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FEBRUARY 2023 7 cavalier sports T hird-year Kaydan Lawson is the second- longest tenured player on the Virginia women's basketball team and has been known for providing a spark off the bench with her long-range shooting skills. She is also known as the younger sister of former Cavalier Dani Lawson, who was on the team for the three seasons before Kaydan arrived on Grounds. Lawson, who entered this campaign aver- aging 5.0 points per game with two career starts, has come into her own this season while playing a key role for the resurgent Cavaliers. She opened the season with a splashy 18-point performance against George Wash- ington and has become a mainstay of Vir- ginia's starting lineup. During the Cavaliers' 14-6 start, Lawson played in 18 contests and made 13 starts while averaging 6.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. "Coach Mox has allowed us to be more open, so everybody is contributing," Lawson said. "It's a true team effort, and that's what has allowed me to get open more and make shots." From her first workout with Lawson, head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton saw the potential. "I knew that she was a talented kid and needed to be pushed a little bit, but she has a lot in her bag, and I want her to be able to use all of that," Agugua-Hamilton said. "I didn't want her just to be a driver or just a shooter. She can score at three levels. She can defend. And just instilling a little bit more confidence in her and in her game is where I've been focusing. "I get on her sometimes because I just know how high her ceiling is, but she's step- ping up to the plate." Lawson isn't just "stepping up to the plate" in games. She is also excelling in the classroom. A biology major, she wants to attend medical school after her playing days are over and become a cardiovascular surgeon. Her mother, Kay, has been an inspiration in her vocational and athletic aspirations. Lawson has stated that her mother's work as a nurse has been one of the things inspiring her to pursue a career in medicine. The for- mer Kay Tucker played collegiately at Purdue, inspiring a love of the sport, as well as inspir- ing something the fans see every game. "My number, 14, is not only my birthday, but it is also a family number," Lawson said. "My mom played in the number as well." On Jan. 15, Lawson had a 15-rebound performance against Boston College, logging her first career double-double (11 points) as well as setting a career high in rebounding. Her three-point shooting is still a weapon for the Cavalier offense, but with the loss of the team's leading rebounder Mir McLean to an injury, Lawson is one of the players stepping up to fill that defensive void. The Boston College game also happened to be during UVA Women's Basketball Reunion weekend, with her sister Dani being one of the alums in the stands watching her younger sis- ter fuel a comeback victory for the Cavaliers. — Melissa Dudek getting to know Third-Year Basketball Guard Kaydan Lawson Lawson averaged 6.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game during Virginia's 14-6 start this season. (Photo by Jim Daves/courtesy UVA)