Duke’s women’s basketball coach, Kara Lawson, is an Olympic gold medalist and former WNBA player.
Lawson’s players attest to her continued basketball skills, claiming she’s the ‘best shooter in the gym.’
Now in her fifth year coaching Duke, Lawson has led the Blue Devils to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley isn’t the only Olympic gold medalist roaming the sidelines of the Sweet 16 here.
“She will lace them up and show us how it really goes when it comes to executing plays,” Blue Devils senior guard Reigan Richardson said. “Once in a while, she’ll go out there and shoot with us, just to prove she’s the best shooter in the gym.”
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Lawson, who will lead No. 2 Duke against in-state rival No. 3 UNC in March Madness action on Friday, won gold with the 2008 Olympic team. She played in the WNBA for 13 seasons, winning a championship in 2005 with the Sacramento Monarchs. She was a WNBA All-Star in 2007.
In Year 5 as the head coach of Duke women’s basketball, Lawson has the Blue Devils in the Sweet 16 for the second straight season. And Lawson still has a hold of her jump shot, junior guard Ashlon Jackson said.
“This year was my first year in three years that I have seen her (Lawson) miss a shot while showing us something,” Jackson said.
Lawson played at Tennessee under legendary head coach Pat Summitt. In four seasons, Lawson led the Lady Volunteers to three Final Fours.
To no surprise, Lawson’s basketball resume has helped her lead and mentor players on and off the floor. In particular, her players enjoy hearing stories from her playing days and from working as the Boston Celtics’ first female assistant coach.
“It comes out everywhere,” graduate guard Vanessa de Jesus said of Lawson’s storytelling. “Depending on how she feels, especially before games, kind of just motivating us or leading up to a tournament, just to make a story and get us together, have a goal towards something.”
The 2024-25 Blue Devils still are writing their story. They’re hoping for a few more jaw-dropping surprises like their coach sometimes delivers.
“After practice I was playing around getting my water and coach is over there practicing her half-court shots,” Blue Devils senior guard Reigan Richardson said. “And her first take she threw it up there and I was like, ‘She’s not gonna make it,’ and then she made it. She swished it.”
Duke vs. UNC women’s basketball time, where to watch
Date: Friday, March 28
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Wesley Branch is a student in the University of Georgia’s Sports Media Certificate program.