Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Baylor on November 3, 2025 at 12 p.m.
Women's Basketball
vs Baylor
Thursday, March 7
Greensboro, N.C.
5 p.m.
Duke University
vs
Georgia Tech
Photo by: Duke Athletics
Blue Devils Open ACC Tournament Against Georgia Tech
3/6/2024 7:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball
THE OPENING TIP
YOUTH MOVEMENT IN DURHAM – RACKIN' UP THE MINUTES
REELIN IN THE AWARDS -- OKANANWA TABBED ACC 6TH POTY, RICHARDSON EARNS ALL-ACC HONORS
DEFENSIVE CONSISTENCY – BROWN ANCHORING THE DEFENSIVE SHIP
UP NEXT
Should the Blue Devils win, they will advance to Friday's quarterfinal round for a matchup with No. 2 seed NC State. Tipoff is slated for 5 p.m., live on ACC Network.
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
- With the regular season now in the rearview, Duke turns its attention to the postseason, beginning with the ACC Tournament March 6-10 at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.
- The seventh-seeded Blue Devils earned a single bye and will take the court on Thursday, March 7 against No. 10-seed Georgia Tech at 5 p.m., live on ACC Network. Jenn Hildreth and Debbie Antonelli are set to call the action with Angel Gray reporting from the sidelines.
- The Blue Devils are 50-37 all-time in the ACC Tournament and have won at least one game in 25 out of their last 28 appearances.
- Duke freshman Oluchi Okananwa was tabbed the 2024 ACC Sixth Player of the Year, while junior Reigan Richardson earned a nod to the All-ACC Second Team.
- Okananwa, who also garnered a spot on the All-ACC Freshman Team, became the first Duke women's player to be named the league's Sixth Player of the Year since the award's inception in 2008. She is also the 25th Blue Devil to be selected to the All-ACC Freshman team.
- Richardson collected her first ACC accolade and became the 38th Duke player all-time to earn a spot on one of the All-ACC Teams
- Duke leads the ACC in average total team freshmen minutes played this season, with the Blue Devils' quintet averaging 61.8 minutes per contest (of a possible 200 minutes).
- The Blue Devils have taken on one of the nation's toughest slates this season as their SOS currently checks in at No. 4 nationally (NCAA rankings as of March 5). The Blue Devils are also No. 20 in the NCAA NET rankings.
- The Blue Devils rank fourth nationally in blocks with an average of 6.0 rejections -- first in the ACC (NCAA rankings as of March 5). Graduate student Camilla Emsbo, senior Kennedy Brown and rookie Jadyn Donovan have posted 30-plus blocks each, leading the way with 42, 41 and 33 rejections, respectively.
- In addition to leading the league in rejections, the Blue Devils also rank among the top five in the ACC in 10 additional categories.
- On the defensive end, Duke sits atop the ACC in rebounding defense (31.3), field goal percentage defense (.366) and scoring defense (57.8).
- The squad also ranks second in defensive points per possession (0.733) and rebounding margin (+5.9) and fourth in defensive rebounding percentage (.709) and scoring margin (+7.8).
- Offensively, the Blue Devils are No. 3 in the ACC in field goal percentage (.445), fourth in offensive rebounding percentage (.353) and fifth in assists (14.4).
- Two Blue Devils average double figures in scoring -- Reigan Richardson (11.9), Taina Mair (10.6).
- Duke has assists on more than 50 percent of their field goals (.560) with 426 dimes on 761 buckets. Mair leads the team with 3.6 per contest.
- Duke has held 28 of 29 opponents this season below their respective season scoring average.
YOUTH MOVEMENT IN DURHAM – RACKIN' UP THE MINUTES
- Duke features one of the nation's youngest rosters in women's college basketball in 2023-24 with the Blue Devils returning just 28.3 percent of their scoring from a season ago.
- Eight of the Blue Devils' 11 players this season are underclassmen with three sophomores -- Ashlon Jackson, Emma Koabel and Taina Mair and five freshmen -- Louann Battiston, Jadyn Donovan, Oluchi Okananwa, Delaney Thomas and Jordan Wood.
- Duke leads the ACC in average total team freshmen minutes played this season, with the Blue Devils' quintet averaging 62.8 minutes per contest (of a possible 200 minutes).
- When looking at the average total number of minutes logged between freshman and sophomores combined compared to the rest of the league, Duke checks in at No. 2 in that metric with an average of 132.9 minutes, trailing only Georgia Tech (137.3 minutes).
- Duke also ranks third in the league in percentage of scoring by freshmen (30.7 %) and second in percentage of scoring by freshmen and sophomores combined (64.1 %).
- The only schools with better production than the Blue Devils in those respective metrics are Virginia -- 37.0 percent and Notre Dame -- 31.1 percent (freshmen only), and Georgia Tech -- 78.0 percent (freshmen + sophomores).
REELIN IN THE AWARDS -- OKANANWA TABBED ACC 6TH POTY, RICHARDSON EARNS ALL-ACC HONORS
- Duke freshman Oluchi Okananwa was tabbed the 2024 ACC Sixth Player of the Year, while junior Reigan Richardson earned a nod to the All-ACC Second Team, as the league unveiled its women's basketball postseason awards Tuesday during the ACC Network's ACC PM show.
- Okananwa, who also garnered a spot on the All-ACC Freshman Team, became the first Duke women's player to be named the league's Sixth Player of the Year since the award's inception in 2008. She is also the 25th Blue Devil to be selected to the All-ACC Freshman team.
- A spark plug off the bench for the Blue Devils throughout the season, Okananwa injects a jolt of energy every time she steps onto the floor. Averaging 21.2 minutes per game, the Boston, Mass., product leads Duke on the glass with 6.1 rebounds per game and is third on the team in scoring with 9.6 points per contest.
- Okananwa has reached double figures in 13 games and grabbed at least six rebounds in 14 contests as well, including a career-best 13 boards against Florida State, a 12-rebound effort in her Duke debut, 11 caroms at Virginia Tech and nine rebounds in three consecutive games.
- The Boston, Mass., product was also tabbed as one of ESPN's women's basketball top impact freshmen earlier this season, checking in at No. 11 on the list.
- Richardson collected her first ACC accolade and became the 38th Duke player all-time to earn a spot on one of the All-ACC Teams. The junior guard from Charlotte, N.C., has been a steady, veteran presence for the Blue Devils this season, starting all 29 games while leading the team in scoring with 11.9 points on 43-percent shooting. She has reached double figures 17 times this season, including five of her last six, grabbed four-plus rebounds six times and tallied two or more steals in eight games.
DEFENSIVE CONSISTENCY – BROWN ANCHORING THE DEFENSIVE SHIP
- Senior Kennedy Brown, Duke's defensive anchor and arguably one of the best defenders in the NCAA, has been a vital part of the team's defensive uptick over the last two seasons.
- Prior to her arrival ahead of the 2022-23 season, the Blue Devils ranked 64th nationally in blocks per game, 148th in scoring defense and 156th in field goal percentage defense. The league standings saw Duke check in at No. 6, No. 8 and No. 11 in these respective metrics while also ranking 10th in defensive rebounding percentage.
- In just her first season with the Blue Devils, Brown helped Duke make a seismic leap on the defensive end as the team finished the 2022-23 campaign ranked second in the NCAA in scoring defense, tied for fourth in defensive points per possession, ninth in field goal percentage defense and 10th in blocks per game.
- The newly revamped and disruptive Duke defense also held each of its opponents below their season scoring average, including 17 of them to 50 points or less.
- Although Duke features almost an entirely different team this season, with Brown patrolling the paint, one thing has remained the same -- the Blue Devils still boast one of the top defenses in the ACC and in the country.
- Duke currently sits third nationally and first in the ACC in blocks per game while also leading the league in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense (ACC Only) for the second consecutive season -- the latter also ranked 15th in the NCAA.
UP NEXT
Should the Blue Devils win, they will advance to Friday's quarterfinal round for a matchup with No. 2 seed NC State. Tipoff is slated for 5 p.m., live on ACC Network.
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
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballWomen's Basketball Season Ticket Holder Tailgate
Sunday, September 07
Duke WBB: Kara Lawson - 13 Gold Medals. One Standard
Thursday, August 14
Duke WBB Postgame: NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
Sunday, March 30
Duke WBB Postgame: NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
Friday, March 28
