born 2004 or later, we have put together the ultimate watch-list of rising stars expected to be stepping out in the German capital.
You can also let us know who you think will have the biggest impact by casting a vote in the fan poll below.
Dominique Malonga - France
CENTER
Birth Date: November 16, 2005 (20 years old) Height: 6ft 6in / 1.98 cm
With unbelievable athletic ability and a wing span that goes on forever, Malonga might be young, but she is a big force for France on both ends of the floor. Plus, with the more experienced Iliana Rupert on maternity leave, there is a space for the center to grow even more with the national team when she makes her World Cup debut.
The bonus of having played at Paris 2024 when the hosts made the Final will mean she is well prepared for this World Cup outing. But the big question is whether Malonga could throw down another dunk, having flushed one in the Qualifying Tournament earlier this year in front of the adoring French fans in Lyon-Villeurbanne?
Awa Fam - Spain
FORWARD
Birth Date: June 17, 2006 (20 years old) Height: 6ft 4in / 1.92 cm
The forward has collected so many individual accolades in recent times at youth level for Spain, but across the last 18 months has also taken huge leaps forward at senior level. A superb debut at FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2025 witnessed Fam showing how her power and athletic prowess can be a really positive asset for her country.
She had some sensational games and with her post play in particular getting stronger, she's going to become even more dangerous. Also impactful in San Juan at the Qualifying Tournament, Fam has now shot 50% in two competitions at the top level and that kind of efficiency could prove priceless in Berlin.
Ziyu Zhang - China
CENTER
Birth Date: May 2, 2007 (19 years old) Height: 7ft 3in / 2.20 cm
A distinctive player because of her imposing height and size, some people fall short of noticing that Zhang has been super smart in how she skilfully utilizes her physical powers on the court. Still a teenager, she is already morphing into a superstar in China and could soon become a global phenomenon.
The former MVP of the FIBA U18 Women's Asia Cup, it wasn't long before senior tournament action arrived and the center took the chance to shine. She made a big splash at FIBA Women's Asia Cup last year and then also on home soil in the World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Wuhan.
Frieda Buhner - Germany
FORWARD
Birth Date: May 28, 2011 (22 years old) Height: 6ft 1in / 1.86 cm
An outstanding player, the forward put the world on notice with a shock senior tournament debut for Germany at Paris 2024. Hopping straight from a FIBA U20 Women's EuroBasket youth tournament, Buhner showed amazing composure and showcased her talent and shooting ability with some eye-catching contributions off the bench.
Two years later, she's becoming a bonafide leader and a big fan favorite. She top-scored with 15 points per game on her FIBA Women's EuroBasket debut for the co-hosts and continued the momentum by being Germany's top-scorer at the Qualifying Tournament in Lyon-Villeurbanne.
Kokora Tanaka - Japan
GUARD
Birth Date: June 10, 2006 (20 years old) Height: 5ft 8in / 1.73 cm
The free-scoring Tanaka has had a meteoric rise during the last 18 months or so. Scheduled to take part in the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2025, she was withdrawn from the roster and instead, handed a surprise place at the FIBA Women's Asia Cup. The guard took her opportunity with both hands.
Despite still being a teenager, she lit it up with her three-point shooting skills, pouring in almost 15 points per game on debut and in a real fairytale story, making the All-Star Five. She then followed it up with another excellent display at the Qualifying Tournament in Istanbul back in March.
Iyana Martin - Spain
GUARD
Birth Date: January 18, 2006 (20 years old) Height: 5ft 9in / 1.78 cm
The 20 year-old looks to be on course to provide the main scoring thrust from the Spanish backcourt as she gets set to make her World Cup debut. Her first major tournament at FIBA Women's EuroBasket last year was cut short by an illness, so Martin will be looking to make up for this in a big way.
Dropping a double-digit scoring return in the World Cup Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, she showed all the elements of why she is so highly rated. Fearless, her ability to score is accompanied by the kind of intensity that perfectly epitomizes the Spanish basketball DNA.
Leila Lacan - France
GUARD
Birth Date: June 2, 20O4 (22 years old) Height: 5ft 11in / 1.81 cm
Initially bursting onto the global scene at the U19 Worlds in 2023 where she put herself onto the center of the basketball radar, Lacan has continued to soar in profile with both club and country. She played in the Paris 2024 Olympic Final and already has two FIBA Women's EuroBasket editions on her resume.
Meanwhile her energy, defense and skills have seen her earn EuroLeague Women 2026 Rising Star honors for her work in taking Basket Landes to a historic 2025-26 season.
Isobel Borlase - Australia
GUARD / SMALL FORWARD
Birth Date: September 12, 2004 (21 years old) Height: 5ft 11in / 1.80 cm
A player on the rise for the Opals and gradually cementing her place and growing in influence, Borlase impressed at the Qualifying Tournament in Istanbul. Her double-digit points return spoke volumes about her progress and with Australia not exactly loaded with talent in the wing areas, the 21 year-old could have a big World Cup debut.
Importantly, she has already played at the global level, winning a bronze medal with her nation at Paris 2024 while still a teenager. This time around, there's no doubt the amount of minutes will be considerably higher.
Maimouna Haidara - Mali
FORWARD
Birth Date: June 2, 2004 (22 years old) Height: 6ft 2in / 1.87 cm
The truth is that perhaps more than any other fellow rising star, Haidara can lay claim to actually being her team's marquee star. The do-it-all forward is probably in a two-way battle with teammate Sika Kone to be Mali's standout in the German capital.
After a breathtaking FIBA U19 tournament in Madrid a few years ago, she has gone from strength to strength at senior level. She will score, rebound, do the dirty work and everything else in between — as her deserved place in the Qualifying Tournament All-Star Five in Wuhan would attest.
Kinga Josepovits - Hungary
POSITION
Birth Date: January 2, 2008 (18 years old) Height: 6ft 5in / 1.96 cm
The youngest player on the list, Josepovits might not have as much court time to her name as many of her rising star peers, but she could still play a major role on Hungary's overdue return. The plan will probably be to give star center Dorka Juhasz some brief minutes rest.
While the 18-year-old is still relatively raw, she has some fantastic upsides and in short spells even without any experience, can use her size to play a role off the end of the bench - as she did in the Qualifying Tournaments.
FIBA