The Celtics are hiring former WNBA standout and current television analyst Kara Lawson as an assistant coach, an NBA source confirmed Thursday. She will become the first woman ever to coach for the Celtics.
The Celtics are unable to comment on the hire because the contract has not been officially signed.
Lawson, who played for Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt at Tennessee, also played for Sacramento, Connecticut, and Washington during her 13-year WNBA career that ended in 2015. She was a member of the gold medal-winning US Olympic team at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
More recently, she worked as a basketball analyst at ESPN, as well as on Washington Wizards broadcasts. She has helped coach USA Basketball’s three-on-three teams over the past two years.
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Lawson is the latest woman to secure a role as an NBA assistant. The Spurs hired Becky Hammon in 2014, last summer the Mavericks hired Jenny Boucek, and this month the Cavaliers hired Lindsay Gottlieb.
The Celtics are still planning to hire Fairmont State coach Joe Mazzulla as an assistant coach, too. They had an opening that was created when Micah Shrewsberry left to become an assistant at Purdue, but they are not expecting to lose anyone else, so their staff will increase by one.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @adamhimmelsbach.