It was no longer just about saying 'a win is a win.' It was also no longer only about Caitlin Clark and her role.

After Team USA escaped Spain 76-66 in Saturday’s FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup semifinal in Berlin, another part of Kara Lawson’s rotation quickly became the talking point.

Popular sports account Let’s Talk Sports shared that news on X. "Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese didn’t play a minute in the 4th quarter what the hell are we doing," they wrote on X.

The post garnered more than 24,000 views and over 1,000 likes in just a few hours. And in the comment section, fans called out Lawson and the team for icing two of the team’s most energetic young contributors in the critical 4th quarter.

None of this would have been a story if Team USA hadn't needed rescuing in the first quarter.

Team USA struggled to find its rhythm and gave Spain an early lead. The Americans were down 16-11 when the younger group started entering the game late in the first quarter.

The change was almost immediate. Clark, Bueckers, and Reese then helped finish the first quarter on a 12-2 run as the Americans moved ahead 21-18.

Spain, however, refused to back down. Maria Conde and Iyana Martin caught fire early in the third quarter, knocking down back-to-back three-pointers to wipe away the American lead.

Martin then sank two clutch free throws with just 53 seconds left in the frame. That tied the score at 58-58 heading into the final ten minutes.

But with the game on the line, Lawson turned away from her young stars and went entirely with her veterans for the fourth quarter.

From there, it was Breanna Stewart, Kahleah Copper and Jackie Young who took over. The trio combined for 14 of Team USA's 18 fourth-quarter points as the U.S. locked in defensively, holding Spain to just 8 points in the frame.

But the decision to bench the younger groups didn't sit well with fans.

Fans slam Kara Lawson's fourth-quarter benching of Bueckers and Reese

"Absolute insanity. Just an inexplicable decision," said one fan, and the box score backs up the frustration.

Bueckers finished her night with six points and three rebounds across 17 minutes of playing time. She went a clean 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Reese was just as impactful in her role, recording five points and three rebounds in 12 minutes.

"Angel was doing so well!" added another fan.

The confusing rotation decision has raised even bigger worries about the gold medal final against France. The French team nearly took down Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympic final, where the Americans escaped with a razor-thin 67-66 win.

One fan said, "At this point, who knows. The gold medal game may just be all veterans while the ones who can close point gaps and build leads just sit on the bench and watch," one fan posted. "So frustrating for us viewers. I can't imagine how it must be for the players."

One fan pointed to how shaky Team USA has looked compared to past tournaments. The Americans normally blow through international fields, but this run has featured tense, low-scoring games, including a nail-biting 55-52 win against Italy in the group stage.

"I have no words for what I just watched. Everyone says 'a win is a win.' We should have dominated Spain," wrote the fan.

Still, not everyone assumed the worst. Some fans held out hope that Lawson was simply managing fatigue with France looming. Especially since the French had to lean on their full rotation to hold Germany by 22 points in the semi-final.

"I can only hope they were saving them to have fresh legs against France tomorrow," one fan noted. "France had to play their best players today, whereas USA was able to rest their best and still win. We will find out tomorrow if it was strategy or bias," the fan added.

Written by

Md Saife Fida