Team USA head coach Kara Lawson has been at the receiving end of some harsh criticism during this World Cup, but after the finals win over France, Lawson has found some support. When Team USA narrowly edged past Italy in their second group stage game, analysts blamed Lawson for the team’s woeful shooting display. Even in subsequent games, while the scorelines improved, the fire Lawson was under did not. Life has now come full circle as one analyst made a case for coach Lawson to be given her flowers for guiding the USA to their fifth straight title.
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“Put some respect on Kara Lawson. Some of y’all were talking reckless,” wrote Natalie Esquire on X
Esquire, who is a two-time Sports Emmy-winning reporter, is justified in demanding the credit for Lawson in Team USA’s triumph.
From her first team selection choices to her rotations, Lawson was criticized for a host of issues. One of the primary complaints seemed to be the veteran starting lineup, which led to young players like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese starting on the bench.
Analyst Jon Root went so far as to say that Team USA will lose the final against France, questioning the choices and methods adopted by Kara Lawson in the tournament, especially regarding the starting lineup.
However, it seems that Lawson’s balanced choices have paid off. While mostly relying on veterans to start the game, Lawson skillfully utilized the young talent on the team, such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, to provide a lethal spark off the bench.
This is reflected in the numbers as well. The experienced core did the heavy lifting for the team, while the younger bench had the freedom to play their natural game, supporting the vets.
Breanna Stewart emerged as the MVP of the final, finishing the night with 22 points and 10 rebounds. She is the first player in FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup history to win the MVP twice, having done so in 2018 as well. Stewart also finishes as the USA’s top scorer of the World Cup, averaging 12.8 points per game, while adding 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists as well.
Jackie Young was the second-highest scorer for Team USA in the tournament, averaging 12.3 points per game.
As far as Caitlin Clark is concerned, she ended up contributing a valuable 12 points and three assists in the final, playing for just 13 minutes, in a showcase of efficient shooting. She finished the World Cup as Team USA’s leader in assists, capping off a fantastic first World Cup.
In the final, when France was leading by 14 points at one point, it seemed that all the criticism directed at Lawson would turn out to be true, as Gabby Williams and Co. came out swinging in the first half.
However, like any experienced coach, Kara Lawson knew when to shift gears. With the US still trailing at the end of the second quarter, Lawson brought on Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. These substitutions ended up contributing to one of the most pivotal moments of the game: in the dying seconds of the second quarter, Reese made a steal, and the ball eventually fell into Clark’s hands, who knocked down the three comfortably.
The Americans never looked back, and that is where the whole momentum shifted in the second half.
Tension peaked early in the third quarter when French small forward Valeriane Ayayi’s pull-up jumper locked the game at 47–47 with 8:21 on the clock. The parity lasted all of 38 seconds. Stewart took matters into her own hands, finishing a layup to restore a 49–47 American lead, breaking the French rhythm.
What followed was an American onslaught: from 9:16 to 1:46, the United States orchestrated a 17–8 scoring masterclass, fueled by dominant rebounding, registering nine rebounds and committing just two turnovers. France’s long-range shooting dried up entirely, and three unforced miscues completed a momentum shift from which Les Bleues never recovered.
Kara Lawson deserves a fair share of the credit, as she brings with her a wealth of experience in international play. She has brought home gold for America at the 2008 Olympic Games, the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, as well as the 2001 World University Games. Lawson has also coached the 2025 AmeriCup team to a gold in 2025 and has advised the USA Basketball 3×3 teams since 2017.
Under Kara Lawson’s guidance, USA completed a staggering 32-point turnaround, going from trailing by 14 points to winning the game by a cushy margin of 18, 97-79.