You have to have player buy-in to play good defense, said Lawson. She developed a terrific relationship with the players on the team and as Weiss wrote, she was "missed greatly" after her departure. The Blue Devils are lightyears ahead of original projections Duke was picked seventh in the league in the preseason media poll. This Expert Has the Secret to Easing Your Mind, Still in the Game: New Campaign Starring Veteran Storytellers Challenges Hollywood to #RethinkAging. The official Women's Basketball Coach List for the Duke University Women's Basketball Coaches - Duke University Skip To Main Content Pause All Rotators Skip To Main Content. Taylor is a highly skilled elite athlete with an incredibly high basketball IQ. Think about it: At some point, most of us played sports of some kind. Once again, with the help of the loud-as-ever Cameron . The official Women's Basketball Coach List for the Purdue University Boilermakers. Nevertheless, these both ended up as victories, because what has made this team so successful is that even when the offense is struggling, the defense does not skip a beat. This summer when everybody was here for summer school would have been my first thought of We could be a really aggressive man-to-man team, said Lange. They're superwomen. The numbers were not favorable to finding wins, especially in the highly competitive ACC. Duke is allowing a mere 50.9 points per game, good for third in the country, and has only allowed 60-plus points in five games. Shes somebody who Im going to lean on a lot this year to help me with decisions., There are not many times in college athletics that you get a chance to return to a place that has been really unique and rewarding, especially for me, said Jackson. That should at least put her on the radar as a potential option, especially if the team is looking to bring in someone who is already familiar with the roster. This is especially so for first-year students. However, that number has decreased to 0.66, now good for the 99th percentile. Despite her desire for an appeal, Lawson acknowledged and respected the outcome of the game as played. There is an urgency for helping the young women in our country become more powerful. On Dec. 21, 2021, the 16th-ranked Blue Devils routed Charleston Southern 78-35 to finish an impressive nonconference slate 9-1, the lone loss a single-digit defeat to future national champion South Carolina. Tenacious defense and the full-court press has given opposing offenses nightmares, and Lawson has set out a clear philosophy that her team has embraced. View Full Bio. NC State lost 77-62. 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Now with the Blue Devils in the thick of conference action the numbers have understandably dropped a touch, but Lawson and the Blue Devils are excited to meet the challenge of ACC play night in and night out. Duke assistant coach Beth Cunningham will be introduced as Missouri State's next head coach Thursday morning, per release . But any fear Arizona fans had of Barnes leaving was extinguished Friday when it was reported by the Raleigh News & Observer that Duke is hiring Boston Celtics assistant coach Kara Lawson as the. DURHAM, N.C. - Duke women's basketball head coach Kara Lawsonannounced Friday the hiring of Beth Cunningham, Winston Gandyand Tia Jacksonas assistant coaches. The Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs (26-4, 18-0 Big South) host the UNC Asheville Bulldogs (12-18, 8-11 Big South) after Lauren Bevis scored 30 points in the Runnin' Bulldogs 83-59 victory over . Its you. The women's athletic department . Although that goal may have seemed unreasonable at the time, it is certainly attainable now ahead of Fridays quarterfinal at the ACC tournament. This Duke team has shown elite fight game-in and game-out, along with a serious will to win. Its not, We like this defensive set or this type of press, so well install that. You need to take a close look at the personnel involved. MORE: Stephen A. Smith rips Celtics' promotion of Brad Stevens. The team then alerted the scorers table of the incorrect ball. 2 seed entering the ACC tournament, one game behind Notre Dame. Since 1996, she has been an assistant at six different programs, along with being head coach at Washington from 2007 to 2011. Take time away when you need a break. A school teammate texted me about one of her friends who is going through grad school. Shes in her forties and is a mom and trying to navigate it all. On Tuesday night, head coach Jon Scheyer 's first Duke basketball team held on to beat the visiting NC State Wolfpack (22-9, 12-8 ACC), 71-67. A lot of people needed to be coached that day.. Head Coach. You don't just want size, you want talent coupled with it.. facebook "She stays in your ear, even though she may not be your personal coach she always keeps asking how I'm doing and if there's anything I need to talk about, so I feel like Duke is going to get a great head coach. Weve got three coaches that are talented enough to run their own programs -- two of them already have and have great experience recruiting the type of young woman we want at Duke.. After taking the reins of the Vanderbilt women's basketball program earlier this month, head coach Shea Ralph has announced her inaugural coaching staff with the additions of Tom Garrick, Ashley Earley and Kevin DeMille. She pointed out that this was her first fully recruited freshman class, and the three freshmen added to the talent and depth of this team. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Plagued by injuries and inconsistent play, the team lost three games in a row on multiple occasions and slumped to a 7-11 conference record, finishing 10th in the league. "Kara is always known for putting a smile on players' faces," center Robert Williams saidafter Lawson joined Duke, per Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston. A men's ball is 29.5 inches in circumference and approximately 22 ounces, while a women's ball is 28.5 inches in diameter and approximately 20 ounces. Slipped is relative. In the first season, 1974-75, the team played locally, finishing second in the state with a 6-7 record. The official Facebook page of Duke University Women's Basketball. Exclusive access to LIVE, virtual interviews with Maria and friendsevery month! Also on the staff will be Tia Jackson, who previously was an assistant at Duke for Gail Goestenkors and has spent the last five years at Miami, and Winston Gandy, who has been at Rice for three seasons. OTL: Investigation underway at Duke (6:00) Outside the Lines discusses the investigation into Duke women's basketball head coach Joanne McCallie and her program for alleged mistreatment of players . 13 Duke wound up on top with a 44-40 win over No. We wait for life to get easier, Lawson told her Duke team. I think the challenge is our kids understanding what their coverages are in their particular areas and then being able to move on the fly should someone throw something random at us, Jackson explained. "I have a lot of young minority women that are super intelligent and that can play basketball at a high level. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is scheduled to make $7.04 million this contract year while the Blue Devils spend the final week of the regular season on the NCAA Tournament bubble at 12-11, beating. The way to do that is to compete hard with one another.. That mental shift for me was super helpful., #4: Strength Fuels Your Ability to Handle Hard, Most of what Lawson talks to her team about is analogous to sports and what a team or individual athlete is facing. The bells rang out across Duke's campus at 5 p.m., chiming as if in celebration of Blue Devil senior Celeste Taylor. We're going to miss her. She's someone I can come to not just for basketball but for other things outside of that, so I love coach Karen, said Richardson at the teams preseason media day. A key member of the Blue Devils' coaching staff is headed elsewhere. Its all the other movement defensively that were asking her to do at 6-6 and its super impressive that she can do it consistently well.. 18 UNC in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals at Greensboro Coliseum on Friday. Let's take a look. Staff Directory Members By Category/Department; Image Name Title Email Address Phone; Katie Gearlds: Head Coach 494.0605 494.0605: Beth Couture: Vanderbilt Women's Basketball Staff Update. Hearing the consistency and the ownership in games has been a huge change for us. Humanity Forward. Senior forward Jada Boyd shoots the ball during the game against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Thursday. Lawson specified that she was not a part of that talk as she is not usually in the locker room at halftime. I think they're representing this school and Duke basketball in an incredible way right now.. Women's basketball vs. Duke. There are a thousand different presses you could run. Duke has forced 536 opposing turnovers in 29 games this season, 101 more than last season's 30-game total. It's hard to move up one spot in this league, but to move up eight spots in the standings is a remarkable job by our players.. Looking to Find More Joy in a World Filled With Pain? I think that her experience will be helpful for me in a lot of ways., I couldnt be more excited about the opportunity to work with Kara at Duke, said Cunningham. Understandably, there was skepticism on whether the Blue Devils could perform at a high level during the conference slate, especially with the depth of the league this season. They have formed a team identity by playing consistently on the defensive end of the floor. Share and discuss First half of Duke women's basketball's loss to Florida State played with a men's ball, head coach Kara Lawson says on social media. Lawson primarily played as a shooting guard.She won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in . 7/24/2020 10:30:00 AM. Lawson, Tia Kara Lawson patrols the sidelines during Duke's home win Thursday evening against Pittsburgh. So, if you look at our numbers from last year, we were a poor defensive team and that was my fault as a coach. Full access to Maria's collection of inspiring weekly essays. 24, respectively), with Duke tied for the ACC's top spot with Notre Dame and Florida State one place behind. There are going to be some weaker defenders out there. We don't always make our goals but that's what were shooting for, said Lawson. Fast forward one year, and Duke is the No. Duke has hired former Tennessee and WNBA guard Kara Lawson as its women's basketball coach, the school announced Saturday. Ratcheting up a rivalry that had lost some luster as Notre Dame overtook the ACC with Louisville not far behind, followed by NC State's three-year ACC Tournament title-winning run, the Tar Heels and Blue Devils brought the battle back to the blues with a postseason slugfest. Shaffer, Jiselle GREENSBORO In a defensive grudge match that seemed like players ended up on the floor on almost every possession, No. This story originally appeared in the 14.6 Issue of GoDuke the Magazine January 2023. Brown, Shay The coaches were able to evaluate the team to see the pieces they had to solve this puzzle. And she'd never lost to Duke. twitter. The goal is to get [opponents] taking a contested shot, and one of them. Duke's vaunted defense held UNC to just 24% shooting and kept the Tar Heels scoreless over the game's last four minutes, allowing only four points in the fourth quarter. It's official, Duke's coaching staff has a new member. The conference would not allow me to do that," Lawson said. Cancel at any time. Oliver, Emma 2 seed. Finding the one that suited us best was a fun project in the preseason. Duke assistant coach Beth Cunningham will be introduced as Missouri States next head coach Thursday morning, per release. The Blue Devils shot no free throws while UNC made 5 of 9 from the line in the first half. Havas, Mia But unless you continue to play, we lose that unique mentorship. No, she walked into practice and she commanded practice right from the jump. According to Her Hoop Stats, Taylor records a defensive win share of 3.7, meaning that Taylor has produced roughly that many wins for the Blue Devils solely based on her defensive performances. Stevens made the decision to target Lawson as a member of his staff and was able to lure her out of the Wizards booth to begin her coaching career. Lawson was part of a Celtics staff that posted a 43-21 record and reached the Eastern Conference Finals despite playing in "The Bubble." P. Sue Beckwith, MD, Head Women's Basketball Coach; Coaching Staff; Dressed for Championships; Welcome Home. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year has more than double the amount of steals of any other player on her team, and her sheer commitment to defense is what has impressed Lawson from the start. When you have teammates that want to win just as badly as you do, it makes things a lot easier, said Taylor after the game. "I think they're going to hire Kara Lawson," Scalabrine said. I struggle with this too, admits Lawson about facing lifes tough sides. Shes the Swiss Army Knife of Duke womens basketball she can do it all. "You have to feed them," Gamecocks coach and former Virginia Final Four guard Dawn Staley said earlier this season about the . On Tuesday night against N.C. State, Duke added a 19th undefeated season in Cameron Indoor Stadium to the books. Assistant coach Winston Gandy then went to the scorers table to inspect the ball where he realized that the ball was, in fact, a men's ball, according to Lawson. Kara Lawson huddles with her team during a December 2022 win at N.C. State before Duke cracked the AP Top 25. Associate Head Coach. I think they hire Kara Lawson. "I'm not perfect, but I admit when I'm making a mistake, and the mistake was made here and it's a big one.". Scott Merritt. In November 2022, all eyes turned to women's college basketball once again when nine Division I teams arrived at the high-profile Las Vegas Invitational to find they were set to play on a court haphazardly added to a hotel ballroom. facebook The North Carolina game Feb. 4 was no exception to that by a six-point margin . We wait for life to get easier, Lawson told her Duke team. Photo courtesy of Duke Athletics. And you can figure out who the people I'm talking about [are] that failed the sport and our players and both teams," Lawson said, speaking passionately. "Let me be clear: Florida State beat us. MORE:Eight best Celtics coaching candidates to replace Brad Stevens. The Duke women's basketball coaching staff, then led by head coach Joanne P. McCallie, helped her learn how things functioned within the Duke Athletics. There's never been a greater need for female leadership in this world., To best handle hard, you need to best care for yourself. Later that season on International Women's Day (March 8) in 2020, Stevens was asked his opinion of Lawson. Caroline Doty. Lawson, a former Tennessee player who spent the past year as an assistant with the NBA's Boston Celtics, was hired by Duke on July 11. I think all the credit goes to them for as hard as theyre willing to play for us for 40 minutes every game and what were asking them to do and theyve actually bought in, Lange said. 13 Duke Rallies for Ally ACC Tournament Quarterfinal Win Over North Carolina, No. "I am extremely excited to bring these three talented, skilled and . Kara Lawson. The independent news organization of Duke University. Were only as strong as that weakest person. So, if I am the weak link, its up to (a teammate) to talk me through it, get me right and make sure I know what Im supposed to be doing.. On the court leaders stepped up in a way they didnt last year, bringing the rest of the team along. The Irish were picked to finish fourth this season in an ACC preseason poll of coaches and media. Duke can take away opponents strengths and has proven to do so consistently. TAYLOR'S VERSION: Taylor, Balogun lead Duke women's basketball to upset win at No. Jackson has 24 years of coaching experience, including four as coach of Washington. McCallie has coached at Duke since. The independent news organization of Duke University. ", You cannot sit here, no matter what you believe, what your politics are, and not recognize that this is urgent. 7 Seed UNC, Donovan Named 2023 Jersey Mike's Naismith HS Girls First Team All-American, Taylor Crowned ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Taylor Tabbed Semifinalist for Naismith Womens Defensive Player of the Year. If you look at our numbers from last year, we were a poor defensive team and that was my fault as a coach, said Lawson Jan. 10. The star for this team has unquestionably been Taylor, who leads the team in scoring but provides so much value outside of shooting that helps Duke win. I don't think you can watch our team and not like how they play and not get behind them, because they play so gosh darn hard, said Lawson after a victory against Virginia Tech Jan. 26. . Richardson, Shayeann "so we're excited to have her on board. Head Coach. Share and discuss 'We can get there': Inside Duke womens basketballs swift rise to ACC contention on social media. "I know the organization thinks she's unbelievable. Last season, Duke finished the year with a 17-13 overall record and 7-11 mark in conference play. And Duke coach Kara Lawson earned her first win over UNC a day later. Head Coach. Women's Basketball Coaching Staff. Roughly three weeks after head coach Mike Krzyzewski said on a June 30 . de Jesus, Ashlon She is averaging 1.4 blocks per game, but its not her post-up defense the Blue Devils rely on. We have more people who are doing what theyre supposed to be doing and holding their own. I think it just speaks to her and to our team of really wanting to put everything they can into these games.. She leads the team and ranks fifth in the ACC in steals while also pacing Duke on offense with 12.9 points, 2.1 assists and 28.1 minutes played per game. By Steve Wiseman. View Full Bio. But I can't say if we'd have played with a women's ball in the first half and the second half that we would have won. facebook The Tar Heels cracked their third-year coach's tournament goose egg with a. That may help keep things running smoothly as he transitions into the front office. She's always been there for me. She is a winner in every sense of the word. I did think athletically, especially on the perimeter, we could be a pretty good, aggressive man-to-man team.. Schmidt, Kara She didn't coach in The Bubble, as she had already left for Duke, but her footprint was clearly on that squad. Duke announced its nonconference schedule for the 2022-23 season via release. There are times when Duke can not buy a shot from the field including its six-point fourth quarter against Miami and 10-point second quarter against Pittsburgh. With one former Duke basketball team captain moving to his first head coaching job, another is moving into a larger role on coach Mike Krzyzewski's staff. Women's Basketball Coaching Staff. The Duke Womens Basketball Head Coach and star athlete, who has covered the sports spectrum from playing for the U.S. National Team to coaching for the Boston Celtics to broadcasting for ESPN, recently gave her players a pep talk about handling the hard things in life. We all need that. Cunningham, who also spent the eight years directly preceding her Duke tenure as an associate head coach at Notre Dame, fills the vacancy left by previous head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, who led the Bears to NCAA tournament appearances in two of her three years with the program, with the lone exclusion a result of the events COVID-19 cancelation. Down three with 15 seconds left, Fighting Irish junior guard Olivia Miles broke the Blue Devil press and drove down the court. "This included discussion with all parties involved, including game officials, game administrators, table crew and both schools. She still does that for us, but luckily, I dont think she has to do that as much. If we just focus on the present moment and just continue to get better each day, we can get there.. In short, the game had steep implications for both the conference and NCAA tournament seedings, which Lawson mentioned. Gandy, Karen Balogun was Duke's top scorer with 11 points. UNC used a 10-2 run in the second quarter to take a 24-19 lead into halftime as Balogun's 3-pointer with 8 seconds left in the half ended an 0-for-6 shooting drought for the Devils and cut into an eight-point deficit. I guess this gave her a lift., We all are searching for positivity, encouragement, and inspirationespecially right now, says Lawson. Take Dukes win at Notre Dame. That, of course, means that Boston is going to need a new coach. Lawson has not been shy in praising her staff for the improvement of this team, especially during the offseason. The conference office considers this matter to be closed and will have no further comment.". 2022-23 Women's Basketball Roster - Charlotte Athletics Skip To Main Content Pause All Rotators Charlotte Athletics Main Navigation Menu Schedule Tickets Men's Sports Archive Stories Sport Navigation Menu 2022-23 Women's Basketball Roster Print Roster Layout: Choose A Season: Sort By: Go Footer All Rights Reserved. Powerful Stories. Cunningham departs Dukes program on the heels of a once-promising season that saw the Blue Devils ranked as high as No. After playing professionally, she began as an assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth in 2001 before becoming head coach two years later and staying in that role until 2012. The man likely tasked with replacing the winningest college basketball coach ever is a former Duke player who moved to the Blue Devils' bench just eight years ago and was promoted to associate . That's what will ultimately matter during the hiring process. Duke came in and held FGCU to five threes on 20 attempts, and 25 percent shooting from behind the arc. Honestly, I think people miss being coached, she tells us over Zoom. It's what I teach my players every day," Lawson said. She spent the last eight years as an assistant at Notre Dame. It can be as simple as once we get through the holiday season to January, stuff's going to settle. So, if Duke was going to be competitive for an ACC title and make an NCAA Tournament run something had to change. Following the thorough and objective review process, there was no evidence found to support the claim. Duke basketball coaching staff could undergo more changes Amid the Nate James news, fellow associate head coach Jon Scheyer is still in the mix for the head coaching vacancy at DePaul, located approximately 30 minutes outside of his hometown of Northbrook, Illinois. Fittingly, a defensive play ended UNC's chances when Reigan Richardson blocked a 3-point shot attempt by Kennedy Todd-Williams with 4 seconds on the clock and the Tar Heels trailing by three points. A key member of the Blue Devils coaching staff is headed elsewhere. Bollin, Imani They're willing to do whatever it is that needs to be done in order for us to win.. Who is Kara Lawson? (But) you really have to have players who are willing to work that hard every possession. Amile Jefferson. Then once we got through the summer and the start of the fall and seeing how were moving and what were capable of doing and building on the (non-basketball) principles. Hes also really, really good at building relationships and really, really good in terms of Xs and Os.. 2 Seed Duke to Open 2023 Ally ACC Tournament Against No. As such, the team should be able to attract some of the best and brightest available coaches. Amy Yakola, ACC deputy commissioner and chief of external affairs, provided The Chronicle with a statement from the ACC Friday morning: "Upon completion of the game, the conference office was made aware of the allegation and immediately conducted a comprehensive review," the statement read. Her performance, familiarity with Boston and well-regarded status among the team's players are part of why former Celtic-turned-broadcast-analyst Brian Scalabrine thinks that Lawson may be the right woman for the job. Tia Jackson. Duke's Lawson adds Cunningham among 3 hires. Duke moves on to Saturday's semifinals where it will face the winner of Friday's late Miami-Virginia Tech game. We may have played some teams in the nonconference that challenged us defensively in many ways and stretched us. Lawson, 39, had been an assistant with the Boston Celtics before taking . All of these characteristics that you would want in a coach, you want your staff to possess as many of those as possible and be experts in a number of them. The senior guard from Valley Stream, N.Y., was tabbed ACC Defensive Player of . A big emphasis for us in the portal was to fortify the frontcourt and bring in size, said Lawson. Moving You and Humanity Forward. ACC women's basketball coaches Niele Ivey, Katie Meier, Felisha Legette-Jack and Kara Lawson talk about the upcoming season at media day. Richardson had 10. I think she'll do a great, great job for us.". One year after the COVID-19 pandemic cut head coach Kara Lawsons first season short, a new era of Duke womens basketball looked to be on the horizon. 6 N.C. State LOST IN THE FOREST: Shorthanded Duke men's basketball falls on the road to Wake Forest in return to . Duke women's basketball coach Kara Lawson said the teams played with a men's basketball for the first half of a loss to Florida State on Sunday. Share and discuss Duke women's basketball assistant coach Beth Cunningham hired as Missouri State head coach on social media. Irish move past Wolfpack as Miles still sidelined, Minnesota coach Whalen resigns at alma mater, White out as Pitt hoops coach after 42-99 mark, Sheldon gives Buckeyes lift vs. Michigan in return, LSU-Georgia game delayed by weather, leaky roof, NC State star Johnson to miss ACC tournament, 8 ejected after UK-Florida scuffle at SEC tourney, All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball.