(VIDEO) Where To Watch Team USA Vs. China Live: FIBA Women's World Cup Opener Streaming Guide Today In Berlin

Team USA opens its pursuit of a fifth consecutive FIBA Women's World Cup gold medal Friday, facing China in the tournament's opening group-stage matchup, with tipoff scheduled for 8:15 a.m. ET at Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany.

The 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup runs Sept. 4-13, marking the tournament's return after a four-year gap since the last edition was held in Australia in 2022. Because this year's tournament is being played in Germany, which is six hours ahead of Eastern time, American fans hoping to watch Team USA's opener will need to tune in early, with the game tipping off at 8:15 a.m. ET, or 5:15 a.m. Pacific time.

For viewers in the United States, Friday's USA-China matchup will be broadcast live on TNT, with the game also airing on truTV. TNT holds exclusive U.S. English-language broadcast rights to the tournament. Every U.S. national team game throughout the tournament, along with all knockout-round matchups from the qualifying rounds through the championship game, will air on TNT and truTV.

For fans without access to traditional cable or satellite television, multiple streaming options are available. All 36 games of the tournament, including every Team USA matchup, will stream live on HBO Max. Cord-cutters can also access the TNT and truTV broadcasts through live TV streaming platforms including YouTube TV and DirecTV. Additionally, every game of the tournament will be available in the U.S. through Courtside 1891, FIBA's dedicated streaming platform, which can be accessed through a subscription to DAZN.

Team USA enters this year's tournament as the sport's most dominant national program, having won nine of the last 12 FIBA Women's World Cups, including four consecutive titles. The Americans have not lost at the tournament since the semifinal round in 2006, a streak of sustained international dominance that has made them the heavy favorite once again heading into this year's competition.

This year's U.S. roster, coached by Kara Lawson, features a mix of established WNBA stars and rising talents, including Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum, Aliyah Boston and Angel Reese. Despite that considerable depth, Team USA will be without four-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson, who was also named MVP of the 2022 World Cup, as she will not play in Germany due to health reasons. Kelsey Plum was also listed among players who will not be available for the tournament for health-related reasons.

China, meanwhile, will be missing a key piece of its own roster ahead of Friday's opener. Two-time Olympian and Dallas Wings center Li Yueru will not suit up for the Chinese national team after her passport was lost in the mail, preventing her from traveling to Germany in time for the tournament. Despite that setback, China's roster still features significant size, including Liberty center Han Xu, who stands 6-foot-8, giving the Chinese team a notable height advantage that could pose challenges for Team USA on both ends of the floor, even against a heavily favored American squad.

Friday's USA-China game kicks off Group D play, which also includes Italy and Czechia. Team USA's full group-stage schedule includes Friday's opener against China at 8:15 a.m. ET, followed by a matchup against Italy on Sunday, Sept. 6, at 2:45 p.m. ET, and a game against Czechia on Monday, Sept. 7, at 2:45 p.m. ET. Should the Americans advance out of group play as expected, they would move on to the quarterfinals on Sept. 10, followed by the semifinals on Sept. 12 and the championship game on Sept. 13, which will also mark the conclusion of the overall tournament.

Friday's opening day of the tournament features a full slate of games beyond the marquee USA-China matchup. Earlier games Friday include Japan versus Mali and Australia versus Puerto Rico, both at 5:30 a.m. ET, followed by Korea versus Nigeria at 8:30 a.m. ET. Later in the day, additional first-round matchups include Belgium versus Turkiye at 11:30 a.m. ET, Spain versus Germany at 11:45 a.m. ET, Czechia versus Italy at 2:15 p.m. ET, and Hungary versus France at 3 p.m. ET. All of those games will be available to stream via Courtside 1891 and HBO Max, though only select matchups, primarily those involving Team USA and later knockout-round games, will also air on TNT or truTV.

Ahead of the tournament, WNBA standout and Team USA guard Caitlin Clark has continued training with the national team as she prepares for her role in the U.S. lineup, adding another significant storyline to an American roster already stacked with recognizable names from across the WNBA.

The tournament's overall broadcast structure reflects a broader shift in how major international women's basketball events are being distributed to U.S. audiences, with the combination of traditional cable broadcasts on TNT and truTV alongside expansive streaming access through HBO Max and the dedicated Courtside 1891 platform offering fans a wide range of ways to follow the tournament regardless of their specific cable or streaming subscriptions.

With Team USA opening tournament play against a Chinese squad that, despite missing a key contributor in Li Yueru, still brings considerable size to the matchup through players like Han Xu, Friday's early-morning tipoff marks the beginning of what the Americans hope will be another dominant run toward a fifth consecutive world championship, continuing a streak of success that has defined the program for nearly two decades. Fans looking to follow the action live have a wide array of viewing options available across both traditional broadcast and streaming platforms to catch every moment of Team USA's title defense as it begins in Berlin.