There’s no question that women are continuing to cross the line into men’s professional sports. In the most recent example of such, league sources told ESPN on Thursday that the Boston Celtics will be hiring former WNBA star Kara Lawson as an assistant coach.
While Lawson becomes only the fourth female to coach in league history, she’s also the first female coach to join the Celtics. Alongside Brad Stevens, Lawson will help guide a Celtics team that have some new faces this upcoming season.
Lawson is a decorated fit for the job, garnering two gold medals for the U.S. women’s basketball team and spending 12 years in the WNBA as a point guard. Previously she also played under the notable Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee.
Since her retirement in 2015, Lawson had focused on broadcasting full-time as a basketball analyst for ESPN. In 2007, Lawson broke her own barriers becoming the first woman analyst on a nationwide broadcast for an NBA game.
Lawson won’t be the only female coaching in the NBA as she joins others such as Becky Hammon, assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs.
