Kara Lawson Named Head Coach of USA Women’s Basketball Team
Kara Lawson has been selected as the next head coach of the USA Women’s National Basketball Team, USA Basketball announced.She steps into the role following a distinguished career wiht the program adn faces the challenge of leading the team as they pursue a ninth consecutive Olympic gold medal.
“Kara Lawson’s international basketball experience is extensive, including 13 gold medals,” USA Basketball CEO Jim tooley said in a statement. “To say her journey with us has been notable is an understatement.”
Lawson’s appointment was made by Sue Bird,in her first major decision as managing director of the national team. Bird, a former Olympic teammate of Lawson’s, expressed confidence in her abilities.
“Having shared the court with Kara, I know firsthand the leadership, competitive spirit and basketball IQ that she brings,” Bird said in a statement. “Kara has always had the respect of her teammates and her players,something she has earned and demonstrated over decades with USA Basketball as a player,3×3 coach and assistant coach. I can’t wait to work with her and continue to build on the tradition of excellence that USA Basketball stands for.”
Lawson inherits a program with a remarkable history of success. The U.S.Women’s National Team has claimed 10 of the 13 Olympic tournaments held,including the last eight,and has won eight of the last ten FIBA World Cups.
“This is a job with high standards, and I love that, and I love the expectations that we have because it’s our job to rise to them and to meet them,” Lawson told The Athletic. ”To achieve anything meaningful in life, it’s supposed to be hard and it comes with risk.… You can’t shy away from that. You can’t be afraid of that, man, you have to face it head on.”
Building strong relationships with players will be a key focus for Lawson,leveraging her existing connections forged through previous roles as a senior national team assistant,3×3 coach,and AmeriCup coach. She will also be tasked with assembling a new coaching staff, filling the vacancies created by her promotion and the departure of Mike Thibault, who is now coaching Team Belgium.
Lawson acknowledges the increasing competitiveness of the international basketball landscape. The team’s narrow one-point victory over France in the Paris Olympics highlighted the challenges ahead. The growing talent pool in the WNBA, increasingly comprised of international players, is contributing to a higher level of global competition.
“It’s challenging to win a game at a world competition, yet alone win the whole tournament,” Lawson said. “It’s incredibly difficult to do, and if you’re able to do it like we were last summer in Paris, it’s exhilarating because you’re having to do it against the top competition. We definitely look forward to competing against all these top teams.”
Lawson’s appointment carries a special importance, as she follows in the footsteps of her college coach at Tennessee, Pat Summitt. Summitt was the first person to both play for and coach the U.S. Women’s National Team at the Olympics, a legacy USA Basketball aims to continue. The organization strives to establish a standard of excellence that inspires future generations of players and coaches.
(Photo of Kara Lawson: Kirk Irwin / Getty Images)
