Paige Bueckers honored Team USA teammate Breanna Stewart with her comment on the New York Liberty star’s recent Instagram post.
Three-time FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup champion Stewart is spearheading Team USA’s campaign in the 2026 edition of the quadrennial tournament in Berlin, Germany.
Stewart, who was named team captain, played well in USA’s tournament opener against China. She finished with seven points, seven rebounds, two assists and one steal in 16 minutes to help Team USA record a dominant 94-61 victory.
Aside from the scoring output as a starter, her important contribution in the game was to help contain China’s twin towers of Han Xu and Zhang Ziyu, who stand 6-foot-11 and 7-foot-3, respectively.
The three-time WNBA champion held her own against them and posted several of her best moments from the game on Instagram.
“Dub,” Stewart wrote.
The 32-year-old is among the most decorated veterans on the roster, with three Olympic medals under her belt.
Stewart’s leadership in the locker room has been felt by her teammates, particularly by Bueckers. The Dallas Wings guard left a one-word comment on her team captain’s Instagram post.
“Cap 🫡,” Bueckers’ comment read.
Stewart, Bueckers and the rest of the national squad improved to 2-0 on Sunday after a hard-fought 55-52 win over Italy.
Stewart logged five points and a game-high 11 rebounds, while Bueckers came off the bench for seven points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.
Team USA has now punched its ticket to the quarterfinals. They will close out their group stage play with a matchup against the Czech Republic on Monday.
