It hasn’t even been a full year since Caitlin Clark entered the WNBA, yet she has already shown she belongs among the league’s best. She missed the 2024 Paris Olympics because of “inexperience,” but her historic rookie season changed everything. Clark broke more than 19 rookie records and was part of the Indiana Fever’s back-to-back playoff runs. Now she finally has her chance with Team USA. And unexpectedly, the biggest question mark no longer surrounds her but Kara Lawson’s experience.

“Kara Lawson doesn’t have to recruit players. She just has to coach them,” Lundberg added. This was to clear the air over Duke’s poor show, linked with someone who does not perform, should not get to coach. At the college level, though, recruiting plays an important part in wins.

The head coach of the Duke women’s basketball team has earned several gold medals as an assistant coach with Team USA. She’s coached at the 2022 FIBA World Cup, the 2024 Paris Olympics, and the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup. She also coached the U.S. 3×3 women’s national team to gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“I am honored to be selected as the head coach of the Women’s National Team for this cycle,” Lawson said. Despite her extensive experience, she has never served as the head coach of Team USA at a major global event. That’s where the concern lies.

However, Lundberg believes the solution is already in place as Lawson won’t be coaching alone. “Natalie Nakase, Nate Tibbetts, and Stephanie White are serving as court coaches for the camp. That shows the level of investment and support around her,” he said.

“So I don’t know what Lawson’s Olympic staff will be,” Lundberg said. “But she won’t be the only coach on the sideline. It would almost take active sabotage for this to go wrong. The rest of the world is getting better, but I wouldn’t have doubts about Lawson.” And yes, her court coaches add tremendous value.

• Stephanie White coached the USA national team in 2023, led the Connecticut Sun for two seasons, and built the resilient Indiana Fever in 2024-25.
  
• Natalie Nakase, Coach of the Year, guided the Golden State Valkyries to their first NCAA Tournament appearance.
  
• Nate Tibbetts led the Phoenix Mercury to a surprising Finals run after defeating the 2024 champions and the 2025 contenders, the Minnesota Lynx.

Now, it all comes with USA Basketball inviting 18 WNBA players to the training camp in Durham, North Carolina, where the 2028 Team USA core will begin to take shape. While the camp will determine which players earn spots on the senior national team, insiders believe the most important selection has already been made.

As analyst Robin Lundberg explained, “Caitlin Clark has been invited to the camp. There’s no more controversy. She will be on the team. She will be the starting point guard, barring anything unusual.”

Still, can they collectively handle the “Caitlin Clark effect”?

Since Clark’s arrival, the WNBA has seen unprecedented growth. For the first time, the league saw in-court attendance rise to 94%. But despite her massive impact in her rookie year, she missed the 2024 roster; now she is finally set to debut for Team USA. Originally, Clark was only expected to participate in the March 2026 USA Basketball camp ahead of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

But now, she will also compete in the December 12-14 camp in Durham. So, the anticipation is real. Especially since fans haven’t been able to watch CC play for the 2025 regular season. Due to different muscle injuries, she has been limited to just 13 games throughout the year.

Also, she hasn’t been seen on court since her groin injury in mid-July. Adding to the excitement are other superstars on the list. She’ll be joined by Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, Kiki Iriafen, Rickea Jackson, Sonia Citron, and many others. So, the weight of expectations is quite heavier. But can Team USA’s coaching staff and system handle the massive spotlight that comes with Caitlin Clark’s arrival?