The moment most of the WNBA fans were waiting for is finally here, with Team USA ready to take the court for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. The most-awaited return of Caitlin Clark will be the highlight of the roster, while the team will miss Aliyah Boston and Sonia Ciron from the squad announced earlier.
A WNBA insider highlighted Stephanie White’s dominance at Team USA camp, with CC and AB playing key roles in the lineup. But the forward suffered an injury in the final regular-season game at the Unrivaled Season 2.
Aliyah Boston And Sonia Citron To Miss FIBA World Cup Qualifiers
Team USA will take on Senegal in its opening FIBA World Cup qualifier game on March 11. With just under a week left for the competition, coach Kara Lawson had to make adjustments to he roster following injuries to Boston and Citron.
In the recent updated team announcement, the side replaced both injured stars with Monique Billings and Rae Burrell.
BREAKING: Aliyah Boston will no longer suit up for Team USA in its two World Cup qualifying games in San Juan after suffering an injury while playing in Unrivaled, per @ScottAgness.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 5, 2026
Sonia Citron has also been ruled out and the players will be replaced by Monique Billings and Rae… pic.twitter.com/AOX2hOEcaa
The Fever forward suffered a lower-extremity injury during the Phantom’s regular-season finale in Unrivaled. Citron averaged 15.2 points per game in Unrivalled for Hive BC, but she missed the last few games of the season with a similar injury. Both players were All-Stars in 0the 2025 WNBA Season.
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Even though Team USA found replacements early, both players were highly successful for their sides. The former South Carolina star was a key figure in the impressive Indiana Fever run in the 2025 season, while she led her Phantom BC to the top of the league standings in Unrivaled season 2.
Kelsey Plum Acknowledges Aliyah Boston’s Impact
The Phantom BC won over Vinyl BC in the semifinal to book its place in the final against Mist BC. While the LA guard provided spark in the semifinal, playing without AB against Breanna Stewart and company was always difficult, and the veteran guard mentioned the fact in her post-game interview.
“We’re down AB,” Plum said. “It’s an All-Unrivaled player, an All-WNBA player. Defensive Player of the Year. There were some breakdowns. AB fills the gap. Offensively & defensively, it was tough. AB’s been our anchor defensively all year. That’s kind of like where we palm our hat on. She does an incredible job of being able to guard guards, guard bigs, and rebound the ball. We missed her a lot tonight.”
Kelsey Plum on Aliyah Boston
— Moreau Sports Media Prod Co. (@MoreauSportsCo) March 5, 2026
"We're down AB. It's an All-Unrivaled player, All-WNBA player. ⁰Defensive Player of the year.
There were some breakdowns. AB fills the gap. Offensively & defensively, it was tough…AB's been our anchor defensively all year. That's kind of like… pic.twitter.com/bM1kxlqtmv
Ironically, the Phantom BC won both regular-season games against the Mist BC but couldn’t repeat the magic in the finals. Makayla Timpson replaced the 25-year-old forward in the line-up but failed to bring the experience and skillset to help the side win the title. Team USA will hope for better performances from its replacements.