With numerous professional sports in full swing, the Blue Zone takes a look at how former Duke athletes are faring at the highest levels:
Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces
The Aces are by no means used to being backed into a corner, having fallen behind in a series just once in the past two years. Gray, a former standout for Duke women’s basketball, will have to overcome a deficit after Sunday’s 87-77 loss to the New York Liberty in the WNBA semifinals. The Aces — who are two-time defending champions — faced the Liberty in last year’s WNBA Finals. Gray averaged 15.6 points per game last postseason, and has averaged 10.7 points and 5.7 assists in this year’s playoffs. The former Blue Devil point guard will lead the Las Vegas offense into a shootout with one of the league’s best offenses, as New York’s Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart combined for 55 points in Game 1. Gray, however, has plenty of firepower to work with as well. Between three-time MVP A’ja Wilson and All-Star Kelsey Plum, the Aces will surely look to break out in Game 2 Tuesday night. -Sarah Muir
Ashley Twichell, USA Swimming
What do Duke and Stanford have in common? They are the alma maters of two of the most accomplished swimmers in history. This September, USA Swimming released the roster for the 2024-2025 National Team, and two members of the women’s squad broke the record for most appearances on the team — former Blue Devil Ashley Twichell and former Cardinal standout Katie Ledecky. Twichell and Ledecky have both been named to the National Team for the 13th time — the most of any women’s swimmer in history.
Twichell is an open-water and long-distance swimmer who made history at the 2020 Olympic Games by being the oldest swimmer to make their Olympic debut on Team USA since 1908. The then-32-year-old went on to place seventh in the 10km open water swim in Tokyo. Twichell will represent the USA on the international stage in open water events and the 1500-meter freestyle. She is joined on the squad by current Duke swimmer and breaststroke powerhouse Kaelyn Gridley. -Kate Reiniche
AJ Griffin, Houston Rockets
Griffin, a former standout for Duke men’s basketball, will retire from the NBA at just 21 years old, he announced Monday morning. Griffin averaged 7.5 points per game and shot just over 37% from deep in two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. His NBA career followed a dazzling freshman season at Duke in 2022, where he averaged 10.4 points per game and 44.7% from behind the arc. Griffin, along with a freshman class that included Paolo Banchero and Trevor Keels, raised a Final Four banner in Cameron Indoor Stadium following an outstanding 2021-22 season. He was drafted by Atlanta with the 16th pick that June. Griffin posted a career-high 24 points twice against the Denver Nuggets and Milwaukee Bucks, along with a buzzer-beater against the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 19 of his rookie season. He played in just 20 games in his second year with Atlanta. He was then traded to the Houston Rockets in the offseason, who have since bought out his contract. After basketball, Griffin says he intends to pursue a career in ministry.-Muir
DeWayne Carter, Buffalo Bills
In a painful game for the Bills, defensive tackle and Duke alum DeWayne Carter put on a solid performance against the Baltimore Ravens Sunday night. In the Week 4 game at M&T Bank Stadium, the rookie notched two solo tackles and one assist, with an especially strong effort in the late game. Carter’s performance may have been motivated by Duke Football’s historic comeback against North Carolina Saturday, as the Ohio native was an especially vocal supporter of the squad with enthusiastic posts on X throughout the game.
Carter was the 95th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and he showed promise for the Bills in the preseason. With consistent growth and effort, the 23-year-old earned the praise of head coach Sean McDermott and veteran players on the squad. Carter is one to watch Sunday as the Bills face off against the Houston Texans. -Reiniche
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.