Celtics Hire Kara Lawson, First Female Assistant Coach In Team History

Kara Lawson made history when she accepted the Boston Celtics’ overture.

The Celtics announced Wednesday in a statement they’ve hired the WNBA champion, Olympic Gold medalist and basketball broadcaster as an assistant coach under head coach Brad Stevens. Lawson becomes the first woman assistant coach in the Celtics’ 73-year history. Lawson will fill the void Micah Shrewsberry’s departure from the team created.

The 38 year old had “contemplated several coaching opportunities” before deciding on Boston, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. She joins Joe Mazzulla and Brandon Bailey among new additions to Stevens’ staff.

Lawson also becomes the fourth woman assistant coach in the NBA, joining the San Antonio Spurs’ Becky Hammon, the Washington Wizards’ Kristi Toliver and the Philadelphia 76ers’ Lindsey Harding on that list.

Lawson’s glittering resume includes 13 WNBA seasons spent with the Sacramento Monarchs, Connecticut Sun, and Washington Mystics. She also represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, where she helped win the gold medal. Prior to playing professional basketball, Lawson attended the University of Tennessee, where she played four seasons under legendary coach Pat Summit.