The gym at Cameron Indoor Stadium has witnessed greatness for decades, but when Kara Lawson walked those legendary hardwood floors as Duke’s head coach, something different stirred in the air. Now, that same commanding presence will guide the most dominant force in women’s basketball—Team USA—as she steps into the head coaching role for the national team.

The announcement sent ripples through the basketball community, and rightfully so. This isn’t just another coaching change; it’s the passing of a torch from one Olympic champion to the next generation of leaders who understand what it takes to win gold when the world is watching.

The Weight of Golden Expectations

Standing courtside in Paris last summer, watching Gabby Williams’ toe graze the three-point line as her shot that could have tied the Olympic final fell just short, Kara Lawson felt the razor-thin margin between triumph and heartbreak. That 67-66 victory over France wasn’t just another win—it was a stark reminder that American dominance is no longer guaranteed.

“The international game has never been more competitive on the women’s side,” Kara Lawson reflects, her voice carrying the gravity of someone who’s lived these pressure-cooker moments. As an assistant under Cheryl Reeve’s staff, she watched Team USA extend its Olympic winning streak to 60 games, but the closeness of that final game left an indelible mark.

The emotion in her voice shifts when she talks about her playing days, particularly that magical 2008 Olympic run in Beijing. “To win a gold medal as a player was amazing, and one of the earliest goals that I set out when I was young. I think that is what drives you because you know how great that feels and you want the players you coach to experience that.”

Building Tomorrow’s Champions

What sets Kara Lawson apart isn’t just her impressive resume—though winning Olympic gold as a player, coaching 3-on-3 teams, and building Duke into a powerhouse certainly helps. It’s her ability to connect with players across generations, from seasoned veterans like A’ja Wilson to rising stars she’s mentored through USA Basketball’s development programs.

The relationships she’s forged tell the story of a coach who gets it. Players like Paige Bueckers, Aliyah Boston, and Rickea Jackson all cut their teeth under Lawson’s guidance in various USA Basketball programs. These aren’t just names on a roster—they’re athletes who’ve felt her passion, absorbed her basketball IQ, and experienced her ability to extract greatness when it matters most.

“There’s nothing like the pressure of big competition,” Lawson explains, and you can hear the fire that once burned in her own competitive heart. “I love the fact that I have the experience, the Olympic experience of a gold medal game and semifinal game and the pressure of being the overwhelming favorite and having to come through.”

The Sue Bird Connection

Behind every great appointment lies a story of trust and shared vision. Sue Bird, now serving as the USA Basketball women’s managing director, didn’t just pick Lawson from a list of qualified candidates—she chose someone whose competitive DNA she’s known since they were nine-year-old rivals growing up in the Northeast.

Their relationship reads like a basketball love story: friendly rivals as kids, fierce competitors when Bird starred at UConn and Lawson dominated at Tennessee, WNBA adversaries when Bird wore Seattle green and Kara Lawson donned Sacramento colors, and finally, Olympic teammates who shared that golden moment in Beijing.

“We’ve known each other since we were 9 years old, and we’ve always had a healthy respect for each other,” Lawson says, and there’s something beautiful about that three-decade journey from childhood competition to collaborative leadership.

The Road to Los Angeles 2028

The path ahead won’t be easy. Every nation with basketball aspirations has USA Basketball in its crosshairs, and the talent pool globally has never been deeper. Australia, Belgium, France, and others have closed the gap considerably, turning what were once blowout victories into nail-biting affairs that test nerves and resolve.

But if there’s one thing Lawson’s career has taught her, it’s that greatness isn’t about avoiding pressure—it’s about embracing it, learning from it, and using it to forge champions who rise when the stakes are highest.

As she prepares to guide Team USA toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Kara Lawson carries more than just the weight of expectations. She carries the dreams of athletes who’ve spent their lives chasing that golden moment, the trust of a basketball community that believes in her vision, and the unshakeable confidence of someone who’s already climbed this mountain and knows the view from the top is worth every challenge along the way.

The countdown to Los Angeles has begun, and with Kara Lawson at the helm, Team USA’s quest for another Olympic gold medal just got a whole lot more compelling.