By Steve Wiseman. She was giving people tips and people's jaws were dropping. The players must trust the coaching staffs belief they can execute the plan. Associate Head Coach. 2022-23 Women's Basketball Coaching Staff. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. 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. You're invited to join Maria Shriver's new membership program! 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. 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. Jackson, Elizabeth Journalism Above the Noise. The core of the team guards Shayeann Day-Wilson and Celeste Taylor and wing Elizabeth Balogun remained intact, but the supporting pieces that Lawson brought in have made a great impact this season. Full Schedule wbball Sat, Jan 28 Final James Madison 64 at Georgia State 72 wbball Thu, Feb 2 Final James Madison 72 at South Alabama 54 wbball Sat, Feb 4 Final James Madison 61 at Georgia Southern 72 wbball Thu, Feb 9 Final James Madison 65 vs Louisiana 59 wbball Sat, Feb 11 Final James Madison 70 vs Arkansas State 57 wbball Thu, Feb 16 Final Tia has so much experience and shes great at building relationships. Balogun, Taya Kara Lawson patrols the sidelines during Duke's home win Thursday evening against Pittsburgh. View Full Bio, Celeste I know the players respect her. Winston is a rising star in the profession, said Lawson. Koabel, Kennedy 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. Initially, women's basketball was played as a club sport. If that was the recipe for success, the Blue Devils cooked it to perfection. Take Dukes win at Notre Dame. 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. Share and discuss 'We can get there': Inside Duke womens basketballs swift rise to ACC contention on social media. Volleyball Wrestling Duke University Athletics Department Mailing Address:PO Box 90555, Durham, NC 27708 Department Shipping Address:Scott Family Athletics Performance Center, Room 364, 110. She got an opportunity to serve as the coach of the Duke women's basketball team. Exclusive access to LIVE, virtual interviews with Maria and friendsevery month! So, if Duke was going to be competitive for an ACC title and make an NCAA Tournament run something had to change. While she was still playing, Lawson started a broadcast career and became the first woman to serve as a broadcast analyst for an NBA game. When the Blue Devils traveled to Florida Gulf Coast earlier this season the Eagles led the nation in 3-pointers made per game (11.7) and attempts per game (35.3). Taylor is a highly skilled elite athlete with an incredibly high basketball IQ. Consistency is where we need to improve: be more consistent defensively, be more consistent offensively, be more consistent on the glass, said Lawson at ACC Tipoff Oct. 11. Since Lawson and her team started posting the videos of her team talks, the response has been positiveand huge. We're asking them to do things that they haven't done before, she says. It didnt take long for assistant coach Karen Lange who had just joined the staff in April and works closely with the guards to realize the Blue Devils could be an aggressive man-to-man squad. She was a part of two of the most successful seasons in Duke history. While the numbers emphasize the improvement on the defensive end, there are some things that they can not explain. We wanted to learn more about facing the difficult stuff, so we reached out to Lawson. But how did Lawson get to this point so quickly after her playing career came to an end? When she went down to Duke to coach the women's team there I mean, I'm just putting A + B = C to me. Jackson also went to the Women's Final Four as a player, with Iowa in 1993. I don't know of a higher compliment you can give a player than that.. 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.. (But) you really have to have players who are willing to work that hard every possession. 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. 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. GREENSBORO In a defensive grudge match that seemed like players ended up on the floor on almost every possession, No. 7/24/2020 10:30:00 AM. twitter. Although that goal may have seemed unreasonable at the time, it is certainly attainable now ahead of Fridays quarterfinal at the ACC tournament. Schmidt, Kara 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. "She became more than just my shooting coach, she became a longtime friend and somebody I know I can talk to if I ever need advice, Smart said after Lawson was announced as Duke's next coach, per NBC Sports Boston. I don't know how, but [the video] hit a lot of people where they were. When Kara Lawson met with the media after being hired as Dukes womens basketball head coach, she said that the most important factor in choosing a staff would be experience.. Its about teaching them to understand that they can and encouraging them to do that. Slipped is relative. "so we're excited to have her on board. Duke came in and held FGCU to five threes on 20 attempts, and 25 percent shooting from behind the arc. Player of the Year: Elizabeth Kitley, Sr., C, Virginia Tech Defensive Player of the Year: Celeste Taylor, Sr., G, Duke Rookie of the Year: Ta'Niya Latson . The official Facebook page of Duke University Women's Basketball. The trio boasts a combined 46 years of collegiate coaching experience including one NCAA Championship, 17 NCAA Tournament selections and six NCAA Final Four appearances. Before we could ask her to coach us, Lawson did just that. She is averaging 1.4 blocks per game, but its not her post-up defense the Blue Devils rely on. The independent news organization of Duke University. View Full Bio. "I know the organization thinks she's unbelievable. Shes the Swiss Army Knife of Duke womens basketball she can do it all. To do this, she turned to the increasingly important transfer portal. 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. Before the season, Lawsons message was clear. Your body can handle the mile better now. But unless you continue to play, we lose that unique mentorship. There's never been a greater need for female leadership in this world., To best handle hard, you need to best care for yourself. 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 . 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. Cancel at any time. Tia Jackson. Havas, Mia Upon arriving at Duke, Lawson knew her most pressing work required people skills to match her deep basketball knowledge. What happens is you handle hard better.. She held regular 1-on-1 meetings with players, getting to know them and giving them a chance to learn about her journey. facebook In Dukes recent 77-62 victory over N.C. State, Taylor made numerous defensive plays, including a chase-down block on Wolfpack forward Mimi Collins and multiple deflections in the final two minutes of the first half, to swing the momentum onto the Blue Devils side. By "The lack of accountability is striking. Full access to Maria's collection of inspiring weekly essays. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Day-Wilson, Bo One of the things going back to last year we assessed over the summer as a staff was how poor defensively we were, Lawson said. She developed a terrific relationship with the players on the team and as Weiss wrote, she was "missed greatly" after her departure. A school teammate texted me about one of her friends who is going through grad school. Another goal achieved. I think our leadership vocally has improved drastically having been here last year and just hearing the difference in practice, Jackson said. (Associate head coach) Winston (Gandy) referred to her several times this summer as the ambulance because last year she was going all over the place saving everybody. With the three-headed monster of Taylor, Brown and Balogun leading the charge, the Blue Devils have given opposing offenses fits all season and its never in the same way. "I am extremely excited to bring these three talented, skilled and . The Blue Devils shot no free throws while UNC made 5 of 9 from the line in the first half. Her first season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Blue Devils posted a 3-1 record in the four games they played before opting to cancel the rest of their season. Signup for our weekly newsletter. The Blue Devils forced 19.6 turnovers per game in the 11 games, including 15 against UConn, while also holding the Huskies to 12 points below their season average at the time. In taking over for the Tigers, Mulkey became the eighth head coach in LSU women's basketball history. Jonathan Levitan is a Trinity junior and sports editor of The Chronicle's 118th volume. All rights reserved, The All 22 - An Inside Look at Duke Football, No. Taylor, Vanessa I need that. For this reason, Lawson believes that people yearn to have a great coach. Thats our next challenge because they have slipped a little bit in league play.. One of those options could be Kara Lawson. Head Coach. Pitt women's basketball head coach Lance White in the second quarter of the Virginia Tech-Pitt women's basketball game in Blacksburg Va. Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. Mulkey, who became the fastest coach in Division I history to reach 600 wins (needing only . Duke won its last two games by double digits, cruising to a 79-62 . The Chronicle also reached out Thursday night to a Florida State team spokesperson, who directed all media to the ACC's statement Friday morning. But they can't say that either," Lawson said. 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. ", You cannot sit here, no matter what you believe, what your politics are, and not recognize that this is urgent. Sasha Richie is a Trinity senior and a sports managing editor of The Chronicle's 118th volume. You don't just want size, you want talent coupled with it.. 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. I think you win when you can and so that's what our goal was all along., Our team plays hard and they play together, Lawson said after Dukes Jan. 26 win against Virginia Tech. Seen, Supported, and most importantly not alone on your journey to The Open Field. 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. Rest well. 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. Shes really, really good.. A lot of people needed to be coached that day.. Following the thorough and objective review process, there was no evidence found to support the claim. Powerful Stories. Kate Barnosky. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. 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 . Her previous stint at Duke was from 2005 to 2007, which included a 2006 national runner-up finish. Women's Basketball Coaching Staff. Lawson primarily played as a shooting guard.She won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in . Offensively, the numbers are similar from a year ago, and there is a legitimate argument to be made that Duke had a more potent offensive team last year. For Duke womens basketball head coach Kara Lawson, if she and the rest of the coaching staff were going to implement a new defensive scheme for the 2022-23 season, they needed the buy-in from the players first and foremost. It's a complete failure. Honestly, I think people miss being coached, she tells us over Zoom. 0:00. One, it takes a lot of energy. Kara Lawson huddles with her team during a December 2022 win at N.C. State before Duke cracked the AP Top 25. Humanity Forward. Virginia Tech . Duke, finishing its nonconference slate at 10-1, held teams to 48.5 points per game, 31.9 percent shooting from the floor and just 25.9 percent from long range. In 2021, the severe lack of equipment afforded to women in their NCAA tournament bubble was exposed, ultimately leading to positive change, including extending March Madness branding to the women's tournament. Shaffer, Jiselle She can drop down low and guard a big or pop out to defend a guard or an athletic four. ACC presents a bigger challenge I think for us over the long haul defensively, Lawson said. 24, respectively), with Duke tied for the ACC's top spot with Notre Dame and Florida State one place behind. 18 UNC in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals at Greensboro Coliseum on Friday. 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. 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. We don't always make our goals but that's what were shooting for, said Lawson. Richardson, who was at the top of the press, sprinted all the way back down the court and stole Miles pass, clinching the Duke victory. Duke's Lawson adds Cunningham among 3 hires. "Let me be clear: Florida State beat us. It truly is remarkable that the team has come this far, so what are the key factors that have contributed to this turnaround? We pulled these seven pieces of life wisdom from our conversationwhich left us feeling capable and empowered. Assistant Coach. 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. . 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. Winston is also a very well-rounded coach. Long-time GM Danny Ainge retired and coach Brad Stevens is replacinghim in the front office. Caroline Doty. Take time away when you need a break. But for the first time since retiring at the end of last season, the former FSU head coach will be back at . Fast forward one year, and Duke is the No. 8 Maryland. A best-in-class newsletter that Inspires Hearts and Minds and Moves Dedicated to sharing the stories of Duke student-athletes, present and past, GoDuke The Magazine is published for Duke Athletics by LEARFIELD with editorial offices at 3100 Tower Blvd., Suite 404, Durham, NC 27707. The Duke Women's 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. The coaches were able to evaluate the team to see the pieces they had to solve this puzzle. Jacob Camenker is a senior content producer at The Sporting News. "We have concluded through our investigation that it was a men's ball," Lawson later added." 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. Cunningham departs Dukes program on the heels of a once-promising season that saw the Blue Devils ranked as high as No. Roughly three weeks after head coach Mike Krzyzewski said on a June 30 . The players are fully bought into achieving success, and Lawson highlights that as the number one reason for this improvement. She returned to her alma mater in 2012 as an assistant to Muffet McGraw and was a part of the 2018 national championship team among her five Final Four appearances with the Irish. 1:51. Meet the Duke coach who reportedly is 'prime candidate' for Celtics job, What Stevens'promotion, Ainge's departure meanfor Celtics, Eight best Celtics coaching candidates to replace Brad Stevens, Stephen A. Smith rips Celtics' promotion of Brad Stevens. 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.. "She is as sharp as they come," Stevens said, per KnoxNews.com. 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. Women's basketball vs. Duke. Man, can [the staff] coach defense; they could play it as players and they can really coach it, said Lawson in a Jan. 17 availability. The presence of it often leads to success. Becoming arguably the most disruptive defense in the ACC and ranking ninth nationally in field goal percentage defense started with hours in the film room and in practice. McCallie has coached at Duke since. I think we achieved that. Duke women's basketball coach Joanne P. McCallie reveals that she is stepping away from the program due to uncertainty as she entered the final year of her contract. Three of the most important decisions a head coach makes are in hiring assistant coaches, said Lawson. 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. She's always been there for me. I am beyond enthusiastic about coming back to Duke. Gail Ann Goestenkors (born February 26, 1963) [1] is an American basketball coach who is currently an assistant coach for the Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team. She spent time at Stanford, she understands what the process is like in terms of recruiting kids that are high achievers in more than one facet of their lives. But this all still applies to life.