Women’s basketball coach Kara Lawson announced as assistant for U.S. Olympic team

Duke women’s basketball coach Kara Lawson, who won a gold medal with the U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team in 2008, will serve on the 2024 coaching staff in Paris.

Duke women’s basketball coach Kara Lawson will be in Paris for the 2024 Olympics.

The Blue Devils announced on Tuesday that their fourth-year coach was invited to be an assistant coach on the 2024 United States women’s Olympic basketball team.

“When I was a kid, my first athletic goal was to represent the U.S. in the Olympics,” Lawson said in a release from the team. “What an honor to be named to the staff for the Paris Olympics and to help the National Team chase another gold medal.”

Duke won 17 games in Lawson’s first full season, 2021-22, and improved to 26-7 last season. The Blue Devils are currently 16-7 this season and 8-4 in conference play.

Lawson helped the U.S. win a gold medal in women’s basketball during the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing. She led her nation’s team with 15 points in the gold medal game, a 92-65 victory over Australia.

The former guard also played for 13 seasons in the WNBA, winning a championship with the Sacramento Monarchs in 2005. She averaged a career-high 15.1 points in 2012 while playing for the Connecticut Sun.