Pau Gasol enjoyed an illustrious professional basketball career, winning two NBA titles with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers while also making six All-Star teams across his 18-year career in the Association. Gasol returned to his roots with FC Barcelona before hanging up the sneakers for good in 2021. The Lakers rewarded Gasol's contributions to the team by retiring his number in March 2023. In this post though, we're taking a look at Pau Gasol's wife Catherine McDonnell.
Pau Gasol's wife Catherine McDonnell
McDonnell was born on May 22, 1989, in the United States to parents Celeste and Dennis McDonnell. She is a very educated businesswoman and entrepreneur, graduating from USC with a Bachelor's degree in Communication and Business and a Master's degree in Business and Communication Management. During her time at USC, she had a GPA of just under 4.00.
Catherine McDonnell begins work in public relations
McDonnell began working in 2007 for Singer Associates public relations and public affairs until August of 2009, where she then moved on to a sales and marketing job for Showtime Networks. That didn't last long though before McDonnell tried her luck as a Sports Broadcaster for ABC News and Fox News for a short stint.
That was really just the start of her journey though. Along the way, McDonnell has been a project manager, a Vice President, and even a Director of Communications, a job that she still occupies as of right now for TESS Research Foundation, which is a company that is constantly striving to find treatment for the rare SLC13A5 Epilepsy, a Citrate Transporter Disorder. Their offices are currently located in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Catherine McDonnell marries Pau Gasol
As you can see, she clearly has her own success aside from being married to arguably the most decorated Spanish NBA player ever. Back in 2016, McDonnell and Gasol officially got engaged. It wasn't until 2019 where they finally tied the knot though, holding a ceremony in San Francisco with family and friends. However, the couple also held a private ceremony just a week later in the Ampurdan area of Northeastern Spain.
About a year after Gasol and McDonnell exchanged vows, she announced on Aug. 3, 2020, that she was pregnant with their first child.
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A year later on Sept. 10, they welcomed Elisabet Gianna Gasol into the world. Yes, that's right, they gave her the middle name of Kobe Bryant's late daughter, who tragically passed away in early 2020 with Bryant in a helicopter crash. Gasol and Bryant remained close friends long after their playing days, with their families also staying in touch quite frequently. As a result, McDonnell and Gasol named Vanessa Bryant the godmother of Elisabet.
Catherine McDonnell's social media presence
As for McDonnell's social media activity, she has over 126,000 Instagram followers, with the likes of Danny Green, Ciara, and Carmelo Anthony's ex-wife, LaLa Anthony, among them. On Insta, McDonnell posts a lot of content of her, Gasol, and their child. Here's one from after a game in Barcelona just before Pau took off for the Tokyo Olympics:
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Elisabet was then blessed with a baby brother in 2022. The Gasols announced the birth of their son in late November, growing the family to four.
McDonnell currently has a personal net worth of around $1 million. It's not much compared to her husband's $120 million, but she is clearly a hard-working woman who takes pride in also being a breadwinner in the family.
While it's not exactly known when they started dating, Gasol did announce in 2016 when he was playing for the San Antonio Spurs that he was with McDonnell. Gasol sold his beach house in Redondo Beach, Calif., about this time as well.
But in one of McDonnell's Instagram posts about when she was pregnant in 2020, she did mention they have been dating for five years. Therefore, it's safe to assume they initially linked up in 2015.
It really looks like Gasol found a good one in Catherine McDonnell. She's smart, ambitious, successful, and a very beautiful woman. Although they married rather late in Gasol's basketball career, they seem very happy together with their adorable daughter and baby boy.
Most recently, Pau and his family got to celebrate him being honored by the Lakers. It has been a special last few months for the Gasol family, and they will enjoy raising their family together.
There you are. That's everything you need to know about Pau Gasol's wife Catherine McDonnell.
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