Team USA women's basketball coach Kara Lawson has indicated that Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers are likely to remain in reserve roles as the team prepares for its FIBA Women's World Cup quarterfinal match against Hungary. Lawson stated that she is satisfied with the performance of her veteran starting lineup through the initial group play.
"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," Lawson told OutKick. She further suggested that the trio of young stars would continue coming off the bench "until further notice."
Fans have expressed a desire on social media to see Clark, Reese, and Bueckers integrated into the starting five since the tournament commenced. Clark has come off the bench in all three group stage games. Her tournament debut against China saw her record 14 points and 11 assists, but she followed that with a single point and no field goals made against Italy. She concluded group play with nine points and seven assists in a victory over Czechia.
Paige Bueckers has shown more consistent scoring, matching Clark's 14 points in the opener against China, along with four assists and two steals. She contributed seven points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks against Italy, and made the team's first three-pointer after an initial ten misses. Bueckers followed this with 10 points and five assists against Czechia, shooting 13 of 22 field goals with three turnovers through three games.
Angel Reese made an impact in the paint, securing nine rebounds in 17 minutes against China, including five offensive boards. Against Italy, she scored eight points in 15 minutes, making all four free throws and recording two blocks. Reese added 13 points and six rebounds in the win against Czechia, totaling 26 points and 18 rebounds in limited minutes over the group stage.
Despite a close call against Italy in the group stage, Lawson appears set to rely on her experienced players for the high-stakes knockout round. The U.S. has a historical undefeated record in FIBA Women's World Cup quarterfinals.