In a statement early Monday morning, Duke announced that its women's basketball head coach, Joanne P. McCallie, will take a leave of absence for approximately two months as she deals with a "correctable kidney-related ailment." McCallie was diagnosed in November 2017, per the release, but finished out the season with the Blue Devils as they advanced to the Sweet 16 before falling to Connecticut.
"To be sure, we wish Joanne the absolute best as she continues to manage this medical situation," Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White said. "Joanne’s health and long-term well-being is by far the most important matter at hand, and her highly capable staff will undoubtedly do great work while she recovers fully. Certainly, we look forward to Joanne’s imminent return to lead Duke women’s basketball well into the future."
After missing the postseason in 2016, McCallie's Blue Devils have qualified for the NCAA tournament each of the last two seasons. Duke finished 2017-18 with a 24-9 overall record, going 11-5 in the ACC, but it will have to replace its two leading scorers after both Lexie Brown and Rebecca Greenwell were selected in the 2018 WNBA Draft last week.
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