Kara Lawson is an Olympic gold medalist. Again, again.
Duke’s head coach was named to the staff of the Olympic women’s basketball team as one of its three assistant coaches. Lawson was previously the head coach of the United States’ women’s 3x3 team in its gold-medal showing at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
This summer wasn’t Lawson’s first time bringing home the bacon with the five-on-five team; she starred on the court in the 2008 Olympic gold-medal performance. Sixteen years ago, the then-point guard led the team in scoring in the title game, netting 15 points on perfect shooting.
“The chance to coach in an Olympics is definitely bucket list,” Lawson said last February. “For me, [it’s] full circle, in terms of playing on the five-on-five team and now getting a chance to be on the staff.”
If getting a chance to coach the national team was on her bucket list, then winning her third gold in as many tries must be the experience of a lifetime.
The Blue Devils’ leader had the opportunity to work with some of the country’s finest coaches, including WNBA coaching legend Cheryl Reeve. Duke fans can be sure that Lawson worked on her own coaching methodology and learned from the nation’s best.
“The focus is to help the team win, of course,” Lawson said. “But when you can marry pursuing winning and also improving as an individual, that's Utopia right there.”
And help the team win, she did. Team USA went undefeated in international play, in total only dropping one game against the WNBA All-Star team. In her playing career as a point guard, Lawson undoubtedly had a large impact on the play of Team USA’s elite guards, including Duke alum Chelsea Gray.
Lawson’s experience working with some of the best women’s point guards on the biggest stage in the world will definitely be a factor in Duke ball handling growth this season, especially for junior Taina Mair.
“We have point guard meetings with her and she brings out film from Paris to the Olympics years ago, from overseas players, the WNBA and NBA.” Mair said. “For us, it just shows us what her mindset is and what she sees and how she can help us see what she sees on the court.”
Working with point guards certainly won’t be Lawson’s only takeaway; after having worked with some of the nations best coaches, her own style has unquestionably been impacted.
“She is already so polished as a coach … I think she has so much knowledge,” sophomore Jadyn Donovan said. “[Her new experience] is just like a cherry on top to a great milkshake. She just makes sure that when she's going to Team USA and these great opportunities, she's finding little things here and there that we can use.”
A great milkshake is right. Duke’s teams have been steadily improving every year since Lawson took the helm, and her squad is now ranked No. 11 in the AP’s preseason poll.
Since her first season, Lawson’s Blue Devils have been characterized by defensive intensity and gritty basketball, a nightmare matchup for almost anyone. Duke should be unique in those two areas again this season, but Lawson will have more tools than ever before with which to sharpen her teams’ performance.
“Being in a competitive environment like the Olympics, you get, as a coach, a lot of valuable reps in practice every day.” Lawson told The Chronicle. “Being a part of a coaching group with so many talented coaches, from planning practice to sitting in a coach's meeting and talking about schemes, how to guard certain actions, what do you do at your program when this happens, problem solving together and collaboratively is really valuable.”
As the Blue Devils have gotten better year after year, expectations, both internally and externally, have adjusted as well. Duke will need a higher level of performance across the board this season to get where it hopes to go. If the whole team buys in, being one of the top teams in the country is likely an attainable goal.
“As coaches, we challenge our players every year to come back better, and I think it's incumbent upon us as well to come back better for our players.” Lawson said. “For me, coaching development this summer was great, and I think that [Olympic] experience facilitated that growth.”
This season, expectations for the Blue Devils have elevated, and their coach has as well.
Editor’s note: This piece is one of many in The Chronicle’s 2024-25 Duke women’s basketball preview. Check out the rest here.
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