Kara Marie Lawson is the head coach for the Duke Blue Devils women’s basketball team, a position she took up on July 11, 2020. Before that, Lawson was the assistant coach at the Boston Celtics during the 2019-2020 season and became the first female coach in the franchise’s history. She guided the team to a 68-33 record in her four-year tenure at Duke, winning over 20 games a season three times and qualifying consecutively to the NCAA Tournament. Under Lawson’s guidance, four players earned major ACC honors, and three players earned Conference Player of the Year honors. She was a part of the US National Women’s Basketball Team which won two gold medals, first at the 2022 FIBA Women's World Cup and then at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Kara Lawson had a remarkable 2022-2023 season at Duke, leading the team to a 26-7 overall record and a 14-4 record in the ACC. The 26 victories were the most since the 2016-2017 season, and the 14 ACC wins were the most since the 2012-2013 season. The Blue Devils received a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and made it to the second round. Lawson's team was ranked third best defense in the NCAA, leading with 51.0 points per game in scoring defense and 10th in field goal percentage defense with 35.2%. The team also defended each opponent below their season scoring average, allowing between 17 to 50 points or less. Under her leadership, Celeste Taylor was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and also earned a selection in the AP All-America Team.
Kara Lawson family origin
Kara Lawson's family is from Alexandria, Virginia. She was born on 14 February 1981, and is 44 years old, as of March 2025.
Kara Lawson's parents
Kara Lawson's parents are the late William Lawson and Kathleen Lawson, as per her official Duke Blue Devils profile.
Who is the father of Kara Lawson?
The late William Lawson is the father of Kara Lawson. William passed away in 2017, according to Kara Lawson's official X (formerly Twitter) account.
Who is the mother of Kara Lawson?
Kathleen Lawson is the mother of Kara Lawson.
Kara Lawson husband
Kara Lawson is married to Damien Barling. The couple married on April 12, 2008, as per her official WNBA profile. Damien Barling is a Radio Show Host for ESPN 1320 and 102.5 KSFM at Audacity Inc., according to his official LinkedIn account.
Kara Lawson's siblings
Kara Lawson’s siblings are Susan Lawson and Mary Catherine, according to the WNBA's official website.
FAQs on Kara Lawson
A. Kara Lawson was named Duke's head coach on July 11, 2020.
A. Yes, Kara Lawson was an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics in 2020.
A. Yes, Kara Lawson played 13 seasons and won a WNBA championship in 2005.
A. Yes, Kara Lawson won gold with Team USA in the 2008 Olympics.
