The Puerto Rico women's national basketball team's classification to the second round of the 2026 FIBA World Cup in Berlin has reignited discussion about the team's international recognition. During a press conference after their 75-71 win over Turkey, national team director Gerardo 'Jerry' Batista shared an anecdote about a pre-tournament query he made to ChatGPT, asking which countries participating in the World Cup had also participated in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and the last two Olympic Games. ChatGPT initially responded with around six countries, excluding Puerto Rico, despite the team's participation in these events.
After Batista pointed out the error, ChatGPT acknowledged its mistake. Batista used this anecdote to illustrate his perception that many people do not think Puerto Rico deserves to be in international competitions. However, the team has become a constant presence in major international tournaments, with the 2026 World Cup being their third consecutive appearance.
In 2018, they finished 16th, in 2022, they achieved their first World Cup wins, and now they have advanced to the second round in 2026.