Team USA closed Window 4 of 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifying with a 104-80 win over Colombia in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 31, according to USA Basketball’s official release. The result pushed the Americans to 7-1 in group play, atop Group E of the Americas qualifying bracket.
Six players scored in double figures. Cole Swider led the way with 18 points and 8 rebounds, and Orlando Robinson II added 17 points and 9 rebounds, while Jaron Blossomgame, DeJon Jarreau and James Nunnally each scored 16. The U.S. shot 49.4% from the field (38-for-77) and 36.7% from three-point range (11-for-30). Colombia’s Braian Angola led all scorers on his team with 13 points.
None of those American names are ones casual NBA fans see on a nightly basis. The roster that beat Colombia is built from NBA fringe and G League talent rather than the players fans watch at the Olympics, which is typical for a qualifying window that falls in the middle of the NBA calendar. That does not make the result any less real for qualification purposes.
Finishing atop its group through four windows keeps the U.S. on the more comfortable track toward the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar, without needing to scramble in the tournament’s final qualifying windows. Turkey has already clinched a spot as the first team through in the broader worldwide field, and Canada leads Group F undefeated at 8-0, a reminder that qualifying is not a formality even for the sport’s traditional powers.
For now, the Americans have done the specific job in front of them: leaving Window 4 unbeaten in group play with a World Cup spot still to be locked down in the windows ahead.