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Team USA faced a sluggish start in Saturday’s FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup semifinal against Spain, as head coach Kara Lawson continued her strategy of keeping Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese on the bench to start the game.
Throughout the tournament, Lawson has shown loyalty to her veteran players, consistently opting to bring Reese, Clark, and Paige Bueckers off the bench. This young trio has proven to be a significant asset for Team USA, with Reese and Clark even developing on-court chemistry despite their well-known college rivalry.
However, some fans have expressed frustration over the limited minutes given to Clark and Reese, especially as Team USA aims to defend its title. The early portion of the semifinal against Spain highlighted these concerns, as the team stumbled while Lawson stuck to her usual rotation.
Starting lineup choices sparked debate online, with Lawson beginning the game with Napheesa Collier, Breanna Stewart, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young. Spain quickly took control, leading 7-1 early on and extending their advantage to 11-4. Though Team USA eventually found some momentum, they only managed a slim 39-36 lead at halftime.
Fan reactions on social media were swift and critical. Comments ranged from doubts about the coaching staff’s approach to calls for major changes.
One fan tweeted, “This coaching staff is gonna coach us to a silver medal,” while another suggested, “Fire Sue Bird and this coaching staff and clear out most of the veterans.” Others questioned the logic behind starting older players instead of the younger stars: “Can’t take us serious when coach starts all the old people.
Clark and Reese don’t go in until 4 mins left in first.”
As Team USA fell behind early, frustrations grew louder. Fans pleaded for more playing time for Clark and Reese: “Why does the coach not play CC more?
The team does well when she’s in there,” wrote one. Another added, “LMK when CC, Angel and Paige check in and maybe I’ll tune in then.”
When addressing the decision to start veterans, Lawson defended her approach, saying, “I think that our starting group’s done a pretty good job of getting us off to good starts, and rotationally from game to game we could change things, but I like where we are right now.”
For Clark, Reese, and Bueckers, the opportunity to represent Team USA has been a proud moment, regardless of starting status. Clark expressed her excitement after the team’s opening game: “This is such a privilege and honor to be here.
I don’t worry about all that [pressure]. I’m just excited to go play basketball.
I remain confident in what I can do.”
As Team USA pushes forward in the tournament, balancing veteran experience with youthful talent will remain a key storyline to watch.