BERLIN -- USA entered the 2026 FIBA World Cup as favorites, but coach Kara Lawson said Wednesday the team must play its best basketball -- starting with Thursday's quarterfinal against Hungary -- to take home their fifth-consecutive gold medal in the event.
"You can't play poorly in the medal round and win. You have to play well," Lawson said from practice in Berlin. "Every day, we've gotten a little bit better. Today's practice was a little bit better than the game against Czechia, and that's what we've talked about: try to be the most improved team through the tournament. And if we can continue to do that, hopefully we can continue to get wins."
The group phase stage was up-and-down for USA, which has Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese and four others appearing in their first major international tournament for the senior national team. After beating China by 33 in their World Cup opener, USA (3-0) -- which has lost just one game at the World Cup and Olympics since 1994 -- eked out a 55-52 win over Italy before demolishing Czechia by 41 the next day.
"Group play was a great test for us in a number of ways, and happy with the way that we handled Czechia in the last one," three-time World Cup gold medalist Breanna Stewart said on Wednesday. "And that's going to gear us up for tomorrow."
Led by Minnesota Lynx standout Dorka Juhasz, Hungary (3-1) is appearing in its first World Cup since 1998. The game -- which tips at 5:30 a.m. ET -- will be the first of four quarterfinals Thursday, followed by China-France, Belgium-Germany and Spain against the winner of Wednesday's Australia-Italy game.
Lawson has leaned on the team's five returners to the senior national squad -- Stewart, Chelsea Gray, Napheesa Collier, Jackie Young and Kahleah Copper -- as her starting five in this tournament. She said Wednesday that while rotations could change game to game, "I like where we are right now" with their starting five.
Lawson and Stewart praised Hungary's size and physicality, production on the interior and execution as a collective, including in their 84-63 qualification win over Japan that secured their spot to the quarterfinals. USA is 4-0 all time versus Hungary at the senior team level, last facing off in 1986.
"We haven't really played Hungary, and knowing they have Dorka, they have strong post presence, but really trying to turn them over as much as possible, make the pace our type of style of play," Stewart said. "Excited for the opportunity. 11:30 [tip local time], early for everybody back home ... after breakfast, let's get it going. I mean, why wait all day, right?"
