Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus UCLA on March 29, 2026 , Loss , 58, to, 70
/
Final
Women's Basketball
58
vs UCLA
70
Super Seniors - Duke Women's Basketball to Honor Eight Member Senior Class
2/25/2023 5:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball
On Sunday, Duke women's basketball will celebrate its eight member senior class.
Elizabeth Balogun, Taya Corosdale, Mia Heide, Imani Lewis, Jordyn Oliver, Celeste Taylor, Emma Schmidt and Bo Shaffer will all be recognized for their contributions to the Sisterhood.
An instrumental part in helping to lead the resurgence of the Duke women's basketball program, the group has combined for 41 Blue Devil victories and helped Duke produce its best overall season in recent history.
Check out a brief career snapshot and Coach Lawson's thoughts on each senior below:
=====================
Elizabeth Balogun
A versatile player hailing from Lagos, Nigeria, Elizabeth Balogun has been an impact player for the Duke women's basketball team since her arrival in the summer of 2021. A three-time Cheryl Miller Award Watch List selection and 2019 conference freshman of the year, Balogun has started in 118 of the 145 games she's played in, averaging 9.4 points and 4.7 rebounds for her career.
Second on the team in scoring this season at 9.9 points per game, Balogun has played in 58 games with 46 starts during her two seasons with the Blue Devils, posting three double doubles and scoring double-figures in 22 contests – including 13 times this season. She is one of three current Duke players with over 1,000 career points, eclipsing the threshold last season in the January 18th win at Miami.
Coach Lawson on E – "E has come a long way. And I say that not to highlight where she came from, but the highlight where she is right now. She has grown so much as a player here at Duke on the floor and off the floor. Her commitment to the game has always been at a high level. E works. She's prideful in her performance, not just in games, but in practice each day. She works on her game. I respect that so much about E She works daily. She's not going to cheat, cheat the experience or cheat the talent that she's been blessed with. She's going to work on it and she's a competitor. That's probably my favorite quality about E is that she is competitive. She wants to win. She wants her team to be the team that comes out on top, even if we're just competing in practice, you know, working or competing blue versus white. E wants to win that and that's helped our team have more of a competitive edge. Want to win, play, play in big games in a way that we're that we expect to win, and you know is a big part of that mindset and she's definitely someone that we lean on to produce in big moments. She's done that this year for us. She's unafraid of going up against any player, any team, and you have to have players like that on your team if you want to succeed."
=====================
Taya Corosdale
A graduate student from Bothell, Wash., who transferred to Duke following her graduation from Oregon State, Taya Corosdale has brought a wealth of experience to the team. A three-time All-Conference Honorable Mention selection, she has played in 144 career games with 112 starts while averaging 6.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
An impact player off the bench, Corosdale has seen action in 23 games for Duke with three starts, contributing 3.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game. In addition to blocking a career-high five shots at Virginia Tech this past week, she also scored a season high 14 points against Charleston Southern and grabbed a season best seven rebounds against Pitt.
Coach Lawson on Taya – "Taya was awesome in the offseason and awesome in the preseason. Then unfortunately she got hurt and missed a chunk of time. I remember having a couple of conversations with her just saying, stick with it and stay positive and work your way back and that that you'd find your place and you'd find a way to help us. I'm so proud of her in the middle of the year for being able to do that. You know how hard it is to, you know, have an injury mid-season and then come back and find your way with this team. And not only how she found her way with our team. She's one of our biggest, biggest producers off of the bench and she's somebody that I have a lot of confidence in because of her experience and because of her ability to be in the right places on both ends of the floor. So, I've loved coaching Taya, and I think she's going to be a big part of hopefully what is success in the postseason for us."
=====================
Mia Heide
Hailing from Austin Texas, Mia Heide joined the Duke women's basketball team as a graduate student transfer ahead of the 2022-23 season after earning her undergraduate degree from Tulane University, where she ranked No. 5 in career blocks with 169 rejections. Heide has played in 146 games with 81 starts and has averaged 4.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during her collegiate career.
A key piece off the bench for the Blue Devils, Heide has played in all 28 games averaging 3.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 13.4 minutes off the bench. Her season highs include eight points vs. Oregon State, six rebounds vs. Miami and three blocks at Virginia Tech.
Coach Lawson on Mia – "Mia has been a critical part of our team this year. Every day she comes in and figures out a way to make us better. Her attitude, her energy, her positivity with her teammates, I think helped set her apart. She has a high standard for herself. She holds herself accountable. She's very easy to coach when she makes a mistake, she owns it, and she tries as hard as she can to make sure it doesn't happen again. I respect that a lot, and I've appreciated that about her. She continues to grow even though it's only been one year in our system. She continues each day to get better and is a big reason why we are where we are."
=====================
Imani Lewis
A four-year letterwinner and one of three Duke players on the current roster with over 1,000 career points, Imani Lewis joined Duke in the spring of 2021. A three-time All-Conference selection and 2021 All-Conference Academic Team honoree, Lewis has played in 103 career games and helped her team tally 43 wins.
Â
In two seasons with the Blue Devils, Lewis has appeared in 16 games averaging 3.6 points and 2.4 rebounds. In her Duke debut, against Winthrop, she scored 16 points, grabbed six rebound and collected four steals.
Â
Coach Lawson on Imani – "Imani has been an absolute pleasure to coach because she has found a way to keep the team at the center of her experience. That's very hard to do as a as a young player, no matter what level that you're that you're playing at. It's very hard to put the team before yourself day in and day out. I commend Imani for doing that because she has been one of the biggest difference makers on our team. She has great experience and she's willing to share that experience. She's been so pivotal for a lot of our freshmen and their growth, not just this year, but last year as well, explaining concepts to them, talking to them, whether it's on the bench, in the in the locker room and then on the bench during the games. The knowledge of the other the other team's game plan, the scout yelling out plays that are happening or positioning that people need to be in. She sometimes knows the scout probably better than the staff, definitely better than me. She knows the scout better than me most of the games, and she's just been invaluable to our team in that way and practices and games."
=====================
Jordyn Oliver
A product of Prosper, Texas, Jordyn Oliver transferred to Duke ahead of the 2021-22 campaign. A two-time regular season and conference tournament champion and a 2021 NCAA Elite Eight participant, Oliver made her return to the court this season on November 7 against North Carolina A&T. She has played in 76 games and made 10 starts over her career.
Oliver has provided a steady hand for the Blue Devils this season, playing in all 28 games while starting the first seven of the year. In 17.9 minutes off the bench, Oliver has averaged 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds. She leads the team with a 1.88 assist-to-turnover ratio and ranks third in assists with 2.14 per game.
Coach Lawson on Jordyn – "Jordyn has had a long road to get here. You know, she came to Duke and with a lot of hopes and dreams and expectations and unfortunately was sidelined her first year with us with an injury and not able to deploy. And during that time, you know, there was I think she'd even admit some soul searching in terms of where she could grow and improve while not having the playing part of her life available to her. I'm so proud of how she matured during that year, grew as a person and really grow as a basketball player as well. Now, to see her out there, I don't take it for granted. Every day I go down to practice to see her healthy, to see her out there playing and impacting our team in a positive way. On the court, she's really important to how we play, to helping us win games. She's a versatile player. She impacts the game on both ends. But more importantly, she's a fantastic person who I've loved coaching."
=====================
Celeste Taylor
A Swiss army knife player from Valley Stream, N.Y., a 2021 NCAA Elite Eight participant, 2020 All-Conference Freshman Team selection and All-Conference Honorable Mention honoree, Celeste Taylor has started 102 of the 109 games she's played in and has averaged 11.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists over her collegiate career.
Â
Taylor, a 2023 Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year Watchlist candidate, has been the engine that makes the Blue Devils go since she stepped foot on campus in the summer of 2021, starting 50 of the 51 games played at Duke. The team's leading scorer this season with a 12.0 average, she has scored in double figures 31 times for the Blue Devils, including two games against NC State this season with 20-plus points to help Duke sweep the season series.
Â
Taylor became the third player on the roster to surpass the threshold of 1,000 career points, achieving the feat in Duke's 23-point win at Florida Gulf Coast.
Â
Coach Lawson on Celeste – "If I think back from when I got the job here at Duke, and we're now almost to three years, and I think back to moments where things changed and moments where when we're building this, that we moved a step forward. One of the indelible memories of building this program here was when Celeste Taylor said she was going to come play for me. I knew in that moment that we were headed in the right direction. I knew that things would change. I knew that that was a message to a lot of people that we were going to improve and going to improve quickly. That's just who Celeste has been her whole life. She's been somebody that changes places that she plays for changes, environments that she's in. And I, I was right. I was right. I mean, she's completely changed our program from the first practice. Her pace, her competitiveness, her athleticism, her desire to be a really good player and to wheel us to be a really good program. And that's so rare and in a coaching career to have a player like that. So, I'm fortunate, fortunate, very fortunate to be able to have coached her here at Duke. And I'm thankful for her trust in her belief and her leadership in a year that, you know, hopefully we can finish off the right way."
Â
=====================
Emma Schmidt
Emma Schmidt came to Duke in the fall of 2021. After beginning her collegiate career as a student manager and putting in tireless work behind the scenes, Schmidt made her transition back to the court as she joined the team as a walk-on. A 2021 All-Conference Academic First Team honoree, the Waukee, Iowa native has appeared in seven games during her career, including two with the Blue Devils.
Coach Lawson on Emma – "For two years, Emma has been someone that helps our team get better. I can remember talking to her when she was thinking about coming to Duke as a student and was inquiring about walking on. I remember that she said, 'I'll do whatever I can to help make the team better. I'll do whatever I can to help make practices better.'  And for two years, I've yet to be disappointed in Emma Schmidt and her commitment to our team and what she brings. She has a great understanding of what we're trying to do. She is knowledgeable about the game plans, even though it's a very small chance she'll play in the game. She's knowledgeable about it. She understands the scout she's helped, helps her teammates understand it. And that's a big reason, I think, why we've been so prepared this year in our games."
=====================
Bo Shaffer
A four-year letterwinner and four-time All-Academic Honor Roll selection, Bo Shaffer, a graduate student walk-on from Lakewood, Colo., has played in 71 career games and been a part of 32 victories. Shaffer joined the Blue Devils ahead of the 2022-23 season and has played in one game for Duke this season, scoring two points in the 51-point win at Richmond on December 4th.
Coach Lawson on Bo – "Bo is somebody that has helped change the energy and practice for us. As a walk on, you know, you don't get a lot of the glory of playing in games. Although she did have an awesome lay up in our Richmond game, but the outside world doesn't get a chance to see and feel your impact all of the time. She's somebody that comes in every day and does her best to help make our team better in practice, with reps simulating opponents, helping them get extra shots. I mean, anything that you can think of that helps our team get better. Bo always steps up and is willing and able to do it and also does it with a with a great attitude. So, I'm thankful for her contribution. And I know that the rest of the players feel the same way. She's been a big part of our success."
Â
Â
Elizabeth Balogun, Taya Corosdale, Mia Heide, Imani Lewis, Jordyn Oliver, Celeste Taylor, Emma Schmidt and Bo Shaffer will all be recognized for their contributions to the Sisterhood.
An instrumental part in helping to lead the resurgence of the Duke women's basketball program, the group has combined for 41 Blue Devil victories and helped Duke produce its best overall season in recent history.
Check out a brief career snapshot and Coach Lawson's thoughts on each senior below:
=====================
Elizabeth Balogun
A versatile player hailing from Lagos, Nigeria, Elizabeth Balogun has been an impact player for the Duke women's basketball team since her arrival in the summer of 2021. A three-time Cheryl Miller Award Watch List selection and 2019 conference freshman of the year, Balogun has started in 118 of the 145 games she's played in, averaging 9.4 points and 4.7 rebounds for her career.
Second on the team in scoring this season at 9.9 points per game, Balogun has played in 58 games with 46 starts during her two seasons with the Blue Devils, posting three double doubles and scoring double-figures in 22 contests – including 13 times this season. She is one of three current Duke players with over 1,000 career points, eclipsing the threshold last season in the January 18th win at Miami.
Coach Lawson on E – "E has come a long way. And I say that not to highlight where she came from, but the highlight where she is right now. She has grown so much as a player here at Duke on the floor and off the floor. Her commitment to the game has always been at a high level. E works. She's prideful in her performance, not just in games, but in practice each day. She works on her game. I respect that so much about E She works daily. She's not going to cheat, cheat the experience or cheat the talent that she's been blessed with. She's going to work on it and she's a competitor. That's probably my favorite quality about E is that she is competitive. She wants to win. She wants her team to be the team that comes out on top, even if we're just competing in practice, you know, working or competing blue versus white. E wants to win that and that's helped our team have more of a competitive edge. Want to win, play, play in big games in a way that we're that we expect to win, and you know is a big part of that mindset and she's definitely someone that we lean on to produce in big moments. She's done that this year for us. She's unafraid of going up against any player, any team, and you have to have players like that on your team if you want to succeed."
=====================
Taya Corosdale
A graduate student from Bothell, Wash., who transferred to Duke following her graduation from Oregon State, Taya Corosdale has brought a wealth of experience to the team. A three-time All-Conference Honorable Mention selection, she has played in 144 career games with 112 starts while averaging 6.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
An impact player off the bench, Corosdale has seen action in 23 games for Duke with three starts, contributing 3.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game. In addition to blocking a career-high five shots at Virginia Tech this past week, she also scored a season high 14 points against Charleston Southern and grabbed a season best seven rebounds against Pitt.
Coach Lawson on Taya – "Taya was awesome in the offseason and awesome in the preseason. Then unfortunately she got hurt and missed a chunk of time. I remember having a couple of conversations with her just saying, stick with it and stay positive and work your way back and that that you'd find your place and you'd find a way to help us. I'm so proud of her in the middle of the year for being able to do that. You know how hard it is to, you know, have an injury mid-season and then come back and find your way with this team. And not only how she found her way with our team. She's one of our biggest, biggest producers off of the bench and she's somebody that I have a lot of confidence in because of her experience and because of her ability to be in the right places on both ends of the floor. So, I've loved coaching Taya, and I think she's going to be a big part of hopefully what is success in the postseason for us."
=====================
Mia Heide
Hailing from Austin Texas, Mia Heide joined the Duke women's basketball team as a graduate student transfer ahead of the 2022-23 season after earning her undergraduate degree from Tulane University, where she ranked No. 5 in career blocks with 169 rejections. Heide has played in 146 games with 81 starts and has averaged 4.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during her collegiate career.
A key piece off the bench for the Blue Devils, Heide has played in all 28 games averaging 3.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 13.4 minutes off the bench. Her season highs include eight points vs. Oregon State, six rebounds vs. Miami and three blocks at Virginia Tech.
Coach Lawson on Mia – "Mia has been a critical part of our team this year. Every day she comes in and figures out a way to make us better. Her attitude, her energy, her positivity with her teammates, I think helped set her apart. She has a high standard for herself. She holds herself accountable. She's very easy to coach when she makes a mistake, she owns it, and she tries as hard as she can to make sure it doesn't happen again. I respect that a lot, and I've appreciated that about her. She continues to grow even though it's only been one year in our system. She continues each day to get better and is a big reason why we are where we are."
=====================
Imani Lewis
A four-year letterwinner and one of three Duke players on the current roster with over 1,000 career points, Imani Lewis joined Duke in the spring of 2021. A three-time All-Conference selection and 2021 All-Conference Academic Team honoree, Lewis has played in 103 career games and helped her team tally 43 wins.
Â
In two seasons with the Blue Devils, Lewis has appeared in 16 games averaging 3.6 points and 2.4 rebounds. In her Duke debut, against Winthrop, she scored 16 points, grabbed six rebound and collected four steals.
Â
Coach Lawson on Imani – "Imani has been an absolute pleasure to coach because she has found a way to keep the team at the center of her experience. That's very hard to do as a as a young player, no matter what level that you're that you're playing at. It's very hard to put the team before yourself day in and day out. I commend Imani for doing that because she has been one of the biggest difference makers on our team. She has great experience and she's willing to share that experience. She's been so pivotal for a lot of our freshmen and their growth, not just this year, but last year as well, explaining concepts to them, talking to them, whether it's on the bench, in the in the locker room and then on the bench during the games. The knowledge of the other the other team's game plan, the scout yelling out plays that are happening or positioning that people need to be in. She sometimes knows the scout probably better than the staff, definitely better than me. She knows the scout better than me most of the games, and she's just been invaluable to our team in that way and practices and games."
=====================
Jordyn Oliver
A product of Prosper, Texas, Jordyn Oliver transferred to Duke ahead of the 2021-22 campaign. A two-time regular season and conference tournament champion and a 2021 NCAA Elite Eight participant, Oliver made her return to the court this season on November 7 against North Carolina A&T. She has played in 76 games and made 10 starts over her career.
Oliver has provided a steady hand for the Blue Devils this season, playing in all 28 games while starting the first seven of the year. In 17.9 minutes off the bench, Oliver has averaged 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds. She leads the team with a 1.88 assist-to-turnover ratio and ranks third in assists with 2.14 per game.
Coach Lawson on Jordyn – "Jordyn has had a long road to get here. You know, she came to Duke and with a lot of hopes and dreams and expectations and unfortunately was sidelined her first year with us with an injury and not able to deploy. And during that time, you know, there was I think she'd even admit some soul searching in terms of where she could grow and improve while not having the playing part of her life available to her. I'm so proud of how she matured during that year, grew as a person and really grow as a basketball player as well. Now, to see her out there, I don't take it for granted. Every day I go down to practice to see her healthy, to see her out there playing and impacting our team in a positive way. On the court, she's really important to how we play, to helping us win games. She's a versatile player. She impacts the game on both ends. But more importantly, she's a fantastic person who I've loved coaching."
=====================
Celeste Taylor
A Swiss army knife player from Valley Stream, N.Y., a 2021 NCAA Elite Eight participant, 2020 All-Conference Freshman Team selection and All-Conference Honorable Mention honoree, Celeste Taylor has started 102 of the 109 games she's played in and has averaged 11.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists over her collegiate career.
Â
Taylor, a 2023 Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year Watchlist candidate, has been the engine that makes the Blue Devils go since she stepped foot on campus in the summer of 2021, starting 50 of the 51 games played at Duke. The team's leading scorer this season with a 12.0 average, she has scored in double figures 31 times for the Blue Devils, including two games against NC State this season with 20-plus points to help Duke sweep the season series.
Â
Taylor became the third player on the roster to surpass the threshold of 1,000 career points, achieving the feat in Duke's 23-point win at Florida Gulf Coast.
Â
Coach Lawson on Celeste – "If I think back from when I got the job here at Duke, and we're now almost to three years, and I think back to moments where things changed and moments where when we're building this, that we moved a step forward. One of the indelible memories of building this program here was when Celeste Taylor said she was going to come play for me. I knew in that moment that we were headed in the right direction. I knew that things would change. I knew that that was a message to a lot of people that we were going to improve and going to improve quickly. That's just who Celeste has been her whole life. She's been somebody that changes places that she plays for changes, environments that she's in. And I, I was right. I was right. I mean, she's completely changed our program from the first practice. Her pace, her competitiveness, her athleticism, her desire to be a really good player and to wheel us to be a really good program. And that's so rare and in a coaching career to have a player like that. So, I'm fortunate, fortunate, very fortunate to be able to have coached her here at Duke. And I'm thankful for her trust in her belief and her leadership in a year that, you know, hopefully we can finish off the right way."
Â
=====================
Emma Schmidt
Emma Schmidt came to Duke in the fall of 2021. After beginning her collegiate career as a student manager and putting in tireless work behind the scenes, Schmidt made her transition back to the court as she joined the team as a walk-on. A 2021 All-Conference Academic First Team honoree, the Waukee, Iowa native has appeared in seven games during her career, including two with the Blue Devils.
Coach Lawson on Emma – "For two years, Emma has been someone that helps our team get better. I can remember talking to her when she was thinking about coming to Duke as a student and was inquiring about walking on. I remember that she said, 'I'll do whatever I can to help make the team better. I'll do whatever I can to help make practices better.'  And for two years, I've yet to be disappointed in Emma Schmidt and her commitment to our team and what she brings. She has a great understanding of what we're trying to do. She is knowledgeable about the game plans, even though it's a very small chance she'll play in the game. She's knowledgeable about it. She understands the scout she's helped, helps her teammates understand it. And that's a big reason, I think, why we've been so prepared this year in our games."
=====================
Bo Shaffer
A four-year letterwinner and four-time All-Academic Honor Roll selection, Bo Shaffer, a graduate student walk-on from Lakewood, Colo., has played in 71 career games and been a part of 32 victories. Shaffer joined the Blue Devils ahead of the 2022-23 season and has played in one game for Duke this season, scoring two points in the 51-point win at Richmond on December 4th.
Coach Lawson on Bo – "Bo is somebody that has helped change the energy and practice for us. As a walk on, you know, you don't get a lot of the glory of playing in games. Although she did have an awesome lay up in our Richmond game, but the outside world doesn't get a chance to see and feel your impact all of the time. She's somebody that comes in every day and does her best to help make our team better in practice, with reps simulating opponents, helping them get extra shots. I mean, anything that you can think of that helps our team get better. Bo always steps up and is willing and able to do it and also does it with a with a great attitude. So, I'm thankful for her contribution. And I know that the rest of the players feel the same way. She's been a big part of our success."
Â
Â
Players Mentioned
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballTuesday, March 31
Tuesday, March 31
Tuesday, March 31
Tuesday, March 31
