Despite an arena buzzing with star power and a lopsided final score, the real story for Team USA head coach Kara Lawson was just beginning.

The United States women’s national basketball team opened the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualification with a commanding win over Senegal. But despite the lopsided result and the buzz surrounding a roster that was filled with stars, Lawson made it clear the lineup fans saw on the floor was far from finalized.

In fact, she expects things to keep changing.

“The starting lineup is going to change, the rotation is going to change,” Lawson said as per ESPN. “As a coach, I am still in fact-finding mode. Not in terms of who they are … but trying to find some chemistry and see what combinations work together.”

In the game, coach Lawson opted for a veteran-heavy starting group that featured Chelsea Gray, Kahleah Copper, and Jackie Young. Besides them, Angel Reese and Dearica Hamby also joined the starting five. The notable omission from that first unit was Kelsey Plum and Caitlin Clark.

Even though Team USA entered the tournament slightly thinner in the paint after Aliyah Boston was ruled out of the qualifiers with a leg injury, the Americans leaned on their depth throughout the night.

“We have a very deep roster,” Lawson said. “And it’s one thing to say you have depth, but another thing to leverage that depth.”

Midway through the first quarter, the coach swapped out the entire starting group, sending in a lineup featuring Clark, Rhyne Howard, Kelsey Plum, Kiki Iriafen, and Monique Billings. And as per Lawson that group immediately shifted the rhythm of the game.

“I thought our players that came off the bench … took us to a different level,” she said. “If you have a lot of depth, you are playing sometimes either tired starters or the other team’s bench. It is a great opportunity to create separation in the game. They did that.”

As a whole, on offense, the Americans were nearly unstoppable as they shot 58.7 percent from the field and connected on 17 three-pointers. Defensively, they suffocated Senegal, holding them to just 26.3 percent shooting and forcing 20 turnovers that turned into 28 U.S. points.

And while the result offered a glimpse of the team’s potential, Lawson reiterated that the process of figuring out the right mix of players is still ongoing.

Kara Lawson Applauds Caitlin Clark for Sparking Team USA’s Offensive Flow

While the rotation experiments drew much of the attention after the opener, one player’s influence on the floor quickly became impossible to ignore. Caitlin Clark made her long-awaited return to competitive basketball in the matchup against Senegal. She stepped onto the court for the first time in months and immediately left her mark on the game.

Clark delivered a double-double performance with 17 points and 12 assists as the Americans cruised to a 110–46 victory. Beyond the scoring, her presence helped accelerate the team’s pace, consistently creating open looks for teammates while stretching the floor with her perimeter shooting.

And her ability to orchestrate the offense did not go unnoticed by coach Lawson, who pointed to her playmaking as a key factor in finding their rhythm during the game.

“With Caitlin, she brings this dynamic play to the offensive end, that goes without saying,” Lawson said. “And as much as she is dynamic as a scorer, she’s one of the most dynamic playmakers in the world as well.”

“I thought Caitlin’s playmaking ability really kind of got us going. We got into a nice rhythm in that second quarter and scored a lot of points,” the coach added.

For a roster loaded with talent, building chemistry between stars can sometimes take time. But Caitlin Clark’s quick adjustment alongside a new group of teammates offered an early sign of how her passing and court vision could elevate Team USA as the tournament progresses.

For their next game, the USA will be back on the court on March 12, where they will go against the host nation, Puerto Rico, at 8 p.m. ET.