Staff Directory

Kara Lawson

Title:
Head Coach
Email:

Former WNBA champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist Kara Lawson was named Duke University’s sixth women’s basketball head coach on July 11, 2020. She enters her seventh season at the helm in 2026–27.

Lawson has long been an icon in the women’s game, making her mark as both a player and coach. In 2020, she broke barriers with the Boston Celtics, becoming the first female coach in the franchise’s 73-year history. Her playing career also places her in rare company as she is currently the only active NCAA Division I women’s basketball coach to have appeared in an NCAA Final Four, won a WNBA championship, and earned Olympic gold.

THE KARA ERA
Since arriving in Durham, Lawson has led a resurgence that has launched Duke women’s basketball back to national prominence. She has compiled a 124–50 record, becoming the second fastest coach in ACC women’s basketball history to reach 100 victories. Over the past four seasons, the Blue Devils have posted four straight 20-win campaigns and four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

Buoyed by an incredible 2024-25 season that saw the Blue Devils win their first ACC Tournament title and make an Elite Eight appearance since 2013, Duke took another step forward in 2025-26 when it captured both the ACC regular season and ACC Tournament titles.

After starting the year 3-6, the Blue Devils went on a 17-game win streak, including posting three top-25 wins. Duke finished the season 27-9 overall and 16-2 in ACC play, winning the ACC regular season crown for the first time since 2013. The Blue Devils took the No. 1 seed into the ACC Tournament and secured their second consecutive tournament title with an overtime win over Louisville. Duke capped the memorable season with a run to the NCAA Elite Eight, including Lawson posting her first AP top five victory over No. 5 LSU in the Sweet Sixteen.

Lawson and the Blue Devils were recognized for their efforts, garnering numerous individual ACC and national honors. Three Blue Devils landed All-ACC accolades, Lawson garnered her first ACC Coach of the Year recognition and Toby Fournier became Duke’s first All-American since 2018 with AP All-America third-team honors. Lawson also was named a 2026 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year Semifinalist.

The aforementioned success in 2024–25 marked a turning point. Duke finished 29–8 overall and 14–4 in ACC play, winning the program’s ninth ACC Tournament title and advancing to its 12th Elite Eight—the program’s best showing since 2013. Along the way, the Blue Devils defeated all 17 ACC opponents at least once, collected nine wins over ranked foes, and finished the year ranked No. 7 in the AP poll. The team also shattered program records for assists in a game (38), three-pointers made (225), and three-pointers attempted (665).

The two seasons prior laid the groundwork for that success. In 2023–24, Duke went 22–12 and reached the program’s 18th NCAA Regional Semifinal. In 2022–23, Lawson’s squad finished 26–7, earned a No. 3 NCAA Tournament seed, and advanced to the second round.

Under Lawson’s leadership, Duke has also been among the nation’s best defensive teams. The Blue Devils featured the nation’s No. 4 defensive rating (72.7) and ranked 10th in opponent points per possession (0.69) in 2024-25, per HerHoopStats. Duke held 32 opponents below their respective season scoring averages and limited 15 teams to 50 points or less, including five foes to fewer than 40. Duke also held its opponents to single digits in 35 quarters and forced 44 shot clock violations during the year.

The 2023-24 campaign saw the Blue Devils hold 33 of 34 opponents below their respective season scoring averages and lead the ACC in two categories - scoring defense and blocks. Duke also checked in at No. 2 in field goal percentage defense, rebounding defense and rebounding margin. Nationally, the Blue Devils’ defense checked in at No. 4 per HerHoopStats, while ranking sixth in the NCAA in rejections and in the top 30 in both field goal percentage defense and rebounding margin. In 2022-23, Duke ranked third in the NCAA in scoring defense (51.0) and 10th in field goal percentage defense (35.2). The team held each of its opponents below their season scoring average, including 17 to 50 points or less.

Seven players have earned major honors under Lawson’s tutelage, including four taking home conference Player of the Year honors. Most recently, Toby Fournier—a nine-time ACC Rookie of the Week and three-time USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week—was named the 2025 ACC Rookie of the Year and selected to both the All-ACC First Team and All-Freshman Team, while Ashlon Jackson earned a nod to the All-ACC Second Team and Jadyn Donovan received All-Defensive Team recognition.

In 2023-24, Oluchi Okananwa was tapped the ACC Sixth Player of the Year and to the ACC-All Freshman Team, while Reigan Richardson earned a spot on the All-ACC Second Team. The 2022-23 season saw Celeste Taylor garner AP All-America Honorable Mention recognition, take home ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors and earn nods to the All-ACC First Team and All-Defensive Team, while also being named a finalist for the 2023 Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year. In 2021-22, Shayeann Day-Wilson turned in one of the best rookie seasons in Blue Devil history en route to earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors and a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team.

Since taking the reins, Lawson has led Duke to remarkable success on the recruiting trail. In the early signing period, the Blue Devils landed the nation’s No. 4 recruit, Emilee Skinner—the sixth top-five signee (per espnW rankings) in program history and the second under Lawson. Duke brought in its second consecutive top-10 class and third straight in the top 15, with the 2024 Freshman Class checking in at No. 7 in the nation. The 2023 recruiting haul, ranked sixth nationally, marked Duke’s first since 2015 with a player ranked in the top five nationally by ESPN, and was the first group since the 2014 class with at least three prospects ranked in the ESPN top 30.

USA BASKETBALL
On September 23rd, 2025, Kara Lawson was named head coach of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team and will lead the United States through 2028. She is the 12th head coach to be appointed to this role and guided the United States to its 12th FIBA World Cup gold medal with a 97-79 victory over France. Lawson will lead the United States as well at the 2028 Olympic games in Los Angeles, California.
Being named the national team head coach was just the latest honor in Lawson’s illustrious career with USA Basketball that includes 13 gold medals across her international playing and coaching career with the United States. In the summer of 2025, she led the U.S. Women’s National Team to a perfect 7–0 record and gold medal at the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup in Santiago, Chile. She was also an assistant coach for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics and 2022 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Sydney, Australia—winning gold in both.

In 2021, she made history by coaching the U.S. 3x3 Women’s National Team to a gold medal in the sport’s Olympic debut in Tokyo. That marked her 10th gold medal overall and seventh as a coach, making her one of only three women in Olympic history to win gold as both a player and a head coach.

Since 2017, Lawson has held multiple head coaching roles with USA Basketball, winning seven 3x3 gold medals. With Lawson on the sideline, the USA U18 women won four straight titles (2021 Olympics, 2017 & 2019 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cups, and 2018 Youth Olympic Games), while the U18 men won gold at the 2019 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup. Additionally, Lawson helped guide both the USA 3x3 men’s and women’s teams to first-place finishes at the 2019 Pan American Games.

As a player, Lawson began her USA Basketball journey in 1998, earning bronze at the World Youth Games. She won gold at the 2008 Olympics, 2007 FIBA Americas Championship, and 2001 World University Games. She also participated in spring training with the 2006 USA National Team and played five games with the 2003 WNBA Select Team at the FIBA World Cup.

Additionally, Lawson was invited to play with the 2006 USA Basketball Women’s National Team during their spring training and played five games with the 2003 WNBA Select Team that participated in the FIBA Women’s World Cup.

LAWSON IN THE BROADCAST CHAIR
Following an exceptional playing career, Lawson spent two years as the primary television analyst for the Washington Wizards and broadcast games for ESPN Radio. In addition to her role covering the Wizards for NBC Sports Washington, Lawson served as a game and studio analyst for men’s and women’s college basketball and the NBA on ESPN. On January 12, 2007, she became the first female analyst for a nationally televised NBA game. Lawson also served as a color commentator during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo with NBC.
Most recently, Lawson found herself back in familiar territory as she was selected to serve as an analyst for WNBA on Prime during the 2026 campaign. Lawson’s unique dual perspective as an accomplished player and head coach bolstered a stellar broadcast team for Prime Video.
PRIOR TO DUKE
In her lone season with the Celtics, Lawson helped Boston post a 43–21 record and finish third in the Eastern Conference before the COVID-19 pandemic halted the 2019–20 NBA season.

In 13 WNBA seasons, Lawson averaged 9.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 377 career games with the Sacramento Monarchs, Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics from 2003 to 2015. Drafted No. 5 overall by the Detroit Shock in the 2003 WNBA Draft, Lawson surpassed 3,000 points, 800 rebounds and 700 assists during her WNBA career. She won a WNBA championship with the Monarchs in 2005 and was tapped a WNBA All-Star in 2007.

A four-time All-SEC selection and two-time All-America choice at the University of Tennessee, Lawson played for the legendary Pat Summitt and led the Lady Vols to three NCAA Final Four appearances during her collegiate career. Lawson appeared in 143 games (137 starts), guiding Tennessee to a 126-17 overall and 54-2 mark in the SEC over her four seasons. Lawson guided the Lady Vols to four straight SEC regular-season and tournament crowns, as well as 2000, 2002, and 2003 NCAA Final Four appearances.

Lawson ranks third all-time at Tennessee in three-point field goals made (256), second in three-point field goal percentage (.415), and third in career free throw percentage (.847). Lawson averaged 13.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while closing her career ranking sixth in career points with 1,950. Lawson was also stellar in the classroom and was a 2003 CoSIDA/Verizon First Team Academic All-America selection.

As a senior at West Springfield High School, Lawson was selected the 1999 Naismith High School Player of the Year while earning All-America accolades from USA Today, Parade, and the WBCA. Additionally, she was the 1998 and 1999 Gatorade Player of the Year in Virginia and led her squad to two state championships.

Lawson graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in finance and received the university’s Torchbearer Award, its highest student honor. She also serves as a founding board member of the Boston Celtics United for Social Justice initiative.