Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark not being named a starter for Team USA at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup has been a hot topic on social media. Most recently, veteran analyst Dan Dakich expressed support for coach Kara Lawson’s roster decisions.
In Friday’s episode of his “Don’t @ Me!” podcast, Dakich discussed Clark, the Atlanta Dream’s Angel Reese and the Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers not getting the starting nod for Team USA.
“I like Kara Lawson,” Dakich said. “What’s the big deal? They’re winning. … As long as you’re winning, who cares who you start? It don’t matter to me. … In fact, got a lot of st***d s**t going on that we can make fun of, but this ain’t one of them. I mean, look, she wants to start veteran play in the FIBA World Cup.
“Maybe give Chelsea Gray or others the last shot at it. Who cares? People b**ch about anything. … It’s pure jack***erie for anybody to b**ch about this. … Don’t b**ch about this. Kara Lawson is doing the right thing.”
Lawson has kept a veteran-laden starting lineup in Team USA’s four World Cup wins: Chelsea Gray, Jackie Young, Kahleah Copper, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. The five players have the most international experience on the roster, and all were part of the team that won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Clamor for Lawson to make changes began following the Americans’ slim 55-52 win over Italy on Monday. Many fans on social media suggested Clark should start instead of Gray, citing the Fever star’s better stats.
In comparison, Clark is averaging team-highs of 7.0 assists and 21.5 minutes per game to go along with 8.5 points on 32.3% shooting. Meanwhile, Gray is putting up 4.3 ppg and 2.3 apg on 35.3% shooting.
Craig Carton also backs Kara Lawson’s decision to have Caitlin Clark come off the Team USA bench
Radio and TV personality Craig Carton slammed the criticism Team USA Kara Lawson has received regarding her roster strategy, particularly for not starting Caitlin Clark. In Friday’s episode of “The Craig Carton Show,” Carton argued that the starting lineup is irrelevant as long as the team continues to win.
“I was taught as a kid that the most important thing in sports is the front of the jersey, not the back of the jersey,” Carton said. “So, why am I complaining about how much playing time or whether or not Caitlin Clark starts? I wanna win the World Cup. Obviously, the coach knows what she’s doing.
“The headline shouldn’t read, ‘Caitlin Clark benched by Team USA,’ ’cause that’s also offensive to the other gals that don’t start. But if the bottom line is that we win a basketball game by 50 points, that’s the storyline.”
Team USA went 3-0 in the group phase and most recently beat Hungary 108-56 in the quarterfinals on Thursday. The Americans will next face Spain in the semifinals on Saturday. Should they advance, they will play either France or Germany in Sunday’s World Cup finals.
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Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos