Duke WBB Coach Named FIBA Women's HC

The 2025 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup is scheduled for June 28 through July 6 in Santiago, Chile, and will feature top teams from across the Americas. Lawson will be joined by assistant coaches DeLisha Milton-Jones (Old Dominion) and Jennie Baranczyk (Oklahoma), both of whom bring their own collegiate and international experience to the bench.

A Career Rooted in USA Basketball

Lawson's association with USA Basketball stretches back more than two decades. As a player, she earned gold medals at the 2001 World University Games, the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Her coaching resume with Team USA is just as distinguished. She served as the head coach of the gold medal-winning 3x3 team at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and was an assistant coach on the traditional 5-on-5 team that took gold in Paris in 2024.

In total, Lawson has contributed to nine USA Basketball gold medals as a coach and compiled a remarkable 75-5 record on the international stage.

“I’ve always tried to compete and give my best in the different roles I’ve been given. That won’t change this summer,” Lawson said. “The goal is to put together a competitive team, one that represents the standards we hold dear, especially excellence.”

Impact Beyond the Tournament

This appointment comes as Lawson prepares for her sixth season at Duke. The 2024–25 campaign saw the Blue Devils go 29-8, win the ACC Tournament, and reach the NCAA Elite Eight, one of the strongest seasons in program history under her leadership.

While this new role is a personal honor, it also signals a broader impact. For Duke, it means their head coach is gaining valuable international experience and exposure. For Team USA, it means continuity and experience at the helm, with a coach who has excelled across multiple formats of the game.

Looking Ahead to Santiago

The United States has won four AmeriCup gold medals since the event began in 1993, including back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2021. With Lawson now leading the program, Team USA enters the 2025 tournament with a coach deeply embedded in the culture of winning, development, and national pride.

Her appointment reflects a growing recognition of her coaching acumen and her steady ascent in the sport, one defined not just by results, but by impact.