Kara Lawson has been officially appointed as the head coach of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team for the 2025‑2028 cycle, putting her in charge through the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Selected by Sue Bird, the managing director for the women’s program, and affirmed by the USA Basketball Board of Directors, Lawson is tasked with leading the national squad in major international tournaments, most notably the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.
Lawson’s résumé is rich with both playing and coaching accolades.
As a player, she earned Olympic gold in 2008 and contributed to multiple international successes. In her coaching career, she has served as an assistant coach for USA Basketball—including at the 2024 Paris Olympics—and led the U.S. 3×3 women’s team to gold at Tokyo 2020. Most recently, she coached the U.S. team at the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup.
At the collegiate level, Lawson is currently the head coach for Duke University’s women’s basketball team.
Over her five seasons there, she has led Duke to a cumulative 97–41 record, three straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, and an ACC tournament championship.
Before her tenure at Duke, she also spent time as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics.
In her acceptance remarks, Lawson expressed deep gratitude and a strong sense of responsibility for the role.
She acknowledged the honor of guiding the U.S. women in international competitions, the legacy she inherits, and the challenges ahead. She specifically recognized contributions from coaches and mentors she has had in her career and pledged to uphold the standards of excellence associated with the U.S. women’s basketball program.
Sue Bird, as managing director, hailed Lawson’s leadership, competitive mindset, and basketball intelligence.
Bird noted that having shared the court with Lawson in earlier days gives her confidence in Lawson’s ability to bring success to the program.
Leave a Reply