Kara Lawson is an Olympic gold medalist. Again.
Lawson took on the lead coaching duties of the United States women’s 3x3 basketball team in addition to her role as head coach of Duke women’s basketball, and she now has some hardware to show for it.
The team topped the Russian Olympic Committee 18-15 Wednesday to bring home the gold after going 6-1 in the preliminary round. Lawson and company brought home the first gold medal to ever be given out with 3x3 basketball being in its inaugural year in the Olympic Games.
“When you play, you feel like you have some sense of control or part in it, you can impact a little bit more during the game. Having experienced that feeling, I really wanted our players to experience that,” said Lawson about comparing this medal to her 2008 gold from Beijing. “And so that was what my motivation was, what my hope was, was that they would get the chance to have the same feeling I had in 2008. And so I'm really happy that they got to and they have gold medals, and it's something they're gonna remember for the rest of their lives.”
This is Lawson's 10th gold medal in USA Basketball competition, and second in the Olympics.
“Every experience I've had coaching… whatever it is, [I] just learn from it,” said Lawson. “And it comes down to trying to equip your players that you have in that moment with the best possible tools, and help them succeed. And that's what coaching is.
“It doesn't matter the format, it doesn't matter the gender, it's about giving them an opportunity to succeed and putting them in positions to succeed. So, I just try to do that, whatever space I'm coaching in, and that's what I'll continue to do.”
Editor's note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said Lawson had won four gold medals in USA Basketball competition and that the 2020 Olympic gold medal was her first USA Basketball gold medal as a coach. The Chronicle regrets the error.
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Jake Piazza is a Trinity senior and was sports editor of The Chronicle's 117th volume.