On Saturday, the Duke women’s basketball team announced they have hired former WNBA player Kara Lawson. Lawson was an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics before taking the Duke coaching job.
OFFICIAL.
— Duke Women’s Basketball (@DukeWBB) July 11, 2020
Welcome to Duke, Kara Lawson! pic.twitter.com/0IIV5WprPD
Kara Lawson will become the first black head coach in Duke program’s history. Coach Lawson had this to say about taking the Duke’s head coaching position.” Well, it is a dream come true for me; I have wanted to be a coach since i was a kid. To have an opportunity to lead a group of young women at a prestigious university like Duke. I have run out of words: it is unbelievable and very exciting.”
Point Guard
Lawson played point guard her whole basketball career, that is like being a coach on the floor. She was outstanding at it as well. Playing point guard is like having a coach on the floor; the point guard has to start and run the team’s offense. Lawson played point guard at a very high level in the WNBA; she helped the Sacramento Monarchs win a WNBA Championship in 2005. Lawson’s time running the point will help her because it gave her a lot of knowledge.
Learning From Great Coaches
In her time as a basketball player and assistant coach, Lawson has been around many great coaches. When Lawson was in Tennessee, she played for the great Pat Summitt from 1999 to 2003. Summitt and Lawson led the Lady Vols to championship appearances in 2000 and 2003, but they lost to Connecticut Huskies both times. Playing for Summitt for four years, i am sure Lawson picked up some coaching knowledge in her time with the Lady Vols.
Lawson also played for a great coach on the WNBA level in Mike Thibault. Thibault is a three-time WNBA coach of the year and won 336 games. As many years as Thibault has coached, you can expect Lawson picked up a lot from him as well. She didn’t spend to much time with the Celtics, but Brad Stevens is an outstanding coach and a brain Lawson should have wanted to pick in her time in Boston.
Broadcasting
Lawson’s time as a broadcaster will be a crucial factor as well. Broadcasting allows you to see the game differently. You have access to numerous players and coaches to enhance your knowledge of the game.
Lawson will kill it at Duke, she has a lot of knowledge to be successful, and she is a fantastic person, who will be able to get some good recruits to come to Duke. I am happy for her to get a chance to be a head coach finally.
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