Duke basketball is officially back, and the women’s team is gearing up to have an exciting season with many storylines and surprises in store. The Chronicle has you covered with how the Blue Devils have prepared for this upcoming year and how their season shakes up as the year goes on.
After an injury-ridden year for Duke, the team underperformed in 2019, going just .500 a season after making the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. However, most of Duke’s playing core will be returning at different points throughout the year, along with a familiar face in new assistant coach Wanisha Smith, who played for the Blue Devils more than a decade ago. Smith’s experience in a Duke uniform coupled with her time in the WNBA could prove to be essential for a Blue Devil team looking to improve upon its performance from last year.
Though Smith is already at her helm on the sidelines, Duke’s point guards Kyra Lambert and Mikayla Boykin still find themselves on the injury list for the time being. This leaves Duke without a true shot caller on the court to begin the season, leading some to suggest that Leonna Odom should take point guard responsibilities in the meantime. Others have advocated for a point guard-less team and rather a ”point guard by committee” styled offense.
Duke will most likely lean on graduate Hayley Gorecki to spark its offense with her leadership and tendency to get hot from long-range. The Blue Devils will also look to a quad of players with very similar sounding names—Jayda Adams, Jada Claude, Jaida Patrick and Jade Williams—all wanting to contribute to a team needing excellence from both its veteran and new players in hopes of making another NCAA tournament.
To stay tuned on the how Duke’s season goes, follow us on Twitter @chroniclesports and continually check our website for all the best coverage on the Blue Devils this winter.
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