USA eyes more consistency vs. Hungary at FIBA World Cup

Key Points:

• The USA women's basketball team enters the 2026 FIBA World Cup quarterfinals as favorites, aiming for their fifth consecutive gold medal, with coach Kara Lawson emphasizing the need to play their best starting with Thursday's game against Hungary.
• The USA team, featuring several first-time senior national team players including Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, had a mixed group phase but finished strong with a dominant win over Czechia.
• Hungary, making their first World Cup appearance since 1998 and led by Minnesota Lynx's Dorka Juhasz, will challenge the USA in the quarterfinals; USA holds a 4-0 historical record against Hungary.
• Lawson relies on a core group of five experienced players as starters but remains open to rotation changes, while both Lawson and Breanna Stewart highlighted Hungary's physicality and strong interior play as key factors to watch.
• The quarterfinal match tips off early at 5:30 a.m. ET and is the first of four quarterfinal games, with USA focusing on imposing their pace and defensive pressure to secure a win.