COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (May 7, 2026) - USA Basketball announced today the 2026 USA Women’s National Team assistant coaches, who will be on the sidelines for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup, which is set for Sept. 4-13 in Berlin. 2025-28 USA Women’s National Team head coach Kara Lawson (Duke University) will be assisted by Natalie Nakase (Golden State Valkyries), Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix Mercury) and Stephanie White (Indiana Fever).
“Over the last several months, I’ve seen the incredible impact Natalie, Nate and Stephanie have each had on the USA Women’s National Team program,” USA Basketball Women’s National Team managing director Sue Bird said. “They have elite basketball minds and are all leaders who understand what it takes to represent the U.S. at the highest level. They have built genuine chemistry in such a short amount of time along with a strong level of trust and collaboration as a group. I’m really excited to see everyone continue working together with Kara as we head into the World Cup this fall in Berlin.”
Nakase, Tibbetts and White served on staff for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament and were court coaches at both the December 2025 and April 2026 USA Women’s National Team training camps.
Nakase is entering her second season as the head coach of Golden State after leading the expansion franchise to a playoff appearance in its inaugural season.
The 2025 WNBA Coach of the Year has a decade of NBA, WNBA and international coaching experience. Before being named head coach of the Valkyries, Nakase served as an assistant for the Las Vegas Aces, Los Angeles Clippers and Agua Caliente Clippers. She also was the head coach of the Saitama Broncos (Japan) and Wolfenbuttel Wildcats (Germany) and assistant coach for the Tokyo Apache.
Tibbetts is in his third season as head coach of the Mercury and already ranks fourth in franchise history in regular season wins (46). In 2025, he guided the Mercury to the WNBA Finals, becoming the first team in WNBA or NBA history to reach the Finals after returning two or fewer players from the previous season.
He joined the Mercury with 18 years of coaching experience, including 12 years as an NBA assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic, along with six years in the NBA G League as both an assistant and head coach with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and Tulsa 66ers. He began his coaching career as an assistant at the University of Sioux Falls.
In addition to his work with the USA Women’s National Team, Tibbetts led the USA men to a bronze medal at the 2011 Pan American Games as head coach.
In 2025, White led the Fever to their first ever WNBA Commissioner's Cup and furthest postseason run since 2015 as the team advanced to the WNBA semifinals.
White’s first stint with the Fever, where she served as both an assistant coach and head coach over six seasons from 2011-2016, included five consecutive WNBA semifinal appearances, two WNBA Finals and the 2012 WNBA Championship.
White earned 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year honors with Connecticut after leading the Sun to the WNBA semifinals. Before returning to the Fever in November 2024, White guided the Sun to back-to-back WNBA semifinal appearances and a 55-25 record over two seasons.
White, who won an NCAA title as a player with Purdue in 1999, had an extensive WNBA playing career with the Charlotte Sting and the Fever. She also played for USA Basketball at the 1997 Jones Cup and the 1994 and 1995 U.S. Olympic Festivals.
The coaching staff was selected by Bird and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.