DURHAM, N.C. (WNCN) – A familiar name in the coaching circles around the Triangle is set to lead USA Basketball on the international stage.
Duke coach Kara Lawson will be the next leader of the U.S. women’s basketball team, the program announced on Monday.
Lawson, who’s entering her sixth season in charge of the Blue Devils, succeeds Cheryl Reeve at the helm of USA Basketball, which seeks a record-extending ninth straight Olympic title.
“I am honored to be selected as the head coach of the Women’s National Team for this cycle,” Lawson said in a statement released on Monday.
“I will work tirelessly to uphold the standards of this storied program,” she continued in her statement. “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.”
A former WNBA champion and a three-time Olympic gold medalist, the 44-year-old coach took home gold as a player in 2008.
As a coach, she spearheaded the U.S. Olympic women’s 3×3 team to a gold medal at the Tokyo Games. Lawson was later a member of Reeve’s coaching staff at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, which also won gold.
Lawson becomes the second Black woman to be the head coach of the U.S Olympic team, following South Carolina coach Dawn Staley.
“This has been something I’ve worked towards for a long time,” Lawson said in her statement. “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.”
Lawson has compiled a 97-41 overall record at Duke since her hiring in 2020. She’s guided the Blue Devils to three consecutive 20-win seasons, which include the 2025 Atlantic Coast Conference title.