Duke's Kara Lawson heading to 2024 Paris Olympics, named to coaching staff for Team USA
Posted February 13, 2024 4:35 p.m. EST
Duke women's basketball head coach Kara Lawson is heading to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics, the university announced Tuesday.
Lawson will serve as one of three USA Basketball Women's National Team assistant coaches. She joins Mike Thibault (Washington Mystics) and Joni Taylor (Texas A&M) as assistants on head coach Cheryl Reeve's (Minnesota Lynx) staff.
"It means a lot because I was a player that played in the program and now to be able to coach in the program is a full circle moment for me," Lawson said in a university-issued release. "To be able to coach under Cheryl Reeve, someone that I have a great deal of respect for and learned a lot from already
"I can't think of a better way to spend a few weeks next summer than in Paris."
The USA Basketball Women's National Team Committee selected the coaching staff.
"When I was a kid, my first athletic goal was to represent the U.S. in the Olympics," Lawson said.. "It was actually in track and field.
"I watched the 100-meter dash and that was the goal. As I got older, I got a little slower, and basketball ended up being my sport. But that was always the goal – to be able to play at the highest level internationally. It's the same as a coach. What an honor to be named to the staff for the Paris Olympics and to help the National Team chase another gold medal."
The 2024 Olympic Games are set for July 26-Aug. 11 with the women's 5-on-5 basketball competition taking place July 27-Aug. 11, with the preliminary round taking place in Lille, France.
USA Basketball is seeking its eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal, and 11th overall, dating back to 1996. The U.S. won gold at the 2022 FIBA Women's World Cup, notching a perfect 8-0 record.
Lawson, currently in her fourth season as head coach for the Blue Devils, began her USA Basketball career as an athlete in 1998, winning the bronze medal at the USA World Youth Games. Through her tenure as a player, Lawson captured gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games, 2007 FIBA Americas Championship and the 2001 World University Games.
Lawson has had several head coaching roles with 3x3 junior and senior national teams, leading USA Basketball 3x3 to seven gold medals since taking the reins in 2017. Lawson also served as a court coach at the 2022 USA Basketball Women's National Team's spring training camp in Minneapolis.
