NEW YORK (AP) — As the WNBA goes on its FIBA World Cup break, no team has more players headed to Germany then the New York Liberty.
Like the city they play in, the Liberty are an international smorgasbord with players from France, Nigeria, China, Germany, Australia, Spain, the Bahamas and the U.S. New York will have seven of them playing in the tournament that begins Sept. 4 in Berlin. The Liberty would have an eighth, but Satou Sabally is still recovering from a concussion so can't play for Germany.
“It truly is like the United Nations here,” Liberty star Breanna Stewart said of her teammates' backgrounds.
Rebecca Allen, the longest tenured member of the team, said it wasn't like that when she first joined the organization in 2015.
“I was the only foreigner on the team back then. Everyone made me feel welcome, but now it's different with so many countries represented here,” she said.
Rookie Pauline Astier, who will play for France at the World Cup with Liberty teammate Marine Johannes, said her teammates were so welcoming that it made the adjustment to playing in a foreign country much easier.
It goes to show how international the league has become. The Liberty could have a very fun potluck dinner if everyone brought something from their native country. It's an idea that Allen thought would be fun to do when they get back from the FIBA break.
Han Xu will represent China, Elizabeth Balogun will play for Nigeria, Leonie Fiebich for Germany and Raquel Carrera for Spain.
Golden State took over the top spot in the power poll after going 4-0 last week, including a win over previous No. 1 Minnesota. The Lynx dropped to third behind Las Vegas. Atlanta, Indiana and New York were the next three. Dallas was seventh with Washington eighth. Portland, Los Angeles and Phoenix followed the Mystics. Chicago was 12th. Connecticut, Seattle and Toronto rounded out the poll.
Angel Reese continues to dominate the boards, setting another record on Sunday. Reese, who broke the single-game rebound record earlier last week with 26 in a win over Los Angeles, had her 29th double-double of the season against Minnesota. That's the most in a single year by a WNBA player, breaking Alyssa Thomas' mark set in 2023.
Golden State's Veronica Burton was the AP player of the week. The Valkyries guard averaged 11.3 points, 8.8 assists and 2 steals to help the team win all four of its games last week on the road. Other players receiving votes were Caitlin Clark of Indiana, Angel Reese of Atlanta, Nneka Ogwumike of Los Angeles and Kiki Iriafen of Washington.
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) fouls New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during the second half of a WNBA basketball game, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
New York Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich (13) catches a rebound during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Indiana Fever, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) shoots a two-pointer during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the New York Liberty, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina superstar Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international soccer on Monday, ending 21 years of national-team duty that were capped by winning the World Cup in 2022 to secure his place in the pantheon of the game's greatest ever players.
“It was a decision that hurt — and still hurts deeply — but I understand that the time has come,” the 39-year-old Messi said on his Instagram account.
Messi, who will continue to play at club level with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer, played in a record-tying six World Cups. He won it four years ago in a tournament he dominated in Qatar and also led Argentina to the title match in 2014 and again this year, when the Albiceleste lost to Spain in extra time in New Jersey.
Messi stands shoulder to shoulder with Diego Maradona, a compatriot with whom he was so often compared, and Brazil icon Pelé as the greatest players of all time.
For many, he's the best.
“I swear to you that I always gave it my all — not just in these last few years when we won everything, but before that too," Messi wrote. "I always fought and left everything on the field for this jersey, to bring you joy and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football.”
Messi played 207 games for Argentina and finishes as its all-time leading scorer with 125 goals, 21 of them in World Cups. Only one player has more goals in men's internationals — his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 146 and has yet to announce his retirement from Portugal duty.
Messi became the all-time leading World Cup scorer for a month in the recent tournament in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, but finished one goal behind France’s Kylian Mbappé.
In a long social-media post, Messi explained he wrote his retirement letter on July 21 — two days after the World Cup final in which he struggled to make an impact — but waited to publish it because his father was facing health issues that eventually claimed his life.
Jorge Messi died on Aug. 8 in his native Rosario.
Two months after Messi starred at the 2005 world under-20 championship, scoring both of Argentina's goals in the final triumph, he was given his senior Argentina debut at 18. His first appearance lasted only two minutes; the substitute was sent off against Hungary in Budapest.
His journey with the national team was fraught with more frustration — he briefly retired from Argentina duty in 2016 after three defeats in three consecutive major finals — until he finally lifted the World Cup four years ago, either side of also winning Copa America titles in 2021 and '24.
“Thank you for all the love these past 20 years," he said. "I’m going to miss hearing you all from the inside so much. Now I’m going to be one of you, cheering and supporting you from the outside (through thick and thin, even more so).”
In the letter, Messi did not say how long he intends to continue playing. The recent World Cup showed he's still one of the best players in the world, as did a four-goal display for Inter Miami at the weekend in a 7-1 victory over CF Montreal.
“I leave with the peace of mind and pride of having given you — along with my teammates — moments we once only dreamed of. Experiencing this with you was incredible. I love you all,” he added.
Messi's stellar recent success with Argentina nearly didn’t happen.
A decade ago he retired from the national team following Argentina's defeat in the 2016 Copa Amercia final to Chile on penalty kicks — one of which he missed.
A public campaign led by Maradona and the president changed his mind and Messi shook off the notion of not being able to win the big matches, returning to the Argentina team and continuing to star for Barcelona, then Paris Saint-Germain, then Inter Miami.
He’s the two-time MVP in MLS, the star of the league champion and someone who still creates goals in the biggest moments.
He's also a record eight-time world player of the year.
“He is pure history,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said during the recent World Cup. “History. A legend.”
The retirement announcement sparked a wave of reactions.
The Argentine Football Association wrote: “Thank you for everything, Leo. Thank you for representing Argentina. Thank you for making us dream. Thank you for turning so many dreams into reality. The legend is yours, forever.”
Argentina and Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul highlighted on social media “your unconditional love for our country, your internal battles to never give up, your strength in always enduring injustices, and your leadership and character in your dealings with every player.”
Leandro Paredes, another Argentina teammate, said, “Thank you for absolutely everything. You are and always will be the greatest of all time. We love you, Captain.”
Defender Cristian Romero said: “I love you, I admire you, and I will always be grateful for the impact you’ve had on me and on our country. Thank you for so much, Captain.”
AP Sports writers Tim Reynolds and Steve Douglas contributed to this report.
See AP’s full soccer coverage here
FILE - Argentina's Angel Di Maria, top, celebrates with Argentina's Lionel Messi after scoring against Ecuador during a World Cup 2014 qualifying soccer game in Buenos Aires, June 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Ivan Fernandez, File)
FILE - People sing happy birthday to Lionel Messi at a street mural of him in Buenos Aires, Argentina, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd, File)
FILE - Argentina's Lionel Messi, left, competes for the ball with Nigeria's Danny Shittu, right, and Nigeria's Dickson Etuhu, center, during the World Cup group B soccer match in Johannesburg, South Africa, June 12, 2010. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)
FILE - Argentina's Lionel Messi (10) dribbles between England's Anthony Gordon (18) and Harry Kane (9) during the World Cup semifinal soccer match in Atlanta, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
FILE - Argentina's Lionel Messi scores his team's second goal during the group F World Cup soccer match against Bosnia in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 15, 2014. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits, File)
Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi reacts following an unsuccessful scoring attempt during the first half of an MLS soccer match against CF Montreal, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
