StevenHW
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http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060211/SPORTS/602110339/1004
MONARCH FINDS HER NICHE IN FRONT OF CAMERA
Published Saturday, Feb 11, 2006
Kara Lawson is known to many in the Stockton-Sacramento area as a guard for the WNBA-champion Sacramento Monarchs and one of the hosts of "House Party Live,'' the pregame, halftime and postgame show for the NBA's Sacramento Kings on Comcast SportsNet West.
Now, she is getting exposure to an even larger audience.
Lawson, who debuted as a studio analyst for ESPN's women's basketball coverage in December, is commuting between Sacramento and ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Conn., as she teams with veteran anchor Trey Wingo and fellow WNBA player Stacey Dales-Schuman for in-studio duties this season.
"It's quite a long flight, and I'll be going back and forth,'' Lawson said. "I'll be flying there once a week, but it's a great opportunity for me.''
The 24-year-old will serve as an analyst throughout the 2006 season, the Women's NCAA Tournament and the Women's Final Four.
Unlike many studio analysts who are former athletes, Lawson is an active professional athlete who also has the luxury of learning the broadcasting business. She has had on-air opportunities since she became a Monarch two years ago and has enjoyed every minute of it.
"Actually, my first TV job was as a studio analyst at ESPN two years ago during the Women's NCAA Tournament, and then when the Kings started their broadcasts on Comcast, they contacted me to try out for the 'House Party' show. It's great because it's a chance for me to learn the business.''
Lawson already feels at home at ESPN.
"Trey Wingo is a really great guy to work with, and I'm working with some great people, and it's very exciting,'' she said.
A true basketball junkie, Lawson gets to look at an array of games, from college women to the NBA. And, yes, she has done work on the WNBA, covering the 2004 and 2005 drafts for ESPN.
"I get to see how coaches and players react, how they prepare and why different players are good," she said. "It's something that I can take back and use in my own game.''
Lawson said broadcasting is just as tough as playing basketball.
"It's hard work, and you have to be prepared, and you have to be at your best because it's a competitive business,'' she said.
Lawson has enjoyed her work on "House Party Live,'' although it's a much more relaxed atmosphere.
"(Co-host Jim Kozimor) and I are serious about what we do, but we have more latitude,'' she said. "There's much less structure, so that means Koz and I have more to control. But we have fun, chemistry and the freedom to dictate what we want to talk about.''
Once the Monarchs' training camp starts, Lawson ends her broadcasting. By that time, college basketball will have finished and "House Party Live" will have run its course, because it does not continue past the NBA's regular season.
"When camp starts, I drop everything and concentrate on basketball,'' Lawson said of the upcoming WNBA season. "The challenge is different now because we were used to being the underdogs, and now it's going to tougher for us to repeat. People will be waiting for us.''
But for now, Lawson will focus on her second love - bringing basketball to fans of all ages.
Contact reporter Tony Acosta at (209) 546-8287 or tacosta@recordnet.com
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http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060211/SPORTS/602110339/1004
MONARCH FINDS HER NICHE IN FRONT OF CAMERA
Published Saturday, Feb 11, 2006
Kara Lawson is known to many in the Stockton-Sacramento area as a guard for the WNBA-champion Sacramento Monarchs and one of the hosts of "House Party Live,'' the pregame, halftime and postgame show for the NBA's Sacramento Kings on Comcast SportsNet West.
Now, she is getting exposure to an even larger audience.
Lawson, who debuted as a studio analyst for ESPN's women's basketball coverage in December, is commuting between Sacramento and ESPN's headquarters in Bristol, Conn., as she teams with veteran anchor Trey Wingo and fellow WNBA player Stacey Dales-Schuman for in-studio duties this season.
"It's quite a long flight, and I'll be going back and forth,'' Lawson said. "I'll be flying there once a week, but it's a great opportunity for me.''
The 24-year-old will serve as an analyst throughout the 2006 season, the Women's NCAA Tournament and the Women's Final Four.
Unlike many studio analysts who are former athletes, Lawson is an active professional athlete who also has the luxury of learning the broadcasting business. She has had on-air opportunities since she became a Monarch two years ago and has enjoyed every minute of it.
"Actually, my first TV job was as a studio analyst at ESPN two years ago during the Women's NCAA Tournament, and then when the Kings started their broadcasts on Comcast, they contacted me to try out for the 'House Party' show. It's great because it's a chance for me to learn the business.''
Lawson already feels at home at ESPN.
"Trey Wingo is a really great guy to work with, and I'm working with some great people, and it's very exciting,'' she said.
A true basketball junkie, Lawson gets to look at an array of games, from college women to the NBA. And, yes, she has done work on the WNBA, covering the 2004 and 2005 drafts for ESPN.
"I get to see how coaches and players react, how they prepare and why different players are good," she said. "It's something that I can take back and use in my own game.''
Lawson said broadcasting is just as tough as playing basketball.
"It's hard work, and you have to be prepared, and you have to be at your best because it's a competitive business,'' she said.
Lawson has enjoyed her work on "House Party Live,'' although it's a much more relaxed atmosphere.
"(Co-host Jim Kozimor) and I are serious about what we do, but we have more latitude,'' she said. "There's much less structure, so that means Koz and I have more to control. But we have fun, chemistry and the freedom to dictate what we want to talk about.''
Once the Monarchs' training camp starts, Lawson ends her broadcasting. By that time, college basketball will have finished and "House Party Live" will have run its course, because it does not continue past the NBA's regular season.
"When camp starts, I drop everything and concentrate on basketball,'' Lawson said of the upcoming WNBA season. "The challenge is different now because we were used to being the underdogs, and now it's going to tougher for us to repeat. People will be waiting for us.''
But for now, Lawson will focus on her second love - bringing basketball to fans of all ages.
Contact reporter Tony Acosta at (209) 546-8287 or tacosta@recordnet.com
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