Kara Lawson
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| Free agent | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Point guard | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
February 14, 1981 Alexandria, Virginia | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 150 lb (68 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||
| High school | West Springfield (Springfield, Virginia) | ||||||||||||||||||
| College | Tennessee (1999–2003) | ||||||||||||||||||
| WNBA draft | 2003 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall | ||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Detroit Shock | |||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2003–present | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2009 | Sacramento Monarchs | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | Connecticut Sun | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Washington Mystics | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Stats at WNBA.com | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Kara Marie Lawson (born February 14, 1981) is an American professional women's basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and a women's basketball television analyst for ESPN.[1] Lawson primarily plays as a shooting guard. She won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Lawson signed a three-year contract extension with the Connecticut Sun on August 19, 2012.[2]
High school
Lawson attended Sidwell Friends School her freshman year, then went to West Springfield High School, where she played on the girls' basketball and soccer teams. Lawson was named a WBCA All-American. She participated in the 1999 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored twenty points, and earned MVP honors.[3][4]
College
Lawson attended the University of Tennessee (UT) and played for the Lady Vols basketball team, coached by Pat Summitt. She enrolled in UT's College of Business, and graduated in 2003 with a degree in Finance. Lawson received the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association as the best senior player under 5 ft 8 in (1.7 m).[5]
Tennessee statistics
Source[6]
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | Points | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-00 | Tennessee | 37 | 504 | 45.8 | 43.6 | 81.7 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 13.6 |
| 2000-01 | Tennessee | 34 | 386 | 43.3 | 41.3 | 85.7 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 11.4 |
| 2001-02 | Tennessee | 34 | 512 | 46.6 | 33.0 | 83.5 | 4.9 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 15.1 |
| 2002-03 | Tennessee | 38 | 548 | 46.9 | 45.0 | 88.4 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 14.4 |
| Career | Tennessee | 143 | 1950 | 45.8 | 41.5 | 84.7 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 13.6 |
WNBA career
On April 24, 2003, Lawson was selected by the Detroit Shock in the first round (fifth overall) during the annual WNBA Draft. But five days later, the Shock traded Lawson to the Sacramento Monarchs in exchange for Kedra Holland-Corn and a 2004 second-round draft pick. Two years later, Lawson would be a key member of the Monarchs 2005 championship team.
In recent years, Lawson has been involved in sports broadcasting during the WNBA off-season, doing commentaries for men's and women's college basketball games and Sacramento Kings games.
Lawson was a free agent when the Sacramento Monarchs folded prior to the 2010 WNBA season, but later signed a three-year contract with the Connecticut Sun.
On March 12, 2014, Lawson was traded to the Washington Mystics for Alex Bentley, who was originally traded to Washington through the Atlanta Dream.
USA Basketball
Lawson was selected to be a member of the team representing the USA at the 2001 World University Games held in Beijing, China. After winning the opening game easily, the USA team faced Canada and lost a close game 68–67. Needing a win to remain in medal contention, Lawson scored 25 points to help the USA team defeat Japan, and earn a spot in the quarterfinals. The USA team fell behind by 12 points against undefeated Russia, but came back to win the game by eleven points. The next game was against the unbeaten host team China, and the USA team won 89–78. The USA team won their next two games to set up the gold medal game; a rematch against the host team. China would stay close early, but the USA team prevailed and won the gold medal with a score of 87–67. Lawson was the third leading scorer on the team with 12.0 points per game and led the team in assists and steal with 16 assists and 12 steals over the course of the event.[7]
On July 10, 2008, Lawson was selected to represent the United States with the USA women's national basketball team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. She helped the United States capture the gold medal, and led the team in points (15) during the gold medal game against Australia, going a perfect 5-5 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line.
Lawson was invited to the USA Basketball Women's National Team training camp in the fall of 2009.[8] The team selected to play for the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2012 Olympics is usually chosen from these participants. At the conclusion of the training camp, the team will travel to Ekaterinburg, Russia, where they compete in the 2009 UMMC Ekaterinburg International Invitational.[8]
Lawson was one of 21 finalists for the U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team Roster. The 20 professional women's basketball payers, plus one collegiate player (Brittney Griner), were selected by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Player Selection Committee to compete for the final roster to represent the USA at the 2012 Olympics in London, United Kingdom.[9] However, Lawson did not make the final roster.
ESPN
Lawson serves as an analyst for ESPN covering college basketball and the NBA. On January 12, 2007, she was the first woman to work as a nationwide broadcast analyst for an NBA game, when the New Orleans Hornets took on the Washington Wizards in Oklahoma.[1]
Notes
- 1 2 "Kara Lawson:College Basketball and NBA Analyst". ESPN.com. 6 April 2010. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
- ↑ "Sun Sign Kara Lawson To 3-Year Extension". Hartford Courant. August 19, 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
- ↑ "WBCA High School All-America Game Box Scores". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Retrieved 29 Jun 2014.
- ↑ "WBCA High School All-America Game Team MVP's". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Retrieved 29 Jun 2014.
- ↑ "Frances Pomeroy Naismith". Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Retrieved 30 Jun 2014.
- ↑ "Women's Basketball Player stats". NCAA. Retrieved 23 Sep 2015.
- ↑ "Twentieth World University Games -- 2001". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on 7 September 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
- 1 2 "USA Basketball Women's National Team To Tip-Off Training Tomorrow In D.C.". USA Basketball. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
- ↑ "Twenty-One Finalists In The Mix For Final 2012 U.S. Women's Olympic Basketball Team Roster". USA Basketball. February 13, 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2012.