Kara Lawson named USA Basketball women's national team coach for 2026 World Cup, 2028 Los Angeles Olympics
Lawson is an Olympic gold medalist and currently the women's coach at Duke
By
Carter Bahns
•
1 min read
USA Basketball has tabbed Kara Lawson as the coach of the women's national team through 2028, putting the Duke boss in charge of Team USA through two major events -- the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Lawson started her coaching career in 2019 as an assistant for the Boston Celtics and has led Duke's women's program since 2020. She carries plenty of Olympic experience, both as a player and coach. As a player, she took home the gold at the 2008 Beijing Games. As a coach, she helped the inaugural American 3x3 Olympic team take gold at the 2020 Tokyo Games and later served as an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Games.
"I am honored to be selected as the head coach of the Women's National Team for this cycle," Lawson said. "I want to thank Sue Bird, General Dempsey and the USA Basketball Board of Directors, Jim Tooley and Briana Gould for this tremendous opportunity."
Lawson is a rising standout on the sidelines who has rebuilt Duke back into one of the best programs in women's college basketball. She inherited a squad that missed consecutive NCAA Tournaments for the first time since the early 1990s and promptly righted the ship, needing only two full seasons to get the Blue Devils back into the Big Dance.
Duke played just four games in the pandemic-impacted 2021-22 season and finished just over .500 in Lawson's second year, but it took off in Year 3 with a 26-win campaign and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Lawson's teams took steps forward in each of the next two postseasons, reaching the Sweet 16 in 2024 and Elite Eight earlier this year.
"I will work tirelessly to uphold the standards of this storied program," Lawson said. "There is no greater honor in our sport than to be chosen to lead the U.S. women in world competition. I understand the responsibility and the challenges that lie ahead. I look forward to meeting them head on."
Lawson developed as a player at Tennessee under legendary coach Pat Summit, whom she credits as a key figure in her rise as a coach. She starred with the Lady Volunteers as a two-time All-American, became a first-round WNBA Draft pick and won the 2005 WNBA championship with the Sacramento Monarchs.
