Caitlin Clark's 2-Word Advice From Kara Lawson Before Team USA Debut Explains It All
Women's basketball fans were treated to many of the world's best players competing for Team USA at the FIBA Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico earlier this month.
The USA didn't have to field a star-studded roster for this tournament, as their gold medal in the Paris 2024 Olympics already clinched their spot in the FIBA World Cup later this year. However, this presented an opportunity for many of the sport's brightest young stars to play on the USA senior national team for the first time. This included Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese.
This was also the first time that Kara Lawson (who is also the Duke Blue Devils women's basketball coach) got to coach the senior national team in a competition since taking over as Team USA's head coach last year. Therefore, there was some interest in how she could set rotations and otherwise acclimate this young USA squad to international play.
Caitlin Clark Reveals Kara Lawson’s Telling 2-Word Advice Before Team USA Debut
There was more excitement around Caitlin Clark's return to the court than anybody else, as she hadn't competed since July of 2025 because of a groin injury. And the Fever superstar showed no rust in her debut game against Senegal, producing 17 points and 12 assists (which was the second-most assists in a single game in the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament's history) in just 19 minutes off the bench.
The USA Basketball's YouTube account did a mini documentary series called "The Gold Standard" chronicling Team USA's time in Puerto Rico. Clark was interviewed at one point and spoke about what Coach Lawson told her before facing Senegal.
“Going into that first game, that's kind of what Kara talked to me about: Be you," Clark said of what Lawson told her before that first FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament game against Senegal.
She then added, "'Play fast, play up tempo, that’s what I wanna see.' But also, my playmaking ability is what I can bring to this team. And setting everybody up, and get the team flowing, and finding people in transition.”
Caitlin on what Kara Lawson told her before her first Team USA game
— correlation (@nosyone4) March 30, 2026
“Be you. Play fast, play uptempo that’s what I wanna see. but also my playmaking ability is what I can bring to this team in setting everybody up and get this team flowing and finding people in transition.” pic.twitter.com/ShJ5sspCF2
Clark certainly played like herself not only against Senegal but throughout the entire tournament, which was why she won the tournament's MVP award.
Lawson deserves a lot of credit for finding a way to fit these players in with each other while also giving them the freedom to shine as individuals.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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