Kara Marie Lawson

High School
Kara attended Sidwell Friends School in her freshman year, then went to West Springfield High School, where she played on both the girls' basketball and soccer teams.

College
Kara went to the University of Tennessee and graduated with a degree in Finance. She played for the Lady Vols basketball team, coached by Pat Summitt.

WNBA
On April 24, 2003, Kara was selected by the Detroit Shock as the #5 pick in the first round of the 2003 WNBA Draft. Five days later, the Shock traded her to the Sacramento Monarchs, in exchange for Kedra Holland-Corn and a 2004 second-round draft pick.

Kara has been involved in sports broadcasting during the WNBA off-season. She does commentaries for men's and women's college basketball games, and Sacramento Kings games. In addition, Lawson is a sideline reporter for the NBA on ESPN. Kara was the first female to serve as a nationwide broadcast analyst for an NBA game, when New Orleans took on the Washington Wizards in Oklahoma.

Personal
Kara married Damien Barling on April 12, 2008.