Las Vegas Aces guard Mai Yamamoto will represent Japan at the 2026 FIBA World Cup, after the Japan Basketball Association announced the selection on Thursday. The tournament is set for Sept. 4-13 in Berlin.
The choice gives Japan a guard who has already lived through major international moments. Yamamoto has played in seven FIBA senior-level competitions, including the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics, and she helped Japan win gold at the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup and silver at the 2023 FIBA Asia Cup.
For the Aces, the move adds to a growing international presence. Yamamoto's selection brings the club's total representation to five, with Chelsea Gray, A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young named to the USA team and Steph Talbot chosen for Australia. Yamamoto signed with the Aces on July 17, making her World Cup call-up part of a roster story that now stretches well beyond Las Vegas.
Her club form has also given Japan a player in rhythm. Yamamoto, a 5-4 guard, has averaged 5.3 points and 1.7 assists while shooting 40.7% from the field and 47.4% from 3-point range in 13 minutes a game. She scored a season-high 16 points against New York on Aug. 9, a reminder that her scoring punch has shown up even in a limited role.
What remains unclear is how the schedule will be managed once international play begins. Japan opens preliminary play against Mali on Sept. 4, faces host Germany on Sept. 5 and closes pool play against Spain on Sept. 7, while the tournament runs through the gold medal game on Sept. 13. Yamamoto's next weeks will be defined by whether her commitment to Japan can mesh cleanly with her responsibilities to the Aces, and the answer will shape both teams as the World Cup approaches.
