Column: No. 11 Duke women’s basketball has played well to this point. But for a deep postseason run, Reigan Richardson must step up

Thirty-three makes on 105 attempts. Twenty-nine turnovers. Two games cut short due to fouls. 

Those were senior guard Reigan Richardson’s stats over the last 12 games before Duke took on Syracuse Sunday afternoon. Suffice it to say, the Charlotte native has been deep in a cold spell for the better part of two months.

That might be why, when Richardson cashed in a layup-and-one off a no-look pass from Vanessa de Jesus late in the third quarter, she celebrated even more than usual, pumping her fists in the air and screaming “and-one!” When she did it again early in the fourth, her celebration was equally emphatic, much to the delight of the Blue Devil bench.

In many ways, Richardson played her best game in months in the Blue Devils’ 80-49 victory over the Orange. She scored 11 points and added four rebounds, five assists and two steals. The senior made her first 3-pointer since Duke’s Jan. 26 win against Georgia Tech, secured her most dimes since Dec. 18 against Wofford and produced three critical offensive rebounds to put ample stress on Syracuse’s defense.

Despite her good outing, the senior’s shooting woes couldn’t escape her Sunday. Her signature jump shot once again faltered, as she didn’t make a single jumper save for an early make on Duke’s second possession. While Richardson’s 3-point shot has never been a focus of the Blue Devils’ offense — she is a career 28.5% shooter from behind the arc — her efficiency on twos has slumped heavily down the stretch this season. In Duke’s seven losses, Richardson has shot a poor 28.3% on 2-point shots, which especially affected the Blue Devils in the Jan. 9 loss to North Carolina.

“Reigan’s plenty motivated,” head coach Kara Lawson said after the game. “She knows she hasn't played as well as she’s capable … she’s putting in the time watching film, shooting extra and practicing hard every day. There hasn’t been a drop in her work ethic.”

The second half of Richardson’s senior season has disappointed relative to her expectations, but it is important to note that said expectations aren’t coming out of thin air. Earlier this season, she scored a career-high 35 points in an overtime victory over Oklahoma. In the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament last season, Richardson averaged 26.5 points and seven rebounds a game while shooting 58.3% from the floor. She has shown an ability to completely take over games with her midrange jumper, but it hasn’t been actualized over the back half of the 2024-25 season.

“I just know, as a coach, that [Richardson’s] going to break out here real soon,” Lawson said. “I know that she’s going to be a force for us towards the end of the year and in the postseason.”

So, yes, the Blue Devils were excellent against Syracuse, and have been very good all year. But as the regular season draws to a close, the urgency for Richardson to step up to the plate has reached a fever pitch. If she can do just that, then Duke women’s basketball’s ceiling is as high as that of any team in the country. She will get an excellent opportunity to continue her good play with a matchup against North Carolina Thursday.