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Lawson Named USA Basketball 5-on-5 Senior Coach of the Year
1/5/2026 7:43:00 PM | Women's Basketball
COLORADO SPRINGS – Following a successful summer with USA Basketball, Duke women's basketball head coach Kara Lawason was named the USA Basketball 5-on-5 Senior Coach of the Year as announced by USA Basketball Monday evening.
Lawson recorded yet another defining moment in her coaching career this past summer in Santiago, Chile by guiding a USA Women's AmeriCup Team of collegiate stars to a 7-0 run at the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup. The performance at the tournament qualified the United States for the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup in Berlin, while Lawson earned her 10th gold medal, and now, the honor of 2025 USA Basketball Coach of the Year.
The USA flew to Santiago with a team of college players, matching up with teams whose rosters featured significant professional and international experience. After reaching the semifinals unscathed, Lawson willed the USA to wins over title favorites Canada and Brazil. The USA trailed in both games, and strong fourth quarters in both bouts led the Americans to the tournament title.
The Americans led the tournament in scoring (91.3 points per game), field goal percentage (44.9%), blocks (5.3 blocks per game), steals (17.6 steals per game) and efficiency (120.0).
Currently in her sixth season as Duke's leader, Lawson was named head coach of the USA Women's National Team in the fall of 2025. The appointment places Lawson at the forefront of the program as it looks ahead to the 2028 Olympic cycle in Los Angeles. Her next major coaching assignment will be the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup this fall—a competition for which the USA qualified in Chile.
The latest success with USA Basketball is nothing new for Lawson as she started with the junior national team as a player in 1998 and culminated in an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Her success as a coach within USA Basketball has continued with the Blue Devils. She recently became the second fastest coach in ACC women's basketball history to reach 100 wins, doing so in 143 games. Lawson is 106-47 (.693) overall and currently has the Blue Devils riding a six-game win streak.
She has guided the Blue Devils to three consecutive 20-win seasons and three straight NCAA Tournament berths. Last year, Lawson led Duke to its ninth ACC Championship and an appearance in the Elite Eight. The Blue Devils finished the season ranked seventh in the final Associated Press poll.
Lawson, who has earned 13 combined gold medals as a player and coach with USA Basketball, will lead the U.S. women at the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup (Berlin) and at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Additionally, she will coach at qualifying tournaments, training camps and exhibitions throughout the Olympic cycle.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWBB".
#GoDuke
Lawson recorded yet another defining moment in her coaching career this past summer in Santiago, Chile by guiding a USA Women's AmeriCup Team of collegiate stars to a 7-0 run at the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup. The performance at the tournament qualified the United States for the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup in Berlin, while Lawson earned her 10th gold medal, and now, the honor of 2025 USA Basketball Coach of the Year.
The USA flew to Santiago with a team of college players, matching up with teams whose rosters featured significant professional and international experience. After reaching the semifinals unscathed, Lawson willed the USA to wins over title favorites Canada and Brazil. The USA trailed in both games, and strong fourth quarters in both bouts led the Americans to the tournament title.
The Americans led the tournament in scoring (91.3 points per game), field goal percentage (44.9%), blocks (5.3 blocks per game), steals (17.6 steals per game) and efficiency (120.0).
Currently in her sixth season as Duke's leader, Lawson was named head coach of the USA Women's National Team in the fall of 2025. The appointment places Lawson at the forefront of the program as it looks ahead to the 2028 Olympic cycle in Los Angeles. Her next major coaching assignment will be the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup this fall—a competition for which the USA qualified in Chile.
The latest success with USA Basketball is nothing new for Lawson as she started with the junior national team as a player in 1998 and culminated in an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games.
Her success as a coach within USA Basketball has continued with the Blue Devils. She recently became the second fastest coach in ACC women's basketball history to reach 100 wins, doing so in 143 games. Lawson is 106-47 (.693) overall and currently has the Blue Devils riding a six-game win streak.
She has guided the Blue Devils to three consecutive 20-win seasons and three straight NCAA Tournament berths. Last year, Lawson led Duke to its ninth ACC Championship and an appearance in the Elite Eight. The Blue Devils finished the season ranked seventh in the final Associated Press poll.
Lawson, who has earned 13 combined gold medals as a player and coach with USA Basketball, will lead the U.S. women at the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup (Berlin) and at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Additionally, she will coach at qualifying tournaments, training camps and exhibitions throughout the Olympic cycle.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWBB".
#GoDuke
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