Kara Lawson became a basketball legend before she started her coaching journey. She was a 1st round, 5th overall pick in the 2003 WNBA Draft. Lawson went on to have a 13-year career and won the WNBA Championship in 2005.
In 2019, she became an assistant with the Boston Celtics, and the following year, she took over head coaching duties for the Duke Blue Devils women’s basketball team. Currently in her sixth season, she has a 118-48 overall record as head coach.
Lawson’s team has led the Atlantic Coast conference this season with a 16-2 record, 22-8 overall. The Blue Devils won the first ACC Tournament game 60-46 against Clemson and are set to face Notre Dame today.
Outside of basketball, Lawson enjoys a peaceful life with her family. She is married to Damien Barling. They first met in Sacramento shortly after Lawson won the WNBA title in 2005 with the Sacramento Monarchs. Her husband is a radio broadcaster, known for his work with ESPN 1320 and 102.5 KSFM.
This has been Lawson’s most successful season with the Duke Blue Devils so far. She finished 14-4 last season, third in the conference, and made it to the NCAA Elite Eight. This year, her team is 16-1 and with the top seed.
Kara Lawson Will Coach USA Women’s Basketball
The 2028 Olympics will be held in LA, and the USA Basketball Women’s National Team will be coached by Kara Lawson. Sue Bird, who is the managing director of USA Basketball Women’s National Team, made the announcement last year.
Lawson won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a player. In 2020, she coached the women’s 3×3 team for the Tokyo Olympics, and they won the gold medal.
“I am honored to be selected as the head coach of the Women’s National Team for this cycle .. I want to thank Sue Bird, General Dempsey and the USA Basketball Board of Directors, Jim Tooley and Briana Gould for this tremendous opportunity,” Lawson said.
“I mean it’s hard to put everything into words as it’s something I’ve been working towards. I have so much love for USA Basketball and have been so excited to serve in any capacity they ask me to .. It’s the best job in the sport in our country,” she added.
Lawson stated that it’s a great honor for her and she will “work tirelessly” to uphold the standard that USA Basketball has set on the global stage.
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