Coach Kara Lawson Confirms Caitlin Clark Will Remain On Bench For Team USA Quarterfinal
Mar 7, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Kara Lawson on the sideline against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the second quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images; Aug 22, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts during the second half against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Ever since Team USA kicked off its 2026 FIBA World Cup campaign, fans, especially Caitlin Clark supporters, have been wondering if it would change its starting lineup14- now that the team is entering its knockout stage. Sadly, the answer remains no, according to Team USA coach Kara Lawson.
For Thursday’s FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup quarterfinal against Hungary, coach Lawson is set to stick with the same starting lineup, meaning Clark will start from the bench for the fourth consecutive game in Berlin.
Fans have been excited to see two of the best players in the WNBA, Clark and Paige Bueckers, play more important roles in their current World Cup fixture. However, with veteran players like Jackie Young given starting spots, Bueckers and Clark’s roles have been reduced to those of bench players.
According to Lawson, she is not going to meddle with her starting five’s chemistry at this time. Team USA defeated Italy 55-52 in a tough game, but they won the other two games handily against China and the Czech Republic. In each of the three group games, Chelsea Gray has started as the point guard. She averaged 3.7 points and 1.0 assists per game in 16.5 minutes during this phase, with a 30.8 percent field goal percentage.
When asked if she is thinking about putting Clark in the starting lineup, Lawson responded, “I think that our starting group’s done a really good job of getting us off to good starts, you know, rotationally from game-to-game we could change things, but I like where we are right now,” according to an Outkick video.
Team USA coach Kara Lawson told me if she would consider starting Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers in the World Cup final stage.
“I think that our starting group’s done a pretty good job of getting us off to good starts, and rotationally from game to game we could… pic.twitter.com/WGMkNDdVVN
— Jackson Thompson (@JackThompsonFOX) September 9, 2026
When asked the same question regarding Angel Reese and Bueckers, Lawson responded, “I like where we are right now,” as before.
The second unit lineup combinations have outperformed the starters statistically, while Reese, Bueckers, and Clark have all been quite effective in their minutes off the bench.
Given Gray’s performance so far in the World Cup, it is reasonable to wonder about the starting lineup. Kahleah Copper, who scored 5.3 points on 21.4% shooting, has also had difficulty in the starting lineup.
Clark, who is often called in to replace Gray and handle the offense, averages eight points, 27.3% shooting, and 6.3 assists per game. Against China, the Indiana Fever guard started the game with a double-double of 14 points and 11 assists. On September 6, 2026, however, she had an unusual shooting day against Italy despite offensive difficulties for the entire squad. Clark failed to score a field goal.
With Gray struggling more than Clark, fans were naturally wondering if coach Lawson would consider changing the starting lineup. Now, we all know the answer is a big fat no, since the coach is happy with her team’s current rhythm.
Lawson has stuck with Gray, Young, Copper, Napheesa Collier, and Breanna Stewart, relying on players with experience and a grasp of the pressure of knockout games in the Olympics and World Cup. Experience is a plausible explanation.
But the seasoned starters Lawson is defending haven’t exactly proven themselves invincible. The four returning starters from the Paris Olympics shot just 5-of-23, yet Gray, Young, Copper, Collier, and Stewart helped seal the victory. Italy was still one possession away from forcing extra in the closing seconds.
In contrast, Clark helped Team USA come back with a 105-64 victory over Czechia by scoring nine points and dishing out seven assists in 21 minutes. The young player scoring most consistently is Bueckers. Reese has delivered precisely what Lawson expected of her: rebounding, physicality, and unrelenting energy.
The quarterfinal match between the Americans and Hungary will tip off in Berlin at 5:30 a.m. ET Thursday. The game can be streamed on Courtside 1891, HBO Max, and TNT.
In the FIBA Women’s World Cup, the United States has never lost a quarterfinal match.