X-Factor: Reigan Richardson's NCAA tournament production essential for Duke women's basketball against UConn

After pulling off the upset against No. 2-seed Ohio State, Duke women’s basketball will travel to Portland, Ore., for the Sweet 16. The Blue Zone brings you a player to watch for each side in the Blue Devils’ matchup against No. 3-seed UConn:

Duke: Reigan Richardson

The Blue Devils have already played two thrilling games in this saga of March Madness, overcoming a halftime deficit to win both games. The tournament has also brought junior guard Reigan Richardson some of the best playing of her career. In the Round of 64 game against No. 10-seed Richmond, Richardson racked up 25 points, one of her highest-scoring games of the season. Clearly wanting to top her already stellar first-round performance, Richardson then scored a career-high 28 points in Duke’s Round of 32 win against Ohio State. In that game, she went 11-for-18 from the field while also collecting seven rebounds. For the Blue Devils to have a chance at taking down one of women's college basketball’s greatest dynasties, Richardson will have to play another career-defining game.

This season, the Charlotte native has stepped up to fill Duke’s veteran void with ease, and to say she is vital to the team’s offense would be an understatement. Plainly put, without Richardson, the Blue Devils’ offense does not function the same, and several of the team’s regular-season losses came when she had an off night. The 5-foot-11 guard often functions as the offensive centerpiece of the team, as well as providing steadying veteran expertise for some of her younger teammates. When she gets hot and goes off on a shooting spree, her confidence often proves infectious to the rest of her team. 

If Richardson can light her offensive spark early on in the game and inspire her teammates to do the same, then Duke should have everything it needs to continue its March Madness journey and bring the Huskies to heel. 

UConn: Ashlynn Shade 

On the opposing side, Ashlynn Shade has also had record-setting success in this year’s women’s NCAA tournament, and for UConn to head to its 28th Elite Eight, the freshman phenom will need to continue her record of offensive dominance.

Though she is only a freshman, the Noblesville, Ind., native has already proven how essential she is to the Huskies and how difficult it will be for Duke to defend her. In UConn’s 22-point first-round win against Jackson State, Shade broke the record set by her teammate Paige Bueckers for points scored in an NCAA tournament debut, dropping 26 in the 86-64 win. The 5-foot-10 guard has shot more than 50% from the floor in the tournament so far and presents a significant threat from beyond the arc as well. She shot 55.6% from the 3-point line in UConn’s second-round win against Syracuse. Halting Shade’s offensive production will undoubtedly be a key part of the game plan for the Blue Devils. If she’s left unchecked on offense, then the Huskies will have little trouble getting past Duke.