Since Duke’s 2009 seniors left Durham, every Blue Devil class since has won at least one ACC tournament championship.
But after falling as freshmen to Notre Dame in the conference tournament title game, Duke’s two seniors—forwards Oderah Chidom and Kendall Cooper—could be in position to end that streak.
The Blue Devils—who missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1994 and have had four top-12 WNBA Draft picks since 2011—have not been back to the ACC title game since 2014, which is one of the many reasons Chidom and Cooper are approaching the start of their final season with a sense of urgency. The duo committed to Duke when the Blue Devils were dominating the ACC, having won three of four conference tournament titles from 2010 to 2013. Together, the two hope they can work with a strong backcourt to get Duke back in contention following an injury-plagued 2015-16 season.
“Kendall and I are doing a good job to try to make it the best of what’s to come,” Chidom said. “We are using last year as motivation to get ready this year, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Although Cooper and Chidom share plenty of similarities as 6-foot-4 classmates from California, they have never shared much time on the court together given the Blue Devils’ depth up front—All-Americans like Elizabeth Williams and Azurá Stevens were always ahead of them on the depth chart. But with Williams in the WNBA after graduating two years ago and Stevens transferring to Connecticut this offseason, the close friends should play big minutes together down low as seniors.
The former five-star recruits played on the same travel team in high school before deciding to come to Durham together in 2013.
“She is my best friend, my sister,” Cooper said when the two were freshmen. “A lot of people say that, but she is really something special to me.”
They might be best friends who play the same position, but Chidom and Cooper have very different playing styles.
Chidom—who averaged more than 14 points and eight rebounds in her final eight games last season—is more of an athletic forward, who uses her quickness and finishing ability around the hoop to do damage. Cooper, on the other hand, has a much more physical approach, protecting the rim as a shot blocker and crashing the offensive glass hard.
With depth questions behind the duo, given redshirt sophomore Lyneé Belton’s injury history and the inexperience of junior Erin Mathias and freshman Leaonna Odom, the Blue Devils will need consistent production from their only two seniors.
“Those two really play well together,” Duke head coach Joanne P. McCallie said. “Kendall is just going to be tough in there and beat everyone up, and Oderah is going to run around everyone, so they’re a wonderful combination.”
Duke could have used Cooper’s toughness last semester when the Blue Devils were dealing with a rash of injuries, but the Carson, Calif., native was not enrolled after getting behind in the classroom.
But McCallie said that the senior is back on track academically, and Cooper showed how valuable she could be this year in the team’s annual Blue-White scrimmage. Cooper had 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and added six rebounds to go along with two blocks.
However, foul trouble will likely be a factor to watch with her all season—Cooper’s physical style of play has typically prevented her from staying on the court for long stretches at a time. In Sunday’s scrimmage, she committed six fouls.
“It’s a joy to have Kendall back. she did something spectacular,” McCallie said of Cooper’s semester off. “She had difficulty, yet stayed around, lived in Durham, stayed with what she was doing, and got herself back academically where she needs to be.”
With Duke transitioning to a guard-oriented, fast-paced offense, it will be interesting to see how Chidom and Cooper adjust to sprinting up and down the court.
The duo’s versatility—Chidom has looked more and more comfortable attacking off the dribble and Cooper has occasionally shown off a 3-point shot—could make the Blue Devils that much more dangerous. Duke’s guards will have plenty of chances to penetrate, then it will be up to their twin towers inside to finish plays from there.
“It relieves a lot of pressure on the inside,” Chidom said. “They’re extremely great, they’re quick and we’re going to be super athletic this year running the ball up and down the court.”
Ben Leonard and Emily Davis contributed reporting.
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