Kara Lawson has been named the new head coach of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team, USA Basketball announced on Wednesday. She’ll coach the US women’s team at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where they’ll go for their 9th consecutive gold medal.
She replaces Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, who led the US women to a gold medal as head coach in 2024 after serving as an assistant in 2016 and 2020.
Lawson played in the WNBA from 2003 to 2015, and won an Olympic gold medal in 2008 in Beijing. She was drafted 5th overall by the Detroit Shock after a stellar four-year career as point guard at the University of Tennessee. She won a WNBA title in 2005 and was named an All-Star in 2007.
She began her coaching career in 2019 as an assistant for the Boston Celtics under Brad Stevens, and took over as the head coach of Duke Women’s Basketball in 2020. Last season, Duke won the ACC Tournament under her leadership for the first time and made the Elite Eight. Lawson has coached the Blue Devils to three consecutive NCAA tournaments.
“I will work tirelessly to uphold the standards of this storied program,” Lawson said in an official press release. “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.”
“This has been something I’ve worked towards for a long time. I’m thankful to all of the players that I’ve had the opportunity to coach and all of the coaches I’ve learned from. There is nothing more important than pushing this group to reach its potential. I can’t wait to get started!”
Kara Lawson has a storied history with USA Basketball
In 2008, Lawson was the leading scorer in the gold medal game against Australia, tallying 15 points on 5-5 shooting and 4-4 from the line. In 2020, she coached the USA 3×3 team — led by Kelsey Plum, Allisha Gray, Jackie Young, and Stefanie Dolson — to a gold medal finish. She joined USA Basketball as an assistant coach in 2024.
Lawson taking over the reins means that once again, a college coach will lead the US women in the Olympics. In 2012 and 2016, UConn head coach Geno Auriemma was the head coach, while in 2020, South Caroline head coach Dawn Staley was.
Lawson will lead the USA women at the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Berlin, and subsequently in the Olympics in LA in 2028.
