Duke Announces 2005-06 Captains With Currie, Foley & Williams Selected

9/28/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. ? Duke University Women's Basketball Head Coach Gail Goestenkors announced on Wednesday that senior's Monique Currie, Jessica Foley and Mistie Williams have been named captains for the 2005-06 campaign. In a vote by the team members, a trio will guide the Blue Devils for the fourth time over the last six years.

“I am really excited about the leadership of our seniors and I think it is only appropriate that their teammates voted them captains,” said Goestenkors. “They are all great players, leaders and have had tremendous experiences here. All three know what it takes to be successful at an elite level. I feel confident that they will lead us in the right direction.”

Currie, who enters her fifth year at Duke in 2005-06, led the seventh-ranked Blue Devils to a 31-5 overall record in a year where Duke lost three starters and other key bench personnel. The 2005 ACC Player of the Year and native of Washington, D.C., Currie has averaged 17.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 steals and hit 31.7 percent from three-point land. The National Player of the Year candidate was the only player in the ACC to rank in the top-15 in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals.

On the season, Currie scored 20 or more points 13 times, scored double-figures in 35 of 36 games and collected eight double-doubles. In the ACC stats, she ranked fourth in scoring (17.5), ninth in rebounding (7.1), 13th in assists (3.4), ninth in free throw percentage (78.1), eighth in steals (2.14), 14th in assist/turnover ratio (1.13) and fourth in defensive rebounds (4.83). Currie was a clutch performer for the Blue Devils on the season hitting the game-winning shots against Tennessee, N.C. State and Maryland.

Coming off her best season of her Duke career, Foley averaged 10.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.9 steals in 34 contests in 2004-05. A product of Wodonga, Victoria, Australia, Foley notched a Duke single season record 68 three-pointers and tied the single game record with seven in a contest versus Georgia Tech. A third-team All-ACC selection, Foley has hit 136 treys over her career, which ranks fourth all-time at Duke.

Williams, a native of Janesville, Wis., is a preseason Wooden Award nominee after coming off a season where she averaged 11.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Blue Devils. She hit 53.8 percent of her field goals and has started 107 consecutive games for Duke. A true power forward for the Blue Devils, Williams posted eight double-doubles as a junior which ranked tied for third in the ACC.

The Blue Devils advanced to the Elite Eight for the fourth straight year before falling to LSU, 59-49, in the Chattanooga Region of the NCAA Tournament last year. Looking at the 2005-06 Duke roster, the Blue Devils return seven of eight letterwinners including all five starters -- Currie, guard Wanisha Smith, Foley, Williams and center Alison Bales. The Blue Devils also welcome back former starting point guard Lindsey Harding, Colorado transfer Emily Waner and returning letterwinners Chante Black and Laura Kurz.

Duke also brought in the second-best recruiting class in the nation which includes Gatorade and McDonald's National Player of the Year Abby Waner, McDonald's All-America Carrem Gay, Parade All-America Keturah Jackson and Brittany Mitch.

In the preseason rankings, the Blue Devils have been listed No. 1 by Lindy's Magazine and No. 2 by Athlon, and Slam Magazines.

With the returning letterwinners and recruiting class combined, the 2005-06 Blue Devils will boast one of, if not the, deepest squads in school history with 13 student-athletes. Head Coach Gail Goestenkors enters her 14th year with Duke and owns a 333-93 over her career with the Blue Devils.

All home games are played in the historic Cameron Indoor Stadium. For ticket information, contact the Duke ticket office at 1-800-672-BLUE.

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