Full list of head coaches at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketabll World Cup. Kara Lawson Leads Team USA
The 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup tips off Friday, September 4, in Berlin, Germany. Sixteen of the world’s top women’s basketball teams will compete for the global championship, featuring rosters packed with WNBA talent. While the players draw most of the spotlight, the coaches guiding these squads bring extensive experience from the WNBA, college basketball, and international competition.
Team USA Head Coach: Kara Lawson
Kara Lawson leads the United States. She has served as head coach at Duke University since 2020, guiding the Blue Devils to back-to-back ACC championships and consecutive Elite Eight appearances.
Lawson’s connection to Team USA runs deep. As a player in 2008, she helped the Americans defeat Australia in the Olympic gold-medal game, contributing 15 points on perfect 5-of-5 shooting along with three rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
She later coached Team USA’s 3x3 squad to Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021 and served as an assistant to Cheryl Reeve when the senior team won gold in Paris in 2024.
Lawson also guided this group to victory at the 2025 AmeriCup, securing qualification for the World Cup.
Her coaching staff includes WNBA head coaches Stephanie White (Indiana Fever), Natalie Nakase (Golden State Valkyries), and Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix Mercury), with Dallas Wings coach Jose Fernandez serving as a scout.
Standout Coaches from Around the World
Several other teams feature coaches familiar to WNBA fans.Sandy Brondello continues as head coach of Australia, a role she has held since 2017. The current Toronto Tempo coach has won two WNBA championships and led the Opals to bronze at the 2024 Olympics, bronze at the 2022 World Cup, and silver at the 2018 World Cup.Belgium is guided by Mike Thibault, a three-time WNBA Coach of the Year who won a title with the Washington Mystics in 2019. Thibault previously assisted Team USA to Olympic gold in 2008 and 2024. Under his leadership and with Emma Meesseman starring, Belgium captured the EuroBasket title in 2025.Corey Gaines, who coached the Phoenix Mercury to a WNBA championship in 2009, is at the helm for Japan. Chicago Sky assistant Rena Wakama leads Nigeria.
Complete List of 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Head Coaches.
Here are the head coaches for all 16 participating teams:
Germany: Olaf Lange
Standout Coaches from Around the World
Several other teams feature coaches familiar to WNBA fans.Sandy Brondello continues as head coach of Australia, a role she has held since 2017. The current Toronto Tempo coach has won two WNBA championships and led the Opals to bronze at the 2024 Olympics, bronze at the 2022 World Cup, and silver at the 2018 World Cup.Belgium is guided by Mike Thibault, a three-time WNBA Coach of the Year who won a title with the Washington Mystics in 2019. Thibault previously assisted Team USA to Olympic gold in 2008 and 2024. Under his leadership and with Emma Meesseman starring, Belgium captured the EuroBasket title in 2025.Corey Gaines, who coached the Phoenix Mercury to a WNBA championship in 2009, is at the helm for Japan. Chicago Sky assistant Rena Wakama leads Nigeria.
Complete List of 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Head Coaches.
Here are the head coaches for all 16 participating teams:
Germany: Olaf Lange
Japan: Corey Gaines
Mali: Oumarou Sidiya
Spain: Miguel Méndez
France: Jean-Aimé Toupane
Hungary: Péter Völgyi
Nigeria: Rena Wakama
South Korea: Park Soo-ho
Australia: Sandy Brondello
Belgium: Mike Thibault
Puerto Rico: Gerardo Batista
Turkey: Andrea Mazzon
China: Gong Luming
Czech Republic: Romana Ptáčková
Italy: Andrea Capobianco
United States: Kara Lawson
These experienced coaches will play a critical role as the world’s best women’s basketball teams battle for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup title in Berlin.
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