Chiney Ogwumike Breaks Down Biggest Team USA ‘Learning Opportunity’ for Kara Lawson
Team USA entered this year’s World Cup with a new coaching staff, many first-time players, and the threat of France’s impressive talent looming. The team prevailed, winning another gold medal behind strong performances from Breanna Stewart and Jackie Young, among others.
Nevertheless, the threat of other countries catching up isn’t going away, and Team USA will have to learn from this competition to be even better in the future. Chiney Ogwumike, who was a two-time All-Star in the WNBA and won gold for the USA at the 2012 FIBA 3x3 World Cup before becoming an ESPN analyst, hopes to see the different generations of players fit together more seamlessly.
“I think Renee Montgomery did a really good job on the broadcast saying when you’re playing against Team USA, it’s an additional challenge because it’s almost like you’re scouting two teams,” Ogwumike said on her show Chiney Today, per a video on ESPN’s YouTube channel. “You’re scouting that experienced group that plays slower, that gets to their spots, but also knows how to get it done. But then you have the second wave come in, and they run and gun, and they fly, and they’re full of offense, and they’re the future of Team USA. I think the challenge is trying to better, more seamlessly, integrate the two.”
She also added, “To me, that’s going to be the biggest learning opportunity for Kara Lawson going forward because you need to be able to have one team and not two different skill sets playing together.”
Lawson relied heavily on her veterans all tournament long, starting Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper, Napheesa Collier, and Breanna Stewart, who all won gold together at the Olympics two years ago. The second unit was full of young stars with Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Rhyne Howard, Angel Reese, and Aliyah Boston. While the rotations changed later in the tournament, Lawson often played the two groups separately instead of mixing in a few young players with the vets and vice versa.
The 2028 Olympics will be a big competition for USA Basketball
On the women’s side, USA Basketball hasn’t lost out on an Olympic gold medal since 1992. A one-point win over France at the 2024 Paris Olympics delivered the USA’s eighth consecutive gold medal. The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles won’t just be an opportunity to keep that streak alive. It’s also a chance to prove at home that Team USA can still dominate the international stage despite the growing talent in other countries.
There will be an even bigger spotlight on Kara Lawson and everyone on the roster—which could look very different than this World Cup team. It seems fair to assume that, barring injuries, many players like Breanna Stewart, Jackie Young, Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese will overlap. But A’ja Wilson, who missed the World Cup, should be back in the mix, and Kelsey Plum, who was injured as well, will certainly be in the player pool, too. Moreover, younger players like Olivia Miles and JuJu Watkins should be making a play for the Olympic roster.
With a lot of pressure to win yet another gold medal, the experience that Lawson, her coaching staff, and many of the new players gained at the World Cup will be invaluable. Lawson will once again have to balance playing experienced veterans with younger stars making their senior national team debuts at the Olympics.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.