**AUSTIN, Texas – Former University of Texas softball star Janae Jefferson and the 16-member United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) are set to compete in the upcoming World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Cup Finals.**
Taking place from Monday, July 15 to Sunday, July 21, the top-ranked Team USA will start its six-game schedule at 9:30 a.m. CT on July 15 against No. 5 Canada. They will then face host No. 6 Italy at 1:30 p.m. the next day, and No. 15 China at 7 a.m. CT on Wednesday, July 17, concluding Group A play.
Group B includes No. 2 Japan, No. 3 Puerto Rico, No. 8 Netherlands, and No. 10 Australia.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Super Round, held from Thursday, July 18 to Friday, July 19, with a chance to compete in the Medal Round on Saturday, July 20. All games will be held at Campo Comunale da Softball in Castions di Strada, Italy.
“The U.S. Women’s National Team is thrilled to compete for a gold medal at the 2024 WBSC World Cup,” said head coach Heather Tarr, who also coaches at the University of Washington. “We are happy to have time to prepare and expect to showcase dominant pitching, great defense, and timely hitting as we grow together throughout the tournament.”
Team USA aims for its fourth consecutive WBSC Women’s World Cup title, having previously won in Birmingham, Alabama (2022), Chiba, Japan (2018), and Surrey, British Columbia, Canada (2016).
The WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup Finals will be streamed via GameTime, offering a tournament pass ($12.99) for all 22 games or a daily pass ($7.99). Fans can also follow live stats through the U.S. Women’s National Team on GameChanger.
Jefferson, who played at Texas from 2018 to 2022, is one of eight representatives from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and part of 11 different NCAA Division I universities represented on the team.