The Duke Blue Devils have named Kara Lawson as the new women's basketball head coach. The former WNBA All-Star was the 5th. pick of the 2003 draft and spent 13 seasons in the league.

Lawson will replace Coach Joanne P. McCallie, who announced she wouldn’t return for a 14th. season as she entered the final year of her contract. She will become the first African-American coach in Duke women’s basketball history.

The former WNBA star will have to come to Durham and deliver results, as Coach McCallie led Duke to four regular-season titles and three ACC Tournament titles while also making 10 trips to the NCAA Tournament, including four straight trips to the Elite Eight from 2010-13.

Kara Lawson, who was the Celtics assistant coach, was Boston's first female coach in the franchise's 73-year history.

"I am delighted to welcome Kara Lawson to Duke as our next women's basketball coach," said Duke President Vincent E. Price. "I know that she will support the continued success of our women's basketball student-athletes both on the court and off."

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