Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus #16 Baylor on November 3, 2025 at 12 p.m.
Women's Basketball
vs #16 Baylor
Saturday, March 30
Portland, Ore.
8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Duke University
vs
UConn
Photo by: Nat LeDonne / Duke Athletics
Duke Gears Up for Sweet 16 Battle Versus UConn
3/29/2024 8:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball
THE OPENING TIP
OH, HOW SWEET IT IS -- RICHARDSON'S CAREER NIGHT PROPELS DUKE INTO SWEET 16
IN ELITE COMPANY
ABOUT THE HUSKIES
A BATTLE TESTED BUNCH – STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
BLOCK PARTY – EVERYONE'S INVITED
UP NEXT
Should the Blue Devils win, they will advance to the Elite Eight to take on the winner of No. 1-seed USC and No. 5-seed Baylor on Monday, April 1.
To stay up to date with Duke women's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWBB."
Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu.
#GoDuke
- Duke women's basketball is back in action this weekend as the Blue Devils head out west to Portland, Ore., to continue NCAA Tournament play.
- The No. 7-seed Blue Devils will make their 18th Regional Semifinal appearance overall, and first since 2017-18, when they square off against No. 3-seed UConn on Saturday, March 30 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT live on ESPN.
- Duke enters the Sweet 16 game fresh off a 75-63 victory over No. 2-seed Ohio State in the Round of 32. Spearheaded by Reigan Richardson's 28 points along with solid contributions from Ashlon Jackson (13), Taina Mair (11), Kennedy Brown and Delaney Thomas, Duke rallied from an early 16-point deficit to pick up the 12-point win -- its first over a top-two seed since the 2006 Final Four.
- With her games of 25 and 28 points, respectively, Richardson became the first Duke women's player since Alana Beard to register back-to-back NCAA Tournament games of 25+ points.
- The Blue Devils have won at least one tournament game in each of their 26 NCAA Tournament appearances and have compiled an overall record of 61-25 (.709). Duke improved to 3-1 all-time in the big dance as the No. 7 seed.
- Duke is the only team nationally with two Sweet 16 teams and a bowl game win.
- Saturday's game against UConn will mark the 17th all-time meeting between the two schools and the fourth tilt in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies own the advantage in both series, 13-3 and 2-1, respectively.
- The Blue Devils have taken on one of the nation's toughest slates this season with their SOS ranking No. 2 nationally (NCAA rankings as of March 26). The Blue Devils are also No. 20 in the NCAA NET rankings.
- The Blue Devils rank sixth nationally in blocks with an average of 5.7 rejections (NCAA rankings as of March 26).
- Graduate student Camilla Emsbo, senior Kennedy Brown and rookie Jadyn Donovan have posted 30-plus blocks each, leading the way with 46, 43 and 38 rejections, respectively.
- The Blue Devils have assists on more than 50 percent of their field goals (.563) with 485 dimes on 863 buckets. Sophomore Taina Mair leads the team with 3.7 per contest.
- Duke has had six different leading scorers this season led by Richardson (10), Mair (7) and freshman Oluchi Okananwa (7).
- Duke has held 32 of 33 opponents this season below their respective season scoring averages. Ohio State's 63 points were 16.8 below its average of 79.8.
OH, HOW SWEET IT IS -- RICHARDSON'S CAREER NIGHT PROPELS DUKE INTO SWEET 16
- Junior Reigan Richardson turned in a sensational performance by matching her career high with a game-high 28 points while pulling down seven rebounds as seventh-seeded Duke rallied from an early 16-point second quarter deficit to punch its ticket into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament following a 75-63 victory over No. 2-seed Ohio State on Sunday afternoon at Value City Arena.
- Sophomores Ashlon Jackson (13) and Taina Mair (11) also finished in double figures for the Blue Devils (22-11) with Jackson adding four rebounds and three assists to her statline while Mair tallied four dimes and three boards.
- Senior Kennedy Brown and rookie Delaney Thomas also provided solid contributions for Duke, who advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the 18th time in program lore and first since the 2017-18 campaign. Brown scored nine points and corralled five rebounds, while Thomas chipped in eight points and snagged eight boards in 27 minutes off the bench.
- With the dub on Sunday, the Blue Devils picked up their first win versus a top-two seed since the 2006 Final Four.
IN ELITE COMPANY
- Behind spectacular performances during the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, junior Reigan Richardson slotted herself amongst elite company in Duke women's basketball history.
- With her games of 25 (vs. Richmond) and 28 (vs. Ohio State) points, respectively, Richardson became the first Duke women's basketball player since Blue Devil great Alana Beard to register back-to-back NCAA Tournament games of 25+ points.
- The pair also represent the only two women's players in program lore to accumulate multiple games of 25 or more points in the big dance, with Beard accomplishing the feat six times.
- In the Duke record books, Richardson's 28-point outburst versus the Buckeyes tied Beard for eighth all-time on the Blue Devil NCAA Tournament individual single-game scoring list.
ABOUT THE HUSKIES
- No. 3-seed UConn (31-5) heads into the Portland 3 Regional after posting wins over Jackson State (86-64) and Syracuse (72-64) in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
- The Huskies are making their 35th overall and consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, winning the BIG EAST Tournament Championship to claim the conference's automatic bid.
- UConn is paced by three players averaging double figures in Paige Bueckers (21.8), Aaliyah Edwards (17.6), Ashlynn Shade (11.7).
- Edwards leads the Huskies on the glass with 9.4 boards per game while Nika Muhl averages 6.4 assists per game.
- As a team, the Huskies are second in the nation in scoring margin and field goal percentage while also ranking fifth and sixth in the NCAA, respectively, in assists per game and assist/turnover ratio. UConn is also top 10 in win percentage (8th) and field goal percentage defense (10).
- Individually, Bueckers checks in at No. 3 nationally in total points and fourth in total field goals. Muhl ranks third in the country in assists and seventh in assists per game.
A BATTLE TESTED BUNCH – STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
- Duke has embarked on one of the toughest schedules in the NCAA this season with its strength of schedule ranking among the top 10, checking in at No. 2 nationally (NCAA rankings as of March 26). The Blue Devils are also in the top 25 of the NCAA NET, ranking No. 20 on the list.
- The Blue Devils' schedule has gotten progressively more challenging each year under Coach Lawson. Duke finished the 2022-23 season with the 10th toughest schedule in the NCAA.
- The Blue Devils have faced 12 opponents ranked in the AP Top 25 thus far this season (5-7). Five of the teams Duke has played this season also boast a top-30 SOS -- Stanford (3rd), North Carolina (17th), NC State (19th), South Carolina (25th), Ohio State (27th).
- Additionally, Duke owns a trio of notable non-conference wins over teams that earned bids to the 2024 NCAA Tournament:
- Nov. 6 – 83-53 vs. Richmond
- Nov. 14 – 66-62 at Columbia
- Dec. 10 – 82-63 vs. Florida Gulf Coast
BLOCK PARTY – EVERYONE'S INVITED
- The Blue Devils' length has proven to be a factor on the defensive end this season as the squad averages 5.7 blocks per game -- No. 6 in the NCAA and tops in the ACC (NCAA rankings as of March 26).
- Duke has registered five or more blocks in 22 games this season, including a pair of games with double-digit swats -- Coastal Carolina (12) and NC Central (11) -- as well as six contests with eight or more rejections -- at Stanford, vs. South Carolina, vs. Florida Gulf Coast, vs. Boston College, at Virginia, vs. North Carolina.
- Graduate student Camilla Emsbo, senior Kennedy Brown and rookie Jadyn Donovan have posted 30-plus blocks each, leading the way with 46, 43 and 38 rejections, respectively. They are joined in double digits by junior Reigan Richardson (14) and freshman Delaney Thomas (12).
- In the victory over Florida State (1.25), Brown set the Duke record for most blocks in a first quarter, tallying four of her game-high five rejections during the period.
UP NEXT
Should the Blue Devils win, they will advance to the Elite Eight to take on the winner of No. 1-seed USC and No. 5-seed Baylor on Monday, April 1.
To stay up to date with Duke women's basketball, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWBB."
Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu.
#GoDuke
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