The name Catherine McDonnell might not sound overly familiar to you, but her husband’s name is a little more familiar. He happens to be NBA superstar player, Pau Gasol. Not only has he played basketball professionally for more than a decade, but he was also part of the LA Lakers team long enough to earn two titles while playing with the late Kobe Bryant.
Gasol is also an Olympic player – as is his famous brother Marc – but he didn’t play for the US. His wife, McDonnell, also goes by Cat Gasol, and his fans (and hers) want to know more about her.
1. She is an 80s Girl
Entrepreneur and businesswoman McDonnell was born to parents Celeste and Dennis McDonnell on May 22, 1989. She got to grow up before the internet craze, cyberbullies, and all the things that are not so great about social media.
2. McDonnell is a College Grad
Not only is she a college graduate, but she’s also an exceptionally smart one. McDonnell graduated from the University of Southern California with a grade point average of just under 4.0. Her academic prowess doesn’t end there, she also has multiple degrees, including a Master’s in Business Communication Management.
3. She Was in Public Relations
After she graduated college, McDonnell went on to work for a public relations firm. She worked there for approximately two years before she took a marketing job in the sales department of another company. Over the years, she’s worked for many companies, and she has done quite well with it.
4. She Tried Sportscasting
For a short time, McDonnell thought she would transcend from marketing and public relations to being a sports broadcaster. That dream led her to work at ABC for a moment, and then she had another brief stint with FOX.
While her sportscasting career did not take off, it was a valuable experience that helped her learn and grow.
5. She Got Engaged to Pau Gasol in 2016
The specific timeline of their romance and relationship is not public knowledge. But it is well-known that the two had a relatively long engagement. News of their engagement first surfaced in 2016, but the couple did not get married until 2019.
They were engaged for approximately three years, but their wedding photos look like waiting was worthwhile for them.
6. She Had Two Weddings
Because she is mostly based out of San Francisco, McDonnell and her husband got married in San Francisco. They had a large wedding for their friends and family while in San Francisco. They also got married a week later in a much more intimate ceremony in his native Spain. This wedding was held in the Ampurdan region.
7. They Didn’t Wait Long to Have Kids
Approximately one year after their wedding, she made a public announcement on her Instagram page that they were expecting their first child. In the post, she recollected how they’d been together five years, moved four times, and had two wedding anniversaries. McDonnell also added they’d been together at home by themselves for three months and had a little bun on the way to show for it.
8. Their Daughter Has A Special Last Name
As far as baby names go, their little girl had a very cute one. Born in September 2020, they named their little bundle of joy Elisabet Gianna Gasol. Her middle name has tons of sentimental significance as she’s named after the late Kobe Bryant’s daughter.
As you’d recall, Gianna Bryant passed away in a tragic helicopter crash in 2020. Gasol and Bryant were good friends, and his daughter’s name is a tribute to his late friend and his little girl.
9. Vanessa Bryant is Their Daughter’s Godmother
Honoring the Bryant family in more ways than one, McDonnell and her husband picked Vanessa Bryant to be their daughter’s Godmother. Because Gasol was so close to Bryant, the couple asked his widowed wife to fill this vital role in their little one’s life.
10. She’s a Private Person
Besides the few tidbits she shares about her family’s reality, McDonnell doesn’t really share that much. Altogether, she knows exactly when to draw the line when it comes to sharing information with people who are not part of her immediate family.
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