Team USA has clinched their place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup with three straight wins, but what was seen as their biggest strength might be coming back to bite them. The Americans entered the tournament with a mix of veterans and young stars like Caitlin Clark on their roster, and head coach Kara Lawson has built her lineups around that depth. So, as the group stage comes to an end, the numbers are beginning to reveal an interesting reality.
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Even though the Americans have leaned heavily on their veteran core, one young-heavy lineup has quietly produced an even stronger stretch when given the opportunity. And that has caught the attention of former college basketball player Rachel A. Demita, who believes there is a growing divide in how the veterans and young stars are viewed.
“What’s really interesting to me is this particular lineup, the third-ranked lineup, and that’s Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Rhyne Howard, Aliyah Boston, and Angel Reese. And they are a 76+ net rating,” Demita said on her podcast on September 8. “And honestly, something that’s kind of been frustrating me around this World Cup is the discourse around the veterans and the youngins because there seems to be a divide. In a time where we should all just be rooting for Team USA, there’s definitely a divide in how we look at certain players or certain lineups.”
While this young-heavy lineup has posted a 76+ net rating, Team USA’s veteran starting five of Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper, Napheesa Collier, and Breanna Stewart has started all three group-stage games and carries a 34+ net rating. Yet the youngins are still viewed as players who should take a back seat, while the veterans are expected to carry the heavier load. And that, according to Demita, is where some of the frustration comes in.
“I think that even comes down to the commentary. Like, some of the commentary for me that I’ve heard on television has been really frustrating because it’s almost like they have the veterans on this really high pedestal, and the youngins are just kind of like, ‘oh, they should just kind of be happy to be here and learn from the veterans.’ And I feel like that’s disrespectful in a sense,” she added.
Demita then recalled the Americans’ game against Italy, where she felt the commentary was pushing for the veterans to return to the floor before making her larger point about the younger players.
“Guys, these youngins – it’s not like they’re teenagers. It’s not like the young intern squad is a bunch of teenagers. They’re 24, 25, 26 years old. They’re professional basketball players. And to act like they haven’t felt any sort of pressure or haven’t been on big stages in their careers… These young players have been on these massive stages. I think that they’re okay with the pressure… I don’t think it has to be something where the veterans got to take over if something isn’t going well. No, I think we should be playing the best players on the court, whether they’re veterans or whether they’re youngins.”
There is also evidence beyond the lineup numbers that the younger players are capable of carrying significant responsibility. Caitlin Clark currently leads Team USA in assists at 6.3 per game and set the record for most assists by a player in her debut in the game against China.
Meanwhile, Paige Bueckers is among the team’s leading scorers at 10.3 points per game, while Angel Reese is near the top in rebounding with six boards per game. Bueckers and Reese are also among Team USA’s leaders in blocks.
Now, their production also doesn’t mean Team USA has to move away from its veteran core.
The battle-tested players have also continued to produce as Stewart remains one of the top scorers and rebounders, while Jackie Young leads the Americans with 11.3 PPG. So Team USA does not have to choose between its veterans and its young stars. The roster was built specifically around that combination. However, the challenge for Lawson is determining how to use both groups without letting experience alone dictate who closes games as Caitlin Clark and the Americans now enter the knockout stage of the tournament.