Who are the best teams in the ACC this season? Teams like Florida State, North Carolina, Clemson, and others will be in contention all season. However, the Duke Blue Devils are another team that deserves respect as an ACC contender. This may be a different team compared to last season. However, head coach Kara Lawson has made sure to have her team prepared for what's ahead.
It was a busy offseason for Coach Lawson and her program. They brought in new talent to the team as well as lost a few key pieces.
One of the key pieces they lost was Celeste Taylor who transferred to Ohio State. Taylor was one of the biggest x-factors on the defensive end for Duke. With her ability to set the tone on that end, the Blue Devils were the best defensive team in the ACC last season.
Another key player that Duke lost from last season was Elizabeth Balogun, a player who was known as a tweener and could play anywhere on the floor. Despite the losses, the Blue Devils regrouped with the transfer of Taina Mair from Boston College as well as the signing of five-star recruit Jaidyn Donovan.
Adding to their newcomers, the Duke Blue Devils have a few players on their roster who are ready to take the next step. Reigan Richardson is a talent who came into the season ready to take a leap offensively. We witnessed that in Duke's opener as she scored 28 points on 80 percent shooting. Other key contributors on Duke's roster include Kennedy Brown, Vanessa De Jesus, and more.
Duke took advantage of a soft schedule to start the season
The first week of Duke's schedule was a way to take advantage of the win column. In their season opener against Richmond, the team displayed an excellent defensive showing by continuing to communicate and be effective in their switching. Coach Lawson will always preach defense. As long as her team brings maximum effort on that end, everything will take care of itself on offense.
The ball continued to move on offense for the Blue Devils. Players continued to cut and set screens for easy opportunities. One of the biggest x-factors in Duke's first game was freshman guard Oluchi Okananwa. In her college debut, she made hustle plays that opened several opportunities for Duke offensively. Okananwa's energy in the second quarter continued to help push the lead as the game continued.
As Duke continued to ride the hot hand of Richardson, the Blue Devils came out on top in an 83-53 victory. Alongside Richardson, Okananwa delivered 22 points off the bench while Taina Mair contributed 12 points. While Duke received a big win, one of the points of emphasis for Kara Lawson's team was to limit turnovers. They averaged 15.4 last season and had 19 in their first game. Taking care of the basketball was a way to help Duke elevate as a contender in the ACC.
Later in the week, the Blue Devils defeated Coastal Carolina in an 88-42 victory to start the season at 2-0. It was another great defensive showing as they held the Chanticleers to 28 percent shooting from the floor. While Richardson led the way in their first game, it was Ashlyn Jackson who took command offensively, with 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting. As Duke prepared for their exhibition matchup against Team USA, it was great for the team to build momentum before the ultimate challenge.
Facing off against a team featuring WNBA players was the ultimate test for Kara Lawson's team. However, she understood that her team would be ready to compete against the best players in basketball. It was a great opportunity for a young Duke team to get a taste of what it's like to compete at the highest level. Whether they win or lose, the situation was going to be a learning experience.
Going against players like Brittney Griner, Diana Taurasi, Kahleah Copper, and others is always a tough task. One of the issues Duke experienced early in the game was fighting through a Griner screen. With her size and strength, once she establishes position there's no way to get over her. Unfortunately, there were a lot of possessions where Team USA would score in drop coverage as Duke was never able to recover.
While Team USA had full control of the contest, there were some positives to take from the Blue Devils' performance. When they dug themselves into a hole, they found a way to crawl back out. Duke ended the third quarter with some momentum as they got some key stops on defense that led to scoring opportunities on the other end. However, the experience of Team USA continued to prevail which led to an 87-58 loss for Duke.
Despite the loss, Duke showed a lot of fight in the contest. It may have not shown in the box score but they showed that when they're in trouble they have to hang their hat on defense. Everyone on Kara Lawson's team continues to show effort on the defensive end and it helps them overcome adversity.
Heading into the season, the Duke Blue Devils were not ranked in the AP Poll. Many can say that it put a chip on the team's shoulder to prove something to the world. Through the first two regular season games, they've shown how well they can play together and communicate effectively. As the season continues, they'll have more to prove as a potential contender in the ACC.